A love note to books.

I was reminded how passionate I’ve always been about books out of necessity, not too long ago when my desperation to escape from reality started rising. I’ve been in a place in my life where I’m a little distant from the world, no job, no clear expectations, and very little social life, suffering from anxiety disorders with only one way to get rid of panic attacks: to direct my energy and feelings towards something positive and peaceful, so I chose to read books with happy endings.

Someone told me once that a good writer must be a good reader first, that we should fall in love with the words of others before we can find our own; that was exactly how I experienced it, it was when I started diving into books again when I remembered how obsessed I’ve always been with words overall, the power they have to create and how therapeutic and healing they can be when we choose the right ones, so I started to write again.

When I read, I’m not scared anymore and when I write, I find a purpose for every moment I panicked or doubted of myself, every bit of anxiety suddenly starts making a little sense. The miracle happens after this process of getting words in and out of me, when I’m inexplicably ready again to face the world and the frighting distress human interaction produces in me.

My love for books goes beyond the satisfaction of good quality entertainment or the pleasure of nurturing my knowledge, they are a beautiful part of my childhood and now part of a crucial season of my life when they are more than just a hobby. I find a rich variety of virtues and lessons in each of my favorite genres, which makes me love them more; I love Romance because it gives me hope to know there are people in the world that still believe that love exists and no matter in which way it comes to us, when the time is right we will be ready to welcome it; I love Historical Fiction because they manifest the impact major events around the world had not only in our present as a society but also in the imagination of people, and their power to see hope and create beauty despite chaos or pain; I love Memoirs because I get to live life through other people’s experiences and see the world through their eyes; and I love Fantasy because it proves that human creativity has no limits.

I’m grateful for the privilege of learning how to read and write in two languages at such a young age, for living in a country where I have easy access to read whatever book I want when I want. I’m grateful for each author that has dared to share their stories so we can see and feel things differently. I’m sure your words saved more than one life in moments of distress and hopelessness, gave people like me a distraction from themselves and their unstable emotions, and an escape from this cruel reality we’re living in.

I hope one day my work can give to others what you have given to the world.

Please never stop writing.