Would you like a book?

Yesterday evening, the American author Maureen Johnson was given a Waterstones shirt and "free reign" of the Oxford Street store. A university friend and I went along to both meet her and try to resist the urge to buy books. That... well.... failed...

You see, I couldn't leave without buying one of Maureen Johnson's books (which she kindly signed) and then, well, I read the back of Every Day by David Levithan and just couldn't resist the urge to buy it. Also, "Let It Snow" was in the same offer so why not get a signed (well, 1/3 signed) copy?!

In the last 24 hours, I've already finished reading Every Day. It's been a while since I've just devoured a new book but each time I do I remember just how much I enjoy reading. Yesterday, as we were talking about books and reading blurbs, it reminded me of the thrill I used to get when I went through the bookshelves of the library, searching for an exciting new read (except with the constraint of money...). I wanted to buy half the books and I feel like I should let myself buy one or two new books a month to read, or at least read a couple of new books each month.

Books are a new world where you can get absorbed and forget your troubles. Time passes in a completely different way with only hunger and tiredness occasionally interrupting. You go rapidly from page to page, absorbing each word, not wanting the illusion to be broken; letting the fictional world become your own and never wanting to leave.

I want to be reminded of the awesomeness of fiction more often so readers, hold me to that and remind me every now and then to read a new book or chuck a suggestion my way!