The Reader In Me

Books. At first glance this noun seems like a simple word; one with a shallow meaning and a lack of significance. Sure, all of us know what books are, but it is very rare to come across a person (especially in high school) who understands and appreciates the true meaning and value of the book. I know for a fact that I don’t, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if I don’t for many years to come. Now, that sounds extremely disheartening and a tad bit depressing, however it really isn’t. In fact I like to think of it as encouraging. You see, buried underneath those five letters there is an incredibly deep meaning. A meaning that is a mystery to most and a treasure for those who understand it. Once found, this treasure becomes more valuable than the vast treasures of ancient people before us. The incredible thing about books, is that it can take a person anywhere from a few months to a hundred years to uncover the mystery behind them, and discover the treasures books hold.  Ever since I was a little kid I’ve been one of the people who views books as a mystery. I have never been able to put my finger on the reason that books are so special. Weather that is because there is too many reasons as to why books are comparable to treasure, or because there is no reason, I couldn’t tell you. I just don’t know. Throughout my travels through books and other literature, I have discovered a constant in my reading. No matter the setting, plot, or characters in a book, I’ll enjoy it as long as its a good story.

When I first started reading way back in pre-school and kindergarden I was all about picture books! Picture books on butterflies, cars, monkeys, trains, Polar Bears, and really anything else; If there was a picture book on something I guarantee you I “read” it! The simplicity of the picture books, along with my love for animals and cool looking cars made them an easy choice for me whenever my teacher would give us free time for reading. The pictures in these books told stories beyond what words could describe. You see, even back then books were a mystery to me. The amount of cool pictures and awesome animals I could discover in books were uncountable! The mystery of what I would discover next drove me to read more and more, and fueled my fire to advance to bigger and more complex books.

Throughout middle and elementary school I discovered a love for historical fiction and true historical stories. For me, historical books that weren’t boring and formatted like a textbook seemed like an eighth wonder of the world! At that point in my life I was obsessed with the history of the United States Military (as I am to a certain extent today). Because of that I read shelves full of books that were written about World War II, The Korean War, Vietnam, and even the Civil War. My love for historical books soon spread from just U.S. Military history to World History. Books about the Pharos of Ancient Egypt made my heart stop, tales of the raw power of Ancient Rome made my jaw drop in wonder, and horror stories of brutal Aztec sacrifice made me afraid of what mankind can do to one and other other. All of these chronicles told a story to deep for me to fathom. They indirectly told of how the world came to be what it is. I was baffled by the thought that if these stories never occurred the world would not be as it is today. Once again, The mystery behind books drove me to continue reading and discover new things about myself and the world around me.

Ever since middle and elementary school my taste for books has stayed the same. The only way to describe to you why my taste for books has stayed the same sounds so incredibly corny its not even funny. I mean, this is so corny and cliche your going to be embarrassed for me, and it would not surprise (or offend) me if you laugh at me the next time we have a conversation. Anyway, all pride aside, the reason my taste for literature is the same as it was in middle and elementary school, is that it was during this time I discovered historical fiction and historical based books. And it just so happens that this genre of book had me from hello. I fell so deeply in love with this genre that I love it more today than I did seven or eight years ago when I discovered it. Every single book I have ever read that is based in a historical time period tells an amazing story, and more times than not the story being told has a direct impact on something in the world of today. As a reader who loves a good story, and views books more as a mystery than a treasure, the puzzling air of uncertainty that surrounds many historical time periods, combined with the stunning tales of the times before us, makes historical based books the perfect blend of deception and adventure to satisfy to reader in me.