Reading Is A Trigger

"We read to know we are not alone."

- C. S. Lewis

It's been a long time coming since I've actually sat down and read a page turner of a book.  I love to read.  Have been a lover of reading since I was 3 and learned to read Dear Abby with my Great Grandma.  Recently I came across by Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult on a blog I've been following.  A fantastic read.  Finished in less than 72 hours. 

I always ask myself, what to me makes for a good book?  I like all different kinds of novels, fiction, romance, mystery, true crime.  So it's got to be something that stimulates the mind.  But I must admit there is one thing I'm always looking for in the world of books, especially in the fiction section.  I want relatable characters.  As C. S. Lewis said "We read to know we are not alone."  It's true. 

When I become entranced in a book, it's often because I can find similarities between the characters and myself.  I tend to become completely tangled in my imagination.  I can see everything as clearly as if I were there to witness everything unfold.  Reading lets me escape, but sometimes it can act as a trigger to remembering the past.  It's nothing I would ever hold against a good book.  In fact, it only makes it that much better.  From the frustrations of a teenager, to the out pour of loving a man, to making some of the hardest decisions in your life, a good book is all it takes to know, we are not alone.  After all, even though they may just be stories, somewhere along the lines you've got to know that someone has experienced these same feelings, or the book wouldn't have made it to the publishers desk, let alone the shelves.