Occasionally, though, I still take out a few of my favorite books and sit down on the old couch in the basement. And once I start a book, I don’t stop until I have spent several hours reading it. I realize that I forget how amazing books are and how they are more effective at providing an escape from reality than the Internet or television. I really do take books for granted and let them sit for months on my bookshelf without even giving it a second thought.
Every book pulls me into a new world, filled with new people and a new situation. I travel my way through the story along with all the main characters and become emotionally attached to all the people I “meet” along the way. Their stories make me laugh, cry and feel their pain, every ounce of it. I have all kinds of books stacked up in my basement, in every genre you can think of. And they all offer a different experience for me, a different journey to go on.
When I was younger, I used to be addicted to reading. I still remember the day I finished a chapter book for the first time and the ecstasy I felt. I have all my picture books from my childhood; I remember taking them all out and reading dozens of them in a day. I would cherish each page, each illustration, each word. I saw every book as a magical world, far away from our own. I often yearned to step into a book and leave everything behind.
Now that I’m older, I have drifted away from the enchanted world of books. I struggle to find time to become completely absorbed in a novel and lose track of all time. But when I do find time to read, I realize it is the best form of entertainment I will ever have.
As summer approaches, my bookshelf continues to call out to me. And this time, I won’t ignore its call.
By Afsah Khan
