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Book Worm Reborn.

saranealeigh:

I have never felt so much like a nerd in my life before today. 

When my Journalism professor told the class today that instead of text books, we would be reading REAL books, I nearly lost it right there in class. 

I have always loved to read. In elementary school I always had a supremely high reading level, was always one of the top finishers in the weekly pages read count, and always met my reading goals. I read anything I could get my hands on, but mostly books about animals. I would read every night in bed and would be up until ridiculous hours of the morning to finish a book; that is, until I started college. 

Now I don’t have time to read all the text I’m required for class, much less anything just for fun. The fact that I haven’t been able to enjoy reading for nearly 2 years is  But don’t worry, I keep a running list of books that I want to read over breaks. 

So when I heard that we would be reading novels for our class, I was elated. The love of reading instantly was reborn in me. I ran to the bookstore to get my hands on the first couple readings, decided they were too expensive there, and sprinted home to order them all from Amazon. But as I was sitting in class, no longer paying attention, I recalled a few things about my life. 

    1. I have always loved to read, and I am so thankful for that. Thankful to my parents for making me read every day as a kid, thankful to God for giving me the passion for it, and thankful that it has lead me to where I am today. 

    2. My favorite teachers have always been the ones that encouraged me to read. My third grade teacher who always pushed my abilities in our reading circles. My high school english teacher for two years, who had the biggest love for books I’ve ever seen. She inspired me to ready new books, old books, even new genres. Her guidance even brought me to the fine university I am at today. My other high school english teacher, who I also stayed with for two years, got me started writing articles for the local paper.  Doing so led me to the career path that I am on today. Without any of these people, I would not be where I am now. 

    3. My love for reading and passion for books has been reborn through this new professor. It’s a bit too early to say I feel the same way for her as I have for previously mentioned teachers; but I know that after today, I have a strong appreciation for the gift she has brought back to my life. 

Now, with my love for books and reading for enjoyment once again alive and well, I look forward to where this class will take me and my writing. I am eager to ignore all my other classes readings and focus solely on these books, because they won’t be homework, they will be stories. This book worm is back and better than ever. 

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In case you were curious, here is the book list from my class: 

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard 

Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose 

The Devil’s Highway by Luis Urrea 

Into the Wild by John Krakaur 

Churchill by Paul John 

Hiroshima by John Hersey 

Hemingway’s Boat by Paul Hendrickson