By Nina Earle
Getting sucked into a good story can be life altering and is an experience I hope that everyone has at least once. As your eyes scan the page, your reality disappears and a whole new one takes its place. Books can have a power over readers to transport them anywhere. This power can manifest in many different ways. It can be hearing the voice of a beloved character as you read their dialogue or feeling the energy of a grand, earth shattering event. Fiction or nonfiction, good writing can take you anywhere in the world. This power that details give good stories makes reading full of joy and imagination and creates an otherworldly experience.
When I was a kid, I got into reading and never turned back. In fact, when I was young, I almost lit the house on fire because of a book. I had lost myself so far in a fictional world that reality did not exist. The books I read were so engaging, that the world outside of the story was unimportant and not a place I felt was worth being. I had been completely transported, and since then books have always been an escape for me. Words have way more power than anyone gives them credit for. They have the power to teach, explore, and change the world.
Readings done for class, no matter how interesting the subject may be, will always be different then reading for pleasure. Readings for class have obligations connected to them that will always make it feel different. These obligations can take the forms of a reading quiz, a learning goal or discussions. Because these can heavily impact your grade, and aren’t something you choose for yourself, reading for class can feel like a chore. Don’t let the weight of all your class readings dissuade you from picking up a book and exploring a whole new world in your valuable free time. It really can be life changing.
