Atlas Shrugged

It's no secret that I am more of a hermit than a social butterfly. Don't get me wrong, if you get me together with those select friends of mine that actually get me {I mean the ones that really get all my weird quirks through-and-through} I could talk for hours. However, on the not so rare occasion, I simply just love to stay home. There are numerous explanations for my love to stay home, let me name just a few:

• I have three fury creatures and the love of my life within reach

• There are countless fluffy pillows and blankets just sitting around waiting to be snuggled up to

• I can wear sweats all day without any judgements

• I have a freezer full of otter pops {and other indulgences} at my convenience

• I can be lazy and sloth-like with hardly any witnesses

But let's get real about the main reason I like to stay home; {almost} every past time that I have is best experienced through the comfort of my own home. Prime example: reading. I love to read. The opportunities are endless when you have the ideas, thoughts, truths and fictions of an author's mind resting between your palms. Depending on whatever mood you happen to be in, there is always something to read to quench your mental appetite.

I thought about writing a post about my top favorite books, but then, I thought that each book is so important to me that I might split it up and give them to you one-by-one over extended posts. So here it is. The first book recommendation you will receive from this yellow house dwelling hermit crab: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

Don't let this massive, nearly 1100 page masterpiece intimidate you. It is one of those awesome pieces of literature that you can set down for weeks at a time, and when you come back to it, it completely submerges you right back to where you left off. I took my time with this one. I read it over the course of about three months, just here and there whenever I had time. I find myself still referencing the characters and themes whenever certain topics are being discussed.

This book has a little bit of everything to offer: scandal, romance, betrayal, power, mystery, endurance, renunciation, and triumph. This book will make you think about what type of person you want to be: a giver or a taker. It will make you think of the possibilities and the power that people are capable of. Starting at page one and not ending with the final chapter, you will forever be amazed by John Galt.

My Aunt Pam bought me this copy of Atlas Shrugged at the local library for fifty cents. Held together by tape, this beat up copy has captivated my mind.