Books have been my best friends since the time I could read. My very first book was my aunt’s gift to me on my fifth birthday. It was a fairy tale book. Of all the gifts I had received in my childhood, that book was – and still remains – my favorite.
The very evening after the birthday party, an excited five-year-old me opened the book and flipped through its pages. I was quite mesmerized by all the colorful pictures it contained. I would read the tales and slip into an imaginary fairy world, build up the story in my head and live it for a few moments. The love that began with that book has been growing tremendously ever since. However, the book that started it all will always occupy a special place in my heart. I have read it hundreds of times. And even though I am now too old to read it again, there are times when I still open it and skim through its heart-warming images.
My growing interest in reading took me to the nearby library, where I started spending most of my time after school. I became particularly interested in the thriller-and-suspense genre. I have read books ranging from Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys to Sherlock Holmes, not to mention Agatha Christie’s nerve-racking titles.
Then came a time when I felt that the local library was unable to satisfy my literary needs. That’s when I decided to save some money and buy myself a present for my fifteenth birthday. And guess what I bought? The modern book lover’s dream – a Kindle! It took me two excruciatingly long years to save just about enough money to treat myself to a Kindle. But all the trouble and wait were worth it. I now carry my device everywhere I go. It has become my most preferred companion during my bouts of boredom.
Given the emotional bond I share with books, I would like to sum up my story with an Annie Dillard quote:
She reads books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.
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