I have been reader for most of my life. I remember when I got my first “big girl” desk with two shelves, slowly and surely those two shelves filled up and now I have 2 floor to ceiling bookshelves, one that literally wraps around my bed, and 2 library carts. All the bookcases are filled to the brim, some are even double stacked. I have not read all of them, but it is always great to have choices, like always having a full fridge.

I do not have a specific genre that I read because I like to try everything. If I like a synopsis of a book I am going to read it regardless of genre. Life is far too short to be picky about genre, and you can miss some really great reads if you skip around. I do tend to pick up fantasy and science fiction because I like to escape to other worlds, but sometimes I will pick up a contemporary romance or a psychological thriller just to keep me on my toes. Sometimes you just pick up a book and you feel your mind changing.

When I was moving into my first college dorm room I was really excited. I met my RA and some floor mates that were really nice and made me feel included. However I was most nervous about meeting my roommate, and when I met her that turned into worry. She played field hockey so she already had a group of friends which made me feel incredibly lonely. At least for dinner I had very kind floor mates that never let me eat alone, but the rest of the time was torture. I started spending more time at the library sitting in a very comfy chair, yes just like Matilda, and reading/studying to get away from my roommate. The book that really saved me was The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I fell deep into this book and it took a while to get out.

That book changed everything for me, I made some friends at the library because they saw what I was reading. I did not hate being on campus anymore, and my roommate eventually moved out to live with some field hockey teammates so I was able to be in my room again.

Books really are a wonderful gift from authors. I was fortunate to meet Patrick Rothfuss a couple years ago, I told him how much The Name of the Wind saved my life. He was so gracious and warm. I don't know what would have happened if I had not found that book, so I am incredibly grateful.