So, I’m sure a few people noticed my blogging fail.  Totally hit the publish button instead of the preview button.  Opps.  Ok so here’s the finished post.

I recently read an article titled “Why Readers, Scientifically, Are The Best People To Fall In Love With” and I would say it hits the nail on the head.

I sent this article to my fiance and told him he made a good choice with me, since it’s scientifically proven that readers are the best people to fall in love with.   He thinks it sounds biased, but I totally agree with it.   Or maybe I’m biased. Haha.  I’ll let you be the judge.

The first quote that stood out is as follows:

“Readers, like voicemail leavers and card writers, are now a dying breed, their numbers decreasing with every GIF list and online tabloid.

The worst part about this looming extinction is that readers are proven to be nicer and smarter than the average human, and maybe the only people worth falling in love with on this shallow hell on earth.”

I think we are a dying breed and I see how this busy world can find “more” entertaining things to do than read books.  I use the term “more” entertaining loosely as I think that reading is entertaining, but not everyone thinks so.  And again, I’m probably being biased, but we are the nicer and smarter people.

Onto the next quote:

“It’s no surprise that readers are better people.  Having experienced someone else’s life through abstract eyes, they’ve learned what it’s like to leave their bodies and see the world through other frames of reference.

They have access to hundreds of souls, and the collected wisdom of all them.  They have seen things you’ll never understand and have experienced deaths of people you’ll never know.

They’ve learned what it’s like to be a woman, and a man.  They know what it’s like to watch someone suffer.  They are wise beyond their years.”

I totally agree with this section of the article, but would also add that sometimes I really relate to the characters in the books I read.  I know how they feel because I’ve gone through it myself.  Like losing a parent for instance.  Anytime a parent passes away in a book you’ll see me crying like a baby.

And the final quote:

“If you’re still looking for someone to complete you, to fill the void of your singly-healed heart, look for the breed that’s dying out.  You will find them in coffee shops, parks and subways.

You will see them with backpacks, shoulder bags and suitcases.  They will be inquisitive and soulful, and you will know by the first few minutes of talking to them.”

The only reply I have to this is…readers rock and you need to fall in love with them!  I’m trying to convince my fiancé to do a guest post about his perspective on this article.

Take a look at the article and let me know what you think about it as a reader and/or non-reader.  I would love to get some other opinions on it.

I have exactly two favorite authors.  These are the authors I really want to meet one day and are my idols when it comes to writing.

Nicholas Sparks:

I’ve been reading his books for years now.  The first I ever read was A Bend in the Road.  After that book, it didn’t take me long to read all of the books he’s ever written and now I have to wait for new ones to come out.  Not that I’m complaining.  I get really excited when I find out that Nicholas Sparks is releasing a new novel.  His latest one is The Longest Ride, which I’ve already read.  You can check out my review on this book here.

One reason why I love his books so much is because of the emotional impact they have on me.  Some of his novels had be bawling…literally.  Many of the them are about love and romance, but some are about family.  The Notebook is what many people know him by and is about your first true love and the impact it has on your life.  The Last Song was about love, but also about losing a family member.  Both of these books were made into films, among others.

I really enjoy reading his website as well.  It includes information on his books, movies, and upcoming events.  Hopefully he’s going to have a book signing in my area soon.  His site also includes advice for writers.   I like reading his thoughts and his advice on being and becoming a writer.

Nicholas Sparks is the type of author I strive to be like.  I’m working towards creating a novel or novels that give my readers the type of emotional response that his books have on me.

Mary Higgins Clark:

Mary Higgins Clark is my favorite suspense novelist.  She has written so many books and is a great storyteller.  A goal of mine is to read all of the books she has written.  You will see the ones I haven’t read on My Reading List.  She is known as the Queen of Suspense and each novel I read of hers proves that.

While I don’t think I will ever write a suspense novel, Mary Higgins Clark is a writer I look up to.  She is very successful in her genre and continues to write novels that make the best sellers list.  It’s amazing how she can create a story that involves things like kidnapping and murder, while not making it too gruesome.  She writes in a way that leaves your mind to imagine exactly what a scene might look like.  That’s important to me when it comes to suspense novels.

Do you have a favorite author or authors?  Let me know who they are in the comments.

I found this in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  I think it’s pretty funny and spot on, but us book lovers want all of our books to fit.