The Joy of Reading

As with many other people, I usually don't make time during the quarter to read a book I want to read, because I have so much required reading in my textbooks. However, this quarter, I decided I would make the time to read because it is one of my most favorite "leisure" activities. I enjoy the whole process of researching authors and publishers and spending time at the library, browsing the shelves, enjoying the quiet atmosphere. I enjoy reading- it does actually bring me joy to sit down and read a book. So, I've spent the couple hours a week that I would have usually been watching TV and I started reading for me again.

Currently, I'm reading Prairie Fire, by Catherine Palmer. It is historical fiction set in late nineteenth-century Kansas. When I am reading, I am caught up in the characters' world. As I read deeper into the book, the images in my mind of the characters and places in the book get more and more detailed. Also, when I read a book over a longer period of time, I find myself wondering about the characters and the coming events in the book, even when I'm doing something else at the time. My mind is invested in the book, and I sort of feel like I know the characters. This is especially true when I read books in a series.

I especially enjoy historical fiction or stories that are set in interesting times or places. I learn so much about history, far-off places, unfamiliar cultures, or whole time periods, when I read books that are well-researched and well-written by the author.

I picked Prairie Fire after I searched the publishing company at the library. I've read numerous books published by the same company, and I trust that the content of the books it chooses to market will be of a certain caliber. I've found that while publishing companies may have diverse offerings, they usually have set standards for what kind of literature they will print. I have a few favorite publishers that I search at the library when I want to find new authors. Some publishing companies even set up "imprints," or smaller, specialized sections of the company that have their own name. These imprints are used to find, fine-tune, print, and market books with specific qualities. The imprint will usually deal with books that have some similar trait.