BOOKS!
Warning: This post is going to be really nerdy. And I might talk about how some books are like best friends (stuff like that).
I actually don't understand how people can read a book and just be done with it after one go. Or how they can just put it down without even finishing it, just because they were given a spoiler about the ending.
Then again, I personally love spoilers. And I read all of my books multiple times. Because I don't treat books like the inanimate objects that they are (omg that sounds really bad/nerdy), but I treat them like friends. They make me laugh, they make me cry, and I'm glad I get to go through the good and bad times with them. They can honestly be some of the best friends ever, since they're there whenever you need them, and otherwise aren't bothersome. And I love rereading them because I like revisiting the books that I love -- it doesn't matter if I know the ending, because the process of getting to the ending is what I care about. It's like going over old memories... knowing how they turn out doesn't make them any less important in life.
Here's another thing -- I read young adult/teen fiction books, and I love them. I know a lot of people read other things nowadays, but I love these books because I actually really feel connected and emotionally invested into the characters (not like trashy Gossip Girl characters, but like, Sarah Dessen characters or the characters in Perks).
I feel that aspect is missing in a lot of adult books. Many of them are about self-improvement, or improvement in some way (home decorating, improving your zen, etc.). And that's fine and great, I read those too, but they don't make me want to re-read them and immerse myself in the story. Like, I can learn about the history of something online, and I don't need a book about that. Even in adult fiction, you don't really get to know about the characters you read about. A lot of chicklit is really shallow in my opinion, or overdramatized (hello Nicholas Sparks); romance novels are... disgusting and often historical (I don't even understand why); mysteries are all about evidence and blowing your mind with logic (which is great, but I often read for relaxation, not legitimately intellectual entertainment). You just don't get to know the characters as people, as friends -- you don't resonate with them.
I think this is because, in the adult world, friendships as a whole are often given a lower importance. In my opinion, this is a really sad thing. I think everyone deserves to have close friends the way they do throughout childhood, but I guess things change and people have less time. I understand how a significant other and a new family can be considered your entire life, but I think we should all appreciate solid, good friendships, at least in books. (Side note: this is why I love yearbooks, because I just love reminiscing all the good times, and showing people how much I've appreciated their company.)
But yeah. A lot of times, I get embarrassed about the fact that I read teen fiction when everyone else reads more "mature" books. But now that I think about it, I'm glad that I do. Because these books make me feel happy, they make me cry and feel that refreshing feeling after crying, they make me think, and they make me love them. And I can't say that about even the coolest contemporary fiction.
Disclaimer: This was all said after getting that introspective feeling after crying from a teabs-worthy book and reflecting in the way that's only possible in the shower.
