books are my closest friends

Okay, I recognize that the title of this post makes me sound a little pathetic.  But you know what? I am more than willing to own that. There is no companion so constant as a book, so unrelentingly available and compelling. If my passionate love for books compels your pity (that i am a bit of a nerd), well, then the unremitting ecstasy so many people find playing videogames or utilizing the (admittedly awesome) powers of the ever-present Iphone. There is a real sense of power and self-sufficiency in knowing that no matter what happens, no matter what line i get stuck in, how late my plane is delayed, how long a car ride is, how bored i can get--books fix all of that.  to all of you skeptics, and self-identified slow or bad readers, you are cheating yourself.  If you feel that you read too slowly, there is an easy fix for that: just read more.  As an atrocious athlete who has always envied people with innate abilities, I take great comfort in knowing that you can become an expert at reading just by doing it.  It is one of the only skills that can be cultivated this way.  Pick up a good book and get started. If there is anyone out there who doesn't know what to read, just drop me a note on this site, and I'll give you a few suggestions...