I love reading, a lot. There’s a power that words have that film and television do not. It’s more permanent; a television show is fleeting. The words are there even after you put the book down, and reading a book is a lengthy process that involves patience, savouring the words and delving into the story. I can watch too much television or grow bored of watching movies, but I can’t seem to read enough. I have queues of books (on my shelf, on my iPad, on an Amazon wishlist) that seem to get longer the more I read. Each book represents something new to learn, a new world to delve into, or new characters to get to know. Joyce Carol Oates said that “reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” I definitely feel this way. It’s the ultimate escapism…the closest you’ll ever get to being someone else and seeing the world (albeit a fictional one) through his or her eyes. Also, reading is a super cheap form of entertainment!