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Books. They’re a collection of several hundred pieces of paper, all with symbols on them that we, as readers, understand to form letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. How do we get these books? From the people who decide they want to spend months writing, and rewriting these symbols. We know these people as authors. Without the author, there would be no book. To me, the author is more important than the book itself. So who’s your favorite author or authors? My favorite authors are Tui T. Sutherland and Lincoln Pierce. Tui T. Sutherland is the author of the Wings of Fire series and co-author of the Spirit Animals series. Lincoln Pierce is the author of the all-famous Big Nate series.
I like Tui T. Sutherland’s books because they have a magical, but real feel to them. Even though they are fantasy, and the Wings of Fire series is about dragons, the magic goes deeper than the literal fact that they’re dragons. They’re magical in the way they soar and fly, and in the way their world is shaped. The way they talk, it’s almost human-like, and sometimes I forget that they are even dragons. I recently wrote a post about windows and mirrors relating to one of Tui’s books, so go check that out also.
I like Lincoln Pierce’s Big Nate series because it is about an eleven year old boy who goes to school, hangs out with his friends, and likes comics. This is exactly like me. For me, this book series is a mirror, reflecting back at my life. Another reason I like Big Nate is because of the humor. I’ve watched a lot of comedy shows and books, and a lot of the jokes don’t make sense. Big Nate makes sense to me, every joke aligning with my sense of humor.
Now that we’ve talked about the creators of books, we can go on to books themselves. When you finish reading an amazing book, 10/10, how do you decide what book to read next? Do you decide by the genre? Maybe by the author? Do you just find another book completely different from the last? For me, I go more by series. I don’t like reading books that are just one and done. I hate the feeling when you’ve been immersed in a book’s amazing world, just to be pulled out only 300 or so pages later. I love reading books that continue to explore the book’s worlds, and expand on the book’s lore. When I read series, it almost feels like the world will never end, like you can always go to it without rereading what you’ve already read.
There are also a lot of types of books. Genres of books. Groups of books that have the same basic theme. For me, these genres are really useful. The genre alone can give you a vague idea of what the book might be about, and then you can use that to decide whether or not you want to read the book. Personally, I read a lot of fantasy. I also like to read historical fiction, but just not as much. I like Big Nate, and that fits into the “Comics” genre. If I had to choose any other genre to read, I would choose mystery. I don’t read mystery books much because I can’t find any of them intriguing enough, but when I do, I love reading them. I love the suspense that comes with the book. I love not knowing what’s going to happen, having to guess all the way to the end. Trying to solve the puzzles with the clues on my own without the book giving the answer straight to me feels awesome. What types of genres do you read? What genre would you like to read?
Another big part of reading is your reading habits. How you read, not what you read. For example, you hopefully have a habit of brushing your teeth, twice a day. Think about it. How do you read? How/when do you read best? How/when do you read your worst? Why do you read in the first place? I know my answers, and I’ll share them. I read best when I’m in a comfy place, such as my couch, in my pajamas, with a blanket on. I read my worst when I’m sitting in a loud and noisy room, sitting up, with two or three people watching me, which often happens. I’m being serious, that actually happens. The thing that makes me read my worst is when I’m bored, like when I’m sitting at home, by myself, with nothing to do, as I am while I’m writing this right now.
But why do I read? I think I read because reading can take you places. Reading a fantasy book could take you to a whole other world, where there might be wizards and witches, or bees that rule over humans. Maybe reading a comic could take you to a humorous place, one where you could just laugh and laugh and have fun with the characters. Reading a historical book, or a historical fiction book takes you back in the past, to experience what happened in that time. Reading sparks imagination, and is considered healthy for one’s brain. A lot of books also have interesting and intriguing plots that make the book fun to read.
Where do I read? I read in a lot of different places. Some of them might seem weird, others perfectly normal. I read on my living room couch, my upstairs couch, in my bed, on a little bench that we have where I sit to take off my shoes. I have this soft bench-ish thing in my room connected to the wall, which I put a pillow on and read.
At school, I read in my advisory, in essentially all of my classes, while walking, the usual. I read in a lot of places that people consider comfy. I also read in a lot of places that people consider uncomfortable. I think they’re all comfortable.
Right now, I’m reading Wings of Fire #10: Darkness of Dragons. The Wings of Fire series, mentioned above, is a series about dragons. This particular book is the last of their current quest. There is a giant, ancient dragon named Darkstalker who has recently emerged from the ground, hates the dragons of the ice, and may or may not want to take over the world. It’s up to five dragonets to save the world from this monster. Will they be able to do it, or will they die trying? Okay, now I feel like a book seller who wants to sell a book. In the end, the Wings of Fire books, and all books, are really good. Collections of symbols we understand. Symbols we know that can make us feel happy, sad, humorous, and regretful. That’s the biggest reason I love reading, there are so many emotions that come with it.