Lose Yourself in a Book

I tried to instill a love of reading in my girls from very early on. Just as my parents had done for me, our bedtime ritual with the girls from babies included reading a book or two to them. Always with the voices, of course!

When they grew a little bit older and were able to read on their own (shout-out to BOB books which helped this happen at age 3!), their bedtime was at a set hour at night, but we allowed them to read for 30 minutes past then, if they were so inclined.

My daughters both still love reading today, and their faves mirror their interests and ages. My 11-year-old loves fiction with a social justice slant (Wonder, The One and Only Ivan, Out of My Mind), and my 19-year-old loves memoirs that inspire (Steve Jobs, Bossypants, I Am Malala).

I also still love reading. I read every night before bed, and adore a good, old-fashioned fiction. Some of my faves over the years have been: The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, The Kitchen God’s Wife, I Know This Much Is True, Middlesex, The Virgin Cure among many, many others. In fact, one of the reasons I’m excited for my upcoming beach vacation is to lose myself in my e-reader with the aim to devour as many books over the week as I can.

Books can be so much, depending on what you’re looking for – entertainment, education, diversion. What about you? What are some of your favorite reads, and why? Why do you enjoy losing yourself in a good book?

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Natalie Rea

Mom to two amazing daughters - a feisty teen in middle school, and an ambitious young adult in university. Originally from Montréal's West Island, I now explore the beautiful trails of Hamilton, Ontario. Proud Canadian, vegetarian, dog-adopter, & bleeding-heart liberal. I smile a lot because I have Resting Bitch Face.