The sunrays of the waning afternoon slant through my room’s window. It is winter and the only comfort that is the sun’s warmth is retreating. I am in my cozy bed snuggling with a novel.

I am lost in the words courtesy of an author. If I am lucky, the book will transport me to a literary world that will break the monotony of my daily life until the next read. I always panic when I finish a good book wondering if I will find another book its equal or better.

I cannot pinpoint exactly when I became interested in reading but it was in my school years when I huddled over the fiction section in the school library.

I started off with Agatha Christie and then moved on to classics like Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott. In the class-room we read the abridged form of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. I re-read them and then some more. My propensity for reading grew as years went by.

People who know me wonder why I read so much. I can’t explain to them enough of the importance of reading in my life. Reading has been a solace to me. As a teenager, it was a solace to the pains of growing up and is now a solace in my adulthood.

It is not just an escape or entertainment. I love to read because it is one of the important ways of learning.

I learn from so many people through books. It is amazing how much I have learned through reading. Further, it fuels and inspires my writing. To aspiring writers like me reading is a force to be reckoned with.

Reading takes me to places I have never been before. It introduces me to history, philosophy, psychology and contemporary issues.

It takes me deep into human history. It plunges me into the probable future through science fiction. But it also grounds me into the present and urges me to learn and keep learning. Reading has been my inspiration for self-love and improvement. I like to think reading makes me a better person.

I try to broaden my horizon when choosing my next great read. I try to include all genres of writing from fiction to non-fiction. To the beginners I suggest reading anything and everything from comics to memoirs to novels. Read varied articles online.

Read not just for pleasure but for information too because as Maya Angelou says “all knowledge is spendable currency depending on the market.” Reading will always be like home to me, comforting and indulging.

Now, the sun is setting into a chilly evening and I am starting a promising new book.