Guest Post - What do Books Mean to You?

What do books mean to you?
by Athena Brady

Recently I have been reading a lot of books. I always have 2-3 books on the go but lately I have been reading a lot more. It struck me whilst reading, how many excellent books there are, out there; and even if we spent a lifetime reading, we could never get through them all. Books seem to find me, just when I need them. I always leave them knowing more than I did before I read them. Books answer our questions and they often raise more for us. Then, I began to think what else have the books I have read given me?

I began reading at a very young age and never stopped. I got hooked into the book world, which transported me to exciting places. When I had a difficult time in mid-teens, books were my saviour. Somehow they made my troubles, more bearable. They provided me with an escape from the reality I was experiencing. They made me feel like everything was going to be ok and that anything was possible. It was like a magical world that I had the key to, anytime I wanted to go there.

I began to devour books and my quest for knowledge was insatiable. I wanted to give others the gift I had been given. I started to write, I put it down and I picked it up again. I began to feel selfish for following my dreams but in times of stress writing was always my saviour. I planned how I would be able to follow my dream full time. I went down to part- time working and then began to write full-time. Now, I find I work much harder and many more hours. I feel privileged to be living my dream. Money is less important and plentiful but I am happier than I have ever been.

To be an author is to have great responsibility, to your readers and team mates, your fellow authors. We have the power to change the world, to influence, to inspire, to give the gift of hope. I have read books that have changed my life, made me push myself harder, touched my soul and given me hope. The books I have read have challenged and changed my beliefs; made me think at a deeper level, want to make a difference in the world. If we could put that in a pill, it would be worth a fortune.

What do books mean to you and how has reading / writing them affected your life? What do you look for when you open a book, what do you seek and what do you want from your authors?

Repost from 2/12/12 http://wp.me/p2zG6L-6W

Athena is also the author of "Thoughts on Life":

Have you ever felt stuck?

Do you sometimes feel alone with no direction to your life?

Well... you are not alone. Athena Brady is proof that thing can and WILL get better. 

This book is a collection of short articles about the many issues we encounter, as we navigate through life. My aim is to uplift and inspire people to follow their dreams and encourage others to do the same. We are all connected and whatever we do for others, we also do for ourselves. If we lived our lives according to this principle, we would never harm another person.

Athena is fifty two years old and lives in the beautiful countryside of West Wales. She is a mother with four grown up children, two boys and two girls. After working for many years in the caring profession, Athena decided to pursue her lifelong ambition to be a writer. This is the first of many books she intends to write. Athena welcomes messages from her readers and here are her contact details.

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