As I grew up, I tried to keep my love for literature alive. I'd devour mysteries, dramatic tales, fiction, and non-fiction. It didn't matter what it was, as long as I felt connected to the characters, I was in.

Unfortunately, I lost some of that passion when I entered my college years. Maybe it was because I had too much I HAD to read for class, or it could have been any number of distractions (lacrosse, parties, friends). Whatever the reason, I found myself drifting away from books and began filling my time with the internet and television.

Occassionally, I would see a outburst of my former self. I specifically remember one instance during a family vacation in the Outer Banks. I got involved in a novel, and I was reading it laying out on the porch. My parents and boyfriend kept calling me to come inside and watch a movie and eat dessert (brownie ice cream sundaes, one of my favorites), but I just "had to finish a few more pages" before I could do that. Well, once I finally made it inside, all of the food was gone! Not an ounce of brownie left. So of course, I threw a tantrum and sulked by throwing myself back into my book. Very mature, I know.

So anyway, my point.... I think I've managed to spark that burning desire to read again. One of my 2008 resolutions was to read more, and I kicked off that resolution last week with the book "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. Before I knew it, I was completely sucked in. Every night I'd have to tear myself away from it to force myself to go to sleep, and I even tucked it in my work bag in case I had a few spare moments to read during my break. I was laughing during some chapters, crying (okay sobbing) during others, and in just a few days I found myself at the end of the book.

But even though I'm done reading that book, I have a feeling this is just the beginning of my re-ignited love affair with reading. I bought Khaled Hosseini's more well-known book, "The Kite Runner", at Target today, and I'm anxious to get started.

As fate would have it, I was also working on a story about libraries at work today, and it gave me a great idea. I should go get a library card from Norfolk's Public Library! That way I can keep reading as much and as often as I want AND save money by borrowing the books and not buying them. That's killing TWO New Year's resolutions with one stone. Brilliant.