The other day, someone asked me what was the first book I remember reading. I work at a library, so I get questions like this a lot, particularly from the kids. Most of the time I have an answer, but I really had to think about this one. To be honest, I can’t ever remember a time that there wasn’t a book in my hand. Sure, there were some years that I read more than others, but I’ve always read.
Books have been a part of my life for a long time. When I was a kid, struggling through elementary and middle school, I suffered through bullying due to ‘being different.’ I have autism and that’s always made it harder for me to relate to others. When I had a hard time making friends, there were books. By simply taking a trip to my bookshelf, I could easily step into another world where I was fighting dragons, sitting at high tea with princesses, and riding on the back of whatever color horse I desired.
As I grew up, things didn’t change much, I just chose different books. In college, I had a fascination with memoirs. I found myself delving into independent studies where I could focus on whatever niche I wanted, from independence, to living with autism, to family difficulties. The stories of others helped me gain confidence in myself as I pushed through a society that wasn’t made for autistic adults.
Even after college, I found myself turning to books. Burnt out from reading too much Shakespeare and Henry James (assigned reading, am I right??), I found myself reaching for quick, mindless reads that could distract me from a world riddled with anxiety.
These days, I read because I love to do it. Some day, a few years from now, I’ll probably look back and say, wow, the 2020s were the years I read this kind of book to overcome so and so… but who knows, really. All I know is that the right book can feed your soul and that’s what I’m doing with After The Last Page. I want to create a safe space where anyone and anything (except bots, hopefully) can post their views about the books they love, the books they hate, and everything in between. So, if you haven’t already, pop your email down in the subscribe section below and tell me all about your ride or die favorite book, or maybe just the book you’re reading at the current moment. Either way, I want to hear about it.
XoXo,
Jackie
