I need to read, like I need to breathe

Ever since I can remember, I have always had my nose in a book. I spent most of my dark and brooding youth lost within the pages of a captivating story. I read Mystery, Fantasy, comic books and regular Fiction. I would devour anything that could captivate my imagination. I was like a chain smoker, but with books. As soon as I would put one down, finished, I would pick up a new one and start reading with fervor.Even today, you'll find me wandering around with my mouth open in wonder in the Young Adult section of the bookstore. Oh sure, I can also be found in the Fantasy or Mystery sections or between certain letters of the alphabet in the Fiction section, but I still have a soft spot for much Young Adult lit.There was a time I could never get enough time to look over every book in that section. My parents would be waiting impatiently for me, needing to get to their next destination and I was up in the clouds looking at all the book choices in the YA section. I would have to hold every book, touch it, read the summary, smell the book. Yes, often it's all in the way a book feels in your hands and smells when you crack that cover the first time. The smell of the paper and glue binding it together help fuel your imagination when you're lost in those pages.My time for reading is sadly less than it used to be but I make sure that I find the time to sneak in a brain break once in a while. I read on the metro to and from work, I try to read a little before I go to sleep (although more often than not, I am too sleepy to get more than a page or two read). I have recently started reading in the bath - now that I have an awesome bathtub that I am able to be comfortable enough in to keep the book dry! I would much rather read a book than watch TV. I find that in this Age of the Internet I get sucked in to surfing the net and blogging, etc. more than reading a good book. This is something I am trying to change as the days go by. I would much rather be reading an interesting novel than seeing what the latest celebrity gossip is, though why I choose the gossip over the book more often than not these days baffles me.I am horrid at book reports, so this isn't what I plan on using this medium for. I plan on writing about the books I have read, am reading and will be reading. It will most likely be heavy on the youth books, but that's just the way I roll. There is a ton of excellent literature out there for "young" people than any adult could enjoy. Well, by "any" I really mean "some". I guess being a kid at heart (though I am not terribly old as it is!) keeps my reading a little more imaginative. I have never enjoyed non-fiction literature or romance, but it's not impossible that I might occasionally find myself reading something of the sort. *sheepishly eyes a Nora Roberts novel on her night table*Maybe if someone reads this little blog they might find something new and enjoyable to read. Maybe not. Heck if anyone actually reads this other than myself and my Monkey, I'll be one really surprised girl!