Why Reading?

When I think about reading, I see an escape. A chance to have some time in another persons life. Sometimes that makes me feel better about my life, other times I wish I had that characters life. One thing is for sure though, I don't know what I would do if I didn't know how to read. 

I started to love reading when I was in 3rd grade, and I was recommended to read the Harry Potter series. I loved them so much that I got through the whole series in one week! I wondered if there were other books out there that had the same captivating storyline, same original yet relatable characters, and I found the genres that usually had the kind of books I was looking for. These genres were thriller, fantasy, crime, and romance.
After that I devoured books. I would complete my homework in a hurry, and would curl up on the couch or on my bed and just read. Soon I had exhausted my list of books that were popular reads. Now what was I going to do? I found I preferred to go to the library and wander around aimlessly, pulling books off shelves, and reading the blurb to see whether I would like it. Only if this doesn't work, then I would ask the librarian or a teacher for some recommendations.
My reading schedule is very different and very irregular. I find that when I have a book that i am reading, I will always manage to find time to read that book. If I am not currently reading a book, then I might read for 15-20 minutes one of my favorite books.  One thing I feel that I do really well is staying focused when I am reading. When I am reading I get really into the plot and I can't really think about anything else I just want to know what happens next. This becomes a problem when I have to do active reading, so that is one thing I am hoping to improve on this year.
I found that in 6th and 7th grade, a lot of people in my class liked to read out loud with the class or have the teacher read out loud. I found that difficult because I was never happy with the pace. I always liked to go quickly through the story and know the ending, and then go back to read for details. Most teachers did not prefer to do that, so I would end up getting a bit bored with the slow pace. I am not sure if it's only me that feels this way, but I find this happens a lot. I am hoping this year I can start to read at a slower pace so that I can get more details the first time I read a piece.
 All of my RLA teachers since 5th grade have recommended me to read more non fiction, so I hope this is the year I actually start to do that! I also hope that this year will just increase my love for reading, and help me be a more active reader.