Finding my first love...reading!

Two paperbacks I've recently read.

Everything feels like deja vu. Call me a weirdo but I do love the smell of newly opened paperbacks or any book for that matter. I'm truly OC when it comes to my books. I don't like them dog-eared, I don't want any creases or any marking. I want it to be as perfect as possible before deciding to read it.

I have been reading for as long a I can remember and I owe it all to my maternal grandmother who made me read by frequently visiting National Bookstore to pick out a few titles. I have come across a wide array of books, mostly pieces that touched on the topics of life, culture, spirituality, personal struggles and love.

I worry about literacy sometimes. I no longer think an appetite for reading simply develops naturally in kids today. Nowadays, there are too many distractions, too many options for reading to always win on its own. It has to be encouraged and nurtured. I should know...

In our household, I could see my cousins submit themselves mindlessly to watching cable TV and DVDs 24/7. I'd have to say it's still better to read than watch TV, you may complain of tired eyes alright but at least your brain still functions.

There should always be a breakthrough moment for kids, sort of eureka for young readers. The first time words would come alive in their heads--these are even better than some TV show or 3D cartoons. Kids must experience the power of words, like an image, a description, something they read that makes them laugh--the works. My point is that we should all experience that magical connection between the author and reader. Once kids experience those moments for themselves, I'm sure they will be hooked on books and become readers.

Some researchers say that reading is too solitary, that it doesn't help kids to socialize. I totally disagree. Learning to think about the world on your own is one of the priceless benefits of reading. In my own experience, I even gained friends because we have the same liking for books. Fifteen years ago, a girl approached me after seeing I've just purchased Sweet Dreams, Sweet Valley and R. L. Stine books. She eventually became one of my closest friends in high school after we found out we had so much thing in common. But it was our love for the same titles that had actually kept the ball from rolling. (Hi, Melay! Hope you're reading this!)

I believe there's this thing among bookworms where we, at some point in our lives, prefer nothing more than the company of a good book and a hot cup of coffee, choco or in my case peppermint tea. But it doesn't mean we are isolating ourselves from the rest of the world.

If you want your kids to love reading books. I suggest you better start now by reading to them each night. It's better to start early before they learn to read themselves.