bondedwiththesea:

I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember. I learned how to read when I was 2. By the time I was 7 I felt ready to tackle one of the greatest books of my generation: Harry Potter. All my life, no matter what has happened, I know one thing will always be there for me, and those are my books. 

It all starts with a fresh, new book. You open it up and hear the crisp crackling of the binding being opened for the first time, smell that new book smell, one of the best smells in the world, and you begin to read…

Once you read that first word, you are no longer a part of this world. You’ve been dropped, thrown, tossed, placed, carried into a world beyond your wildest dreams! It can have dragons and unicorns, villains and heros, magic and mystery… When you read, every word becomes reality, the characters your closest friends, and the wars become your own. The bridge between what is real and what is fake disappears. When a character dies, you cry alongside them, and when a villain is defeated, the triumph is not just the hero’s own. When a story ends, for a time, you may feel lost. Your friends have left you, and something within you feels lost, empty…But then, that’s the wonder of it all, for you can make thousands of other friends-and the old ones are always there to welcome you home, should you ever come calling.

Reading is the key to a life full of wonder, inspiration, friendship, sadness, love, magic, mystery, and adventure. Will you come with me?

(via sassyveronica)