Goosebumps

Clara has got me into reading.. I know this is something that we’ve mentioned before, about books lying on the side for a year, and me finally opening one up to give it a shot. It seems like an almost silly achievement, for a writer to be proud of still reading daily, but for me.. It’s really something! I am easily distracted, I can’t multitask, and I used to prefer television or gaming over going to bed to read. I’ve always loved reading, I just never bothered to give myself the time to do so. Not when I could be doing something else.

It’s taken 6 days to finish one book, and I’m already working on the next. Hell, I’m going through them faster than I can buy them! Not only that, but I have another one in my bag that goes where I go, so that when I have a few minutes to spare, I can read. It’s quite a change, and a very welcome one. It’s relaxing, and especially now with the cold creeping in, making the days a lot darker.. All that’s missing is a cup of hot chocolate, complete with whipped cream, to make it an excellent evening.

But reading has it’s side effects as well.

I have had my first experience, of quite literally shutting the book like: “NOPE. I cannot! You will not do that to me!” It sent a shiver from the top of my head, to the tips of my toes. An incredibly weird feeling, that chilled me to the bone. I was not ready for that side of reading, but getting there felt absolutely exhilarating. I’ve been through ooh’s and aah’s, and the common yay’s and oh hell no’s.. But never that. That book shutting, body shivering ‘Oh god no.’ This for me used to be the stuff of myths, didn’t think a book could actually do that to me. Not because I like to think I don’t get emotionally attached to books or words or the characters on the pages.. But purely because I am so easily distracted, I’ve never had a lot of experience getting into a book, let alone that deep!

Now, I’m both terrified and excited to see what else it can do. What kind of power books have, because it’s so much more than just words on a piece of paper. For me, it’s been an excellent way to brush up on my English, expand my vocabulary, and nudge my grammar into shape. Little by little I’m starting to realise the power of books, the power of words, and how to make them hit. Whether it’s that overwhelming sense of dread building up teasingly slow throughout the book, or the squirming desire of please get together because you’d be such a good couple!

Reading is an emotional roller coaster, and I can’t tell Clara how pleased I am that she took me on a ride. I don’t want it to end. I want to keep going, see what magical worlds it takes me through, and what other scary, delicious effects it can have.

Fortunately, with a friend like Clara, I can never run out of suggestions to read! Which is good, because I think I’ve officially reached the point where I don’t ever want to stop reading.

I need to start looking at a proper bookcase!

Charlotte