"Reading has been an important part of my life since I was in elementary school. My earliest memories include hiding behind a shelf in the school library or begging my parents to take me to the city public library, eager to lose myself between the pages of a story. Since then, I have become a hopeless bibliophile. I currently have at least 12 new books that I haven't read, and although my shelves are full of books, I keep buying them.

For me, books are more than fun. On my toughest days, I'll turn to my favorite stories to distract me from what's going on and remind me that I'm not alone. I turn to stories to remind me of the beauty of the world and of humanity, which is so easy to forget when everything around you crumbles.

Books are so important to me because they are constant in a changing world. Through my love of reading, I also discovered my passion for writing. I'm often inspired by my favorite authors and encouraged to share my work, even though I think it's the worst thing in the world. Some of my favorite stories have inspired many of mine and, on a larger scale, my whole life.

Another thing I love about books is that they give me a rich perspective on the human condition. What is our goal? Why are we hurting? I've read stories about concepts I've explored in my life, and it's comforting to know that I'm not alone. It's also interesting to see how other people see the world we live in, so when I realized that the way I see the world isn't necessarily how other people see it, my perspective shifted. enlarged." ~Kathy