I can feel the ground beneath my bare feet, my impractical heels long discarded, as I frantically run through the thickest forest I have ever found myself in. My heart races within my corseted rib cage and threatens to burst from my chest. I can hear them closing in, shadows from all sides threatening to consume me. I know I am running out of time. The fate of my kingdom depends on me. I round the corner and come face to face with-
Bam! The door to my dorm room hits me square in the face and snaps me out of the trance I was in while reading my new favorite fantasy novel. I could have sworn I was just racing through the woods; it felt so real! How could it all have been in my head?Â
I have been a reader for as long as I can remember. I have traveled more places in my own mind than any airplane has or ever could take me. I have been to lands both great and small. I have been a pirate, a siren, and a mighty ruler. I have been an adventurer, a baker, and a ballerina. I have seen war, and I have seen peace. I have experienced joy, and I have known terror. Books, and the likeness are more than words on paper; they are portals to new worlds. They are experiences of the greats and the imagineers. They are the means of communication for the things in which we are too afraid to speak out loud. I have learned more about the mechanics of writing, the workings of political systems, and my own strength from picking up a work of fiction than I have from any classroom.Â
Whether you enjoy works of fiction, nonfiction, thrillers, romance, or anything in between, much can be learned from diving into the mind of an author. Humanity longs for connection, for a common understanding within the confines of our knowledge of the world around us. When we can see ourselves through the eyes of a character, though separated by worlds, and find how we are not so different, we can be comforted and find acceptance in whatever we may be facing in our lives. Â
I once had someone tell me that reading fiction and fantasy was a waste of my time. Well, it’s a sure good thing I don’t listen to every opinion anyone has ever told me, because I have found just how wrong they were. Reading is powerful. Being a well-read woman is even more so. I have found my ability to hold my own in a debate as if I were fighting for my kingdom, or presenting in front of a crowd of people, imagining I am a great warrior planning for battle, has allowed me to ground my feet and no longer let my voice shake when standing up for what I believe in. A well-read woman is a fearless woman who has ridden dragons in her free time. A well-read woman is well versed in spy work and can point out a liar in the blink of an eye. A well-read woman is a deep thinker, with a mind that values truth and knowledge. A well-read woman is dangerous because a well-read woman has lived more lives, has known great power, and has experienced the otherworldly before some people have even gotten out of bed.