Goodreads

I've been using Goodreads quite a bit recently, both to catalog and tag my existing library and to search for new and interesting reads. Despite only really using one side of the service (I have yet to engage in any of the social shenanigans the site offers), I'm really starting to enjoy it. As I sort through my books, cataloging them in Goodreads, I'm reliving my favourite adventures and remembering some I'd forgotten I even had. In a sense Goodreads has helped me to remember why I love reading. One event, in particular, firmly established this in my mind.

While sorting through my books I stumbled across a treasure trove of some of my childhood books. Flipping through cherished books like the Pagemaster and Peter Rabbit reminded me of the simple joy and pleasure of reading that I experienced as a child; a joy that I think can become tempered through the passage of time. Books, as all things, lose some of the luster they attain when viewed with the wide-eyed wonder of a child. As a child things are brighter, sweeter, more wonderful because everything is new. For just a few short moments I was able to recapture those feelings. I was able to recapture the essence of what forged my love of stories.

So thankyou Goodreads, not only do you provide an excellent service but you have reminded me why I love reading and rekindled the simple passion and joy I experienced as a child. I'll consider it an early Christmas present ;-)