Why do I fancy books?

I was bored before I started seriously reading again in 2009, after about 10 years of not reading much of anything except manga (and by then my obsession of anime was gradually fading). My only other hobby before reading was Postcrossing, which was great but there's only so much you can do with postcards and there's not much interaction other than the postcard you send and receive. It can be a pretty lonesome hobby if no one you know cares about postcards and everyone thinks you're weird for liking that hobby. :\

Now, that's not to say that my friends and family like books. Because the majority of them honestly don't care. (Sometimes I just feel like the odd one out! :P lol) But the online book community is MUCH BIGGER than the postcard community. I've met some pretty awesome people through GoodReads and other book blogs, and I've found out about some amazing books because of them. Books I probably never would have considered to read before. Like my favorite book of all time: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

I mean, WOW. That book... I didn't even know books could take you to a whole another level, until I read Jellicoe Road! O_O It changed my reading experience, my expectations, and made me see what I've always wanted (but didn't realize I wanted) out of books! It left me speechless. My mind was seriously blown. And because of that book I found my favorite author. I'm a hardcore fan. A major fangirl of Melina Marchetta! GO MELINA MARCHETTA! :D YOU'RE AWESOME AND AMAZING! ♥♥

So yeah, most of my family and friends still think I'm weird because I'm obsessed with books... But hey, at least I have a hobby I enjoy, right? Reading gets my mind going and keeps me inspired. Books can be life-altering and mind-blowing, and most importantly, books keep me from dying of boredom. That's why I fancy books.