my great escape...

I love books and reading.  It is pretty much my favorite thing to do.  I have read a lot this year (like 110 books so far) I think part of the reason that I have devoured so many books is because it is my escape.  When my brain is idle I obsess over the house not being sold, money, not finding a full-time job yet and on and on.  Mindless TV sometimes can do the trick, but there is nothing better than getting lost in a book.  Reading is my trick to let go of all my stresses, it is the ultimate "me" time.  Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with friends and the kids, but when I'm alone I read.  As much as I love quiet time, I don't really like being alone.  Shopping is no fun by myself, and while sometimes I need a few hours where I just veg in front of the TV...I never feel guilty about spending spare time reading like I do when I waste time watching TV (that probably tells you the caliber of shows I watch that I feel guilty watching them).  Books are my great escape.  I love everything about the process from picking out the books at the library to seeing them stacked up next to my bed to watching my "to be read" pile grow smaller as my "read" pile gets bigger.  I love that my kids love the library.  While I don't love that my kids (ahem...Bryce) are hard on books, I love that they touch them and look at the pictures and make up their own stories.  I love that their books are used and don't look brand new.  I hope this love of mine sticks with them and becomes a love of their own.
I will admit when at Brianna's conferences last week my heart broke a little when she said reading was her least favorite part of school, we'll definitely have to work to change that! 
I'm so appreciative of my parents (especially mom) for instilling in me a love of reading. If you can believe it, I think she actually reads more than I do.
This is a completely random post that has no real point except that I have books on the brain and I'm trying to keep up with my one post a day so this is what you get today!
If anyone needs some book suggestions, let me know...I can share ones with you that I have really enjoyed this year! Anyone want to guess how many I'll have read by the end of 2011?  My goal was to make it to 100 but maybe I'll make it to 120! (an average of 10 books a month...wow...apparently I either need to sleep more or get another hobby! :))