Nowadays, people have access to infinite amounts of information. Books, magazines, news articles and videos are available with the click of a button. I, myself, am a reader. I love to sit down and spend hours upon hours engrossed in words that transport me to a whole new world. I am what many would call a bookworm. However, I’ve begun to question: “What’s the point?” Why have I gone and spent too much time and money on paper and ink? I could watch a movie that also tells a story, but a book is so much more than that. A movie shows you what things look like and tells you how to perceive the story, but a book lets you imagine the world for yourself. A book allows you to imagine yourself as the main character or imagine what it would be like to be in the story. You hear the thoughts of the characters and always know what’s going on in their minds.

My favorite genres are romance and fantasy, bonus points if it’s both. I love to read romance books because they make me feel whole. Reading romance shows you what relationships could be like. As high schoolers we don’t really know what love is. We’ve only ever really seen it with the adults in our life but even then not everyone has witnessed true love. Romance books are just a little look into that part of life.

I have always wanted to go on an adventure. I wish I had magical powers and could witness the beauty of fantasy. In fantasy books anything is possible. You could be a sorceress who ventures on a quest to stop the evil wizard from taking over the magical valley or a princess who has to fight her way through a hierarchy based on how powerful you are. In fantasy the good generally always wins and the bad remains, well, bad. Fantasy defies the laws of physics and lets you envision what you want reality to be.

Books are my way of escaping from the world around me. My way of coping when things get scary or when things get hard. Books allow me to be who I want to be, when I want to be it. So, if you’re ever feeling like the world around you is too big, try picking up and reading a fantasy book. Or if love ever fails you, reading a romance novel might just restore your faith in people. Books offer a different perspective on the way things are and shows you what they could be which in turn makes your life a little bit brighter.