I have always loved the escape that a good book provides; whether it’s winter time and you’re curled in your favourite armchair with a hot drink, or you’re lounging on a deckchair by a pool somewhere exotic.
The great thing about reading as a hobby is that it is untrammelled by the seasons, the time of day or your whereabouts. Whether you read in bed before you sleep or on public transport, the stories await your return. I’m a firm believer that as well as tissues and bus fare, a book is something that everyone should always have on their person.
Here are just some of the books that I’ve delved into over the course of my eighteen years…
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – JK Rowling
Although wildly predictable, I can’t not include the book that kick-started my love for reading and my desire to write.
Curled up in our red leather armchair in my birthday decadence, I sit with a resolute expression on my face. I am only six, but that’s no deterrent as I pick up my crisp new copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I settle into the tale of an Orphan boy who lives with his Aunt and Uncle for whom it seems there is no hope for in the world… that is until the mysterious letters begin to arrive. My eyes scan the lines furiously, my brain churning with knowledge of this new world. I can’t stop reading; I am truly enthralled by the words on the page in front of me.
We meet Hermione Granger, and it’s as if I’m being introduced to myself in literary form. Rowling’s characters are so real, so relatable, that I will cry when I received a “signed” photo from Emma Watson herself. I will devour each new instalment in the series with fervour; I will cry when I close Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I will always love Harry Potter. Always.