The common response to reading books or poetry usually runs along the lines of, "I hate reading" or, "ugh, gross."

The thought of sitting down and picking up a book solely for personal enjoyment absolutely baffles some people. However, when I sit down with a book it's more than just work to me. When I sit down and read a book my body and mind are affected in a variety of ways.

It calms me.

Cracking the spine on a book right down the back is my way of claiming the work. The calming sensation of opening up that first page runs through my fingertips. When I begin to read the world seems to turn a little slower and everything feels okay. No longer do I need to be concerned with what terrors are going on around me. All that I need to worry about is situated comfortably in my own two hands.

You make your own movie.

Whenever you open up that book you enter into an alternate universe. The world is different. Like a movie takes a story and manipulates it to the director and producers' liking, you do so with a book with the power of your own mind. In your head the characters look exactly how you picture them to look. The action or emotional scenes are filled to the brim with the exact amount of feelings that your mind wishes to see. The tiny mannerisms of each character are how you want them to be depicted. The book is a script and your imagination is your theater for the plot to unfold upon.

There are endless options and stories.

The selection of what you may desire to read is endless. If you wish to read about real-life situations that have happened then you can dive into a biography or memoir. By fueling your mind with knowledge of the past then you can step into someone's shoes through historical fiction. A reader can soar on the wings of a dragon in a tale of fantasy and wonder, taking a break from reality. Calm your mind with poetry on an array of subjects. Educate yourself with all sorts of nonfiction on a subject of your choosing.

The library is your oyster.

Books challenge my ideas and thoughts.

With nearly every new book that I read my own thoughts and ideas are challenged. As a human, I contain a variety of opinions that people may or may not agree with. I, myself, do not agree with everyone. However, when I read a book then my mind is challenged. I am listening to the author talk to me, personally, about what they believe in. I am reading their words about a subject that has been pervading their mind. I am thinking and questioning my own thoughts and beliefs based off of a new and interesting argument.

I love every second of it. I love to be challenged. I love to learn. I love to think about all kinds of new possibilities and frontiers of the mind.

I love to read.