Just Keep Reading, Just Keep Reading....

Hello, my name is April and I am a bookworm, book nerd...well whatever you want to call it I love to read and buy books. This is not a confession in hopes of breaking this habit, actually the complete opposite, in the fact that I'm accepting  that it makes me happy to go to a bookstore and I do sometimes hide behind and within the safe confines of a book. That last part I might have to be careful with but then again everyone has to have some kind of escape from reality from time to time. I will admit that I rarely read a book that I don't end up learn something about myself. In fact I had given up on having anything to really write about until I quite by accident found a book that I couldn't leave the store without and thanks to a minor winter precipitation I stayed in my room all day yesterday and read. I originally was drawn to the story because it is written as letters to a Mr. Knightley from Sam, short for Samantha, who loves to read and hides behind the characters in her favorite books. The letters are a one sided conversation, besides a couple of times that Sam demands a response but quickly regrets that decision because just seeing the letters puts her in a panic. Mr. Knightley pays for Sam's college and the only thing he asks is that she write him letters telling her about what is going on in school. However, the letters quickly become an easy outlet for Sam to tell her true feelings about her life as well as what is going on with her classes. She has trust issues and has a hard time making friends and will quote her favorite characters when she feels to exposed. That I can relate to but I quote books, movies, televisions shows for basically all kinds of emotions or events. I loved the book because it talked a lot about the classic books and I loved the letter writing, that's just something you don't see in real life or books very often which is sad. I love the idea of people taking the time to actually write a letter, emails are nice too, but there is just something about receiving something from someone in their own handwriting. Although I feel sorry for anyone who has to read anything written by me, sometimes I have a hard time reading my own writing. Throughout the book Sam begins to realize she hides behind her characters and what they have to say instead of her saying and being who she really is. I actually figured out who Mr. Knightley was before it was mentioned but I don't think that took away from the story at all. One of my favorite lines from the book is: 'Through it, I found a new character. Me. She's bold and fairly fiesty, with serious timidity issues at times. Every step she takes forward, she glances back and even retreats. But she's got courage. I think she'll make it. I don't know when she'll be free to run - figuratively, that is.' I love it because it reminds me that we all have our flaws, characters in the books and us living in the real world too, but no matter how many flaws we have or why we have them if we keep going one day we'll be free to run - figuratively that is! So as I close this post I again say, I'm a proud book worm, because within the confines of those pages of characters I find something to learn about myself and after all one can never have to many books are journals.

If you would like to read the book I mentioned it is called Dear Mr. Knightley and is by Katherine Reay. I definitely recommend it if you are a big fan of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, or love reading books that have letters. 

I can't end this without also recommending another great book I'm reading (because any good reader can't just be reading one book and I'm currently reading and trying to finish three). This one is about Alexandra (Alex to friends and family) and Cole. Alex comes from a wealthy family but you wouldn't know it except for her last name because she works hard to get what she has. Cole recently had a crushing blow when his now ex-fiance broke off their engagement. Alex and Cole work together and I unfortunately can't go in to much more detail because that is the drawback of reading so many books at one time. I imagine it's like trying to pay enough attention to all of your kids, it can sometimes be hard, and that is saying nothing against this story because it is such a good story I am fighting sleep at night just so I can read one more chapter. So go check out One Good Reason by Chase Ewing. Here is a link...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3OUK56/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_awdl_z6POsb0CM48W0