Falling Out of Love with Books

Hello,

I want to get something else out there. Last summer, I almost gave up reading. Previously, books had always been a sort of safe haven for me, something that I truly enjoyed but could still count as "educational." My parents mostly left me alone when it came to my reading. Unlike piano or violin, it was a passion that I had naturally gotten into, and not have had shoved in my face until I became good enough to enjoy it. (That's not to say that I don't like playing violin) Reading could take me to fascinating worlds and show me new ideas. I never stuck my nose into non-fiction much unless it was something that interested me, because I could get more absorbed and "into" fiction books. Last summer, I found a new reserve of emotion, character, and story in the anime world. In anime, you didn't have to try to imagine how the world is yourself, and could just focus in on the intriguing characters and stories. And boy, were there good stories! Beautiful animation can bring a character to life and make a great character unforgettable. There was a world of stories out there that I hadn't even touched! I marathoned series after series, exposing myself to a multitude of ideas that books couldn't even simulate. 

When it came down to the last two weeks of vacation, I still hadn't finished my two summer reading book choices. I had no excuses, no matter how many I tried to spit out. I sped through 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, liking it, but left wondering how I ever enjoyed Jules Verne as much as I did before. The next book I'd chosen was Anne of Green Gables. I'd only picked it because there weren't any other selections in the library at the time, and that I figured that classics can't go wrong. I loved it a lot more than I thought I would. I adored Anne, with her boldness and overactive imagination that I could never hope to attain. I could feel for her every dramatic sorrow, every strange imagining, and every dream realized. Yet, I saw that many others appreciated the classic for the way the world around them actively affected Anne. Indeed, Avonlea was always described in the most colorful way possible. Around every corner there were memorable descriptions of what you would take to be everyday scenery otherwise. I had took them all for granted. Should I read it again for the sake of experiencing the vivid landscapes? No, that wouldn't do any good. I couldn't imagine it, so reading it again wouldn't help. I couldn't imagine what Anne's world looked like. Reading always brought me to a land of my own, where I could illustrate every scene to the way I wanted it to be. I couldn't see it anymore. The imagination and imagery that I so treasured had flitted away after neglect.

Right now, I know that I WANT to read more. I want to regain the ability to make a story or world alive on my own. Anime is a wonderful medium with all sorts of good ideas, but I get the feeling that if I'm not reading anymore, there's no way that I could be able to tell engaging stories or write out my feelings onto paper until I'm satisfied. I want to write more too. That's why I'm going to make this blog more easygoing, so that I won't feel intimidated by my own writing from before. I'm not sure how exactly I'm going to get myself back into reading, but I'm going to do it. In the past, I longed to become an author. I hope I will be able to find the exact reason I loved reading so much once again.

Yours,

Lorlaine (I do like this name best.)