Guilty Pleasure: Books

I love to read...a lot.  I am always reading a book.  In fact, I would almost always pick a book over the television or a movie.  For me, reading is a way to escape into another world and become someone else for a short time.  I just love it.  In fact, I think it is safe to say that I need it too.

Now, though I do enjoy most genres of reading, my favorite, and hence the genre I read most, is Adolescent Fiction.  I do not want to read bad language, graphic violence, explicit sex...I just don't want all that crap running amok in my mind.  I have a great imagination and when I read, books come to life.  This can be good and bad.  For better or worse, what I read tends to stay with me for a long time.

So, back to Adolescent Fiction.  The reason I like this genre so much is that it typically doesn't have garbage in it.  No bad language, no sex, no graphic anything.  What is does tend to have are themes of good versus evil where the good guys triumph over the bad, an uplifting flavor, courage, honor, decency, learning moments, humility...all things that I want to escape to.

I am lucky to have married someone who likes to read as much as I do.  It is something we have tried really hard to teach to our children as well.  I really think that the love of books is something that is learned.  Our children all love books.  We have had many tender moments reading to Mr. Smarty Pants, Sweet Boy, and Cute Girl.  I love that they love books.

I am so thankful to have grown up in a home where books were important.  Books bring me great joy and happiness, and I am so thankful to be literate.  I do not take that blessing for granted.  .

Guilty Pleasure: Buffy

This week has been pretty crappy. It started out freezing cold. It snowed for 24-hours straight, leaving my front yard with a mountain of snow...a MOUNTAIN I tell ya! We had a snow day on Tuesday, a snow day on Wednesday, yet another snow day today, and tomorrow is a "Professional Day", so again, no school. Mr. Smarty Pants broke his collar bone while trying to do a flip off of our couch, which, rightfully so, has resulted in a lot of whining and complaining. My car battery died because I left the light on all night. It is still freezing cold. And to top it all off, our elementary school caught on fire this morning. What the heck is that all about? I thought that was something that only happened in children's wildest dreams. Crazy!

So, this brings me to my post today: Guilty Pleasures. I have many. Today though is special. Today is a Buffy day. I like the t.v. series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There, I said it. (Whew, it feels good to get that off my chest.) I like watching Buffy. I have been watching Buffy from the beginning on Netflix instant cue, and I'm now almost through season 4. It provides a nice break from reality, and heaven knows, I am in need of a break. Sometimes reality bites.