You Are What You Read

Set your timer: Take a page from a book you love and copy it down, feeling the author's words in your own. Now continue on using your own words, and notice the difference.
I have always heard (and hated) the expression you are what you eat. If that were the case, I'd be a chocolate chip cookie, pretty sweet and heartwarming I guess. I have never heard, you are what you read, but I'm finding it to be a little genius-y this morning. I believe it's the absolute truth, and in many cases, I think you can tell a lot about a person by the kinds of books they read.
That being said, here is what my choices in books says about me:
~ I have a need to self-improve. In other words, I'm not done yet.
~ I am a hopeless romantic.
~ I like to laugh.
~ I like to vacation.
~ I love my friends.
~ I love underdogs.
~ Kids and animals are the bomb.
~ I love my crazy family... yes, even though they drive me nuts.
~ I'm not sure I'll ever get over my mom's death.
See? You're looking over the list and nodding right now. It makes perfect sense that you are what you read. Books are our escape from real life, but at the same time, reminding us of who we are. And when we find that book that we love and tell everyone about, is possibly the one book that explains everything about us. When someone says they only read historical non-fiction, I might flinch. How can I be friends with you, I think to myself. Everyone is different, and that's what makes it perfect.
For better or for worse, we are a combination of all of our favorite books. They change us and the way we think, and for that reason alone, I want to write something that will change how someone views life. I want to open eyes to possibilities and connections that weren't there before. And I want them to smile.
What do your books say about you??