Day #8. Mr. Sparks

Today I'm thankful for Nicholas Sparks.  In the spring of last year, I read The Last Song.  It was the first Nicholas Sparks book that I had ever experienced and as soon as I finished sobbing and became coherent again, I read another, and another, and another.  I am obsessed with his writing.  For those of you who have never had the privileged of reading one of his books, lemme tell you a little bit about them.  Every single one is set somewhere in North Carolina.  A main character almost always dies, they are filled with passion and extreme descriptions of love and what being in love might look like, and if you're human ALL of them will probably make you cry.  His books have similar qualities about them but each are unique in certain ways and they draw me in every time.  If you know me, you know that I am not a reader.  I do not often read for pleasure.  The extent of reading on my own accord so far is the Twilight series, The Hunger Games, and every one of Nicholas Sparks Books.  However, his books have made me WANT to read and I found out that I actually enjoy it.  It's relaxing to sit or lay down and become enveloped in a story that has nothing to do with your current reality.  Another reason why I love his books so much is because my family has a special connection to North Carolina.  Reading about New Bern, Raleigh, Beaufort, and other little towns or cities that we have been to is so fun because I KNOW what he is describing or talking about.  This past summer I actually went to his house while we were in NewBern and took a picture outside of it.  (totally creepy, right??) It was gated and all I could see were trees really, but oh well.  =) Tonight I am going to finish his newest book called The Best of Me.  So far it has been really good..intense and a little suspenseful but still full of crazy love.  I am going to cry and then probably cry some more.  But it's gonna be totally worth it!

Here is the picture outside his house in July! (Don't mind my horrible appearance in this pic.  I look dirty and sweaty..because I was.)