MattLeon

Thanks! I appreciate the suggestions and have posted it there.

I didn’t know where to post this but here seams a good a place as any. If anyone even sees this that would be cool. As I chilled I loved to read. I come from a pretty sheltered home and I read anything I could get past my parents. I always had an interest in fantasy but never really got to read much of it. The extent of my fantasy reading was Harry Potter and Lord of the rings. I read both in middle school. Since my teen years, when smartphones became a thing and with 3g, streaming became possible anywhere and everywhere, I pretty much dropped reading (recreationally) by and large for many years. In late 2019 I had a friend who got deep into fantasy. He had finished wheel of time in a few months and was moving on through different authors. He came upon the stormlight archive (an obvious choice after WOT) and he kept swearing to me that if I ever did anything with my life I must start reading Brandon’s works. Well then came the pandemic. In early March of 2020 I caught the virus and was bedridden for two weeks. Thank god I was lucky enough that I avoided any hospital and recovered soon after. However, those two weeks I was living in constant pain. naturally in a desperate attempt to keep my mind off the pain I binged tv and movies at every waking hour. Once I recovered I found that even the logo of netflix on my phone would bring back a feeling of nausea and thoughts of those terrible two weeks. For the first time in my adult life I was completely uninterested in anything to do with Hollywood. (That stage has since passed and now I eagerly pray that any of Brandon’s works see the screen. May it be thy will of thy holy Hollywood excs aman) I found myself in a public library for the first time in years (well technically outside one speaking to the librarian over the phone). To no one's surprise (except my own) I would need to wait at least three weeks for a copy of TWOK. I drove directly from the library to the closest book store. In the months since then (it’s been a year and some now) I’ve read all 4 archive books, edgedancer, the mistborn trilogy and a few days ago I finished elantris. Today I’m starting warbreaker. I also began reading so much more, dabbling in other fantasy authors (Erickson, JRRM, abercrombie to name a few) as well as picking up some books I’ve had on my “must read before I die” list. I even started to read some great non fiction as well. (Don’t get me wrong, I still struggle to put my phone away. I still don’t read as much as I should. But reading is now definitely a part of my life. A part I don’t ever want to lose again.) Yet every time I pick up Sanderson again I’m reminded why I love reading him so much. I’m no bookworm and I definitely am no authority on the subject of literature, but hear me out, Sandersons magic system’s may be the best, most thought out and detailed on earth. His reflections on a host of real world topics from religion to mental health may be deep and relevant, his pros may not be the most beautiful Shakespearien lines put to paper, But to me what I keep coming back to and what I’ve come to fall in love with is Brandon’s ability and gift of storytelling. From the moment I open his books until the moment I begrudgingly put them down (always begrudgingly. Even at the end. Wishing there was more.) I’m captivated. I want to know more. I want to read more. To me, long lost to the world of storytelling by way of an ancient method we know as books. Brandon’s gift to tell a story will never be outshined by any TV show nor by any other form of media. The written word will forever in my mind be linked with Brandon Sanderson. Brandon has restored my childhood love for reading. The world of reading has been brought back to me. O what a beautiful world it is.

Ha! And what an escape it was!

Been reading Sanderson since covid began. Have been on the discord for some time now. I just felt I needed to write some of my thoughts and feelings of my journey to and through Brandon’s works. If anyone can suggest which topic in the forms would be appropriate to post this I would greatly appreciate it. looking forward to being here. thank you.