You may wonder why I've named my blog Soup in the Library. If you've been following my articles at all, you'll have realized by now that they are only about books and food, and here's why.

Books and food are my biggest passions. Who doesn't love to sit down and read a good book, or to have a nice dinner with family or friends? Books do so much in society, as does food. Both can bring people together, nourish your body and mind, and make you more fit.

Soup in the Library was actually a name given to me by one of my friends (thanks, Keith) when I absolutely could not think of another name. The title of this article (The Essentials of Life) was one of the names I was tossing around, but I couldn't really picture it as a good fit. So, I started asking around to all of my friends, and, TA DA! the perfect name! And I kept it.

Books and food may not be the essentials to your life, but they're definitely the essentials to mine. Obviously anyone would die without food, but I would also die without good food. How could anyone eat food that they don't like? I still don't understand the people who eat salad for every meal of the day. I can't go three hours without eating something laced with sugar.

Books are a different story. I've always loved books, but I've only learned to really appreciate books in the last few years. You can learn anything from books, and every book teaches a lesson. And books not only nourish your mind, they nourish your soul.

In my opinion, books and food go hand-in-hand. They serve the same purpose, more or less. People who love books would agree, because the only thing more satisfying than finishing a good book is taking a bite out of a juicy cheeseburger. Trust me; I've done both in the same day, and I got the exact same feeling both times. The smile spreads across your face, and it feels like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.