What is a book?-Austin Maher

 A book is an experience, one that you can pass on to one of your friends, or family members. Also one that you can talk about with people. Because I mean everyone has gotten a book, and then about every 50 pages or so you tell someone about what is going down in your book. Or when something big happens you are like well this was happening and then all of a sudden, it just went crazy and completely flipped around! The person who I usually update about my books would have to be my Grandpa, whenever I see him. Or my dad, who is the one who takes me to the book store usually. But with my Grandpa he always passes his books onto me, and just lets me keep them, or pass them onto someone else. And what he always says is “I have enjoyed the book already, now someone else can enjoy it.”

                So that’s how I view actually having a book, not just getting something on an iPad, but actually going out to the bookstore and finding the book. And having that small experience. I’m not technologically challenged or anything, I just strongly prefer to have a book that I can look at on my shelf, and think back to when I went out and bought the book.  I think that Nancy Jo Sales relates to this topic the best when she says “the way it looks and feels and even smells.” It just goes back to having the book in your possession and being able to hand it one to someone else.

                I STRONGLY dislike the idea of an electronic book. And paying $90-200 for it and then also paying for the books again. If you want to read a book on an ipad or kindle fire, just go to google and read it for free. So there isn’t really any reason to buy one of those things. And it just takes away from the memories. As in haven’t your parents ever gotten out some of their old like 99 cent books that they had? You completely erase that experience once you go and download a book for 4.99 and just have it on there. And people say that they are tight on money so they just read on the kindle/ipad exc. Well if you were tight on money how did you spend $90-800 on something like that? Exactly case closed.  

Why I Read

I read because I like the feeling of finishing a long book, and the sense that someone thought of all that really amazes me sometimes. For example the Harry Potter books, it’s crazy how someone really thought of all that. Also it is something different than playing video games or watching TV. So you feel more productive after you do something like that. And you start to find a few authors that you like so you always read their new books. For me I really like Dean Koontz, Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son) and Stephen King. They write about the same stuff sort of. But I don’t get bored with any of them. Also it passes the time, so like on vacation in the car I can usually knock out a 300-400 page book-if we are going to Florida.  Reading also helps you with your own writing, as you can tell a lot of stories in books and movies are very similar, and that’s because they all borrow each other’s ideas. So that’s what reading can help you do. Then your stories won’t be as bland and they will be more official, and creative. So those are the main reasons why I enjoy reading.