Open a Book, Open Your Mind

I have to say one thing I am excited about by being home is going to the library. Of course there are libraries on campus, and each offer excellent selections, but it's something about going to a library not full of people studying for classes, but people wanting to simply read (of course there are always exceptions) makes me feel at home. I love roaming the stacks aimlessly looking for random books. However, sometimes I do some research at home, find books I want to read, write down their info, and then I have a mission when I go to the library. Even still, there are so many types of books and then CDs and DVDs to check out.
Personally I love reading fiction, preferably something with mystery or paranormal or with vampires or ghosts or shapeshifters or something of the sort. I like having that aspect to a book where you know they don't exist but there's just that slight chance that it could all be real. Books and the stories they create and the images I envision fill my mind with gowns and ensembles that would not only work for those specific novels, but they also inspire  a lot of my sketches. 
When I read Dracula, and trust me I've read it more than 5 times, I always think of big deep red satin gowns with bead detail or long trains. I love the idea of an all red collection made of velvet, satin, tulle and more with beads, sequins, feather fascinators, and dark smokey eyes and bright or dark red lips. 
I recently went to the library and checked out 11 books, all are related to fashion in some way, and all are non-fiction. I wanted to get a rather large book on art from the 1800s to early 1900s but it was only a reference book and can not be checked out. However, I found a book on Cartier, one on apparel from 1900-1910s, a Seventeen guide book, the Teen Vogue handbook, and then a couple books regarding Hollywood actresses and starlets from the early 1900s. I've only read a few so far, but I know there are others waiting on the shelves in the library.
I like the idea that books are like a gateway to other worlds and can take your mind anywhere you want. I love the quote from C.S. Lewis stating, "You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me" (BrainyQuote). I love just relaxing with a good book and drinking a cup of hot tea. Also, the quote about learning from books, "You cannot open a book without learning something," from Confucius (BrianyQuote).
Books can really open a person's mind, no book is the same for two people, just like no two snowflakes are the same. What a person takes away from a book is different than another person, and I love it.