Remembering Why We Read

I'll admit that up until a couple of weeks ago, I had fallen out of the habit of reading for pure enjoyment. Being in school and having one to two books to read a week for classes has made it difficult for me to find the energy in my spare time to sit down and pick up yet another book, even though prior to college, it was rare for me to not be reading a book on my own time. Over the past couple of years, my just-for-me reading had been reduced to a few books read over summer vacations, and it has been an issue weighing upon my mind that I have intended to fix for a while, but I have struggled to find the motivation.

Last weekend, I did something for the first time that, as an English major, I should have done long before: attend an author event. Somehow, in all of my many years of avid reading and writing, the idea of going to this type of event and listening to an author speak about his or her work never crossed my mind. Beyond that, nobody had ever introduced me to the idea of attending one. But after having participated in the event, I can say it's a valuable experience that has made me an active reader again.

When the opportunity to attend an author event was presented to me, I was instantly excited and committed to going. I purchased the book, Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips, and read as much as I could in the short two-day time period before the event. Before I even stepped foot into the quaint farmhouse in the rural Pennsylvania town of Blue Bell (where the event was held), I was inspired by this writer's beautiful writing and amazing ability to illustrate dynamic characters and draw readers into the plot.