Books. Why are they so important?

Growing up, I was an avid reader. When I did watch tv, I usually stuck with PBS or Disney. There's just something about being able to imagine the world you read about without outside influences like movies and cartoons.

I loved reading series because they gave you time to get to know the characters and fall in love with them. If the series is really popular, you run into the problem of if it gets made into a movie, what parts will they use, and will it look exactly like it looks in my head?
One film that received a lot of backlash for this, is The Series of Unfortunate events. It has always been one of my favorite series, and I, like many were excited when the movie was announced. When it was released, many people were upset because it was so inaccurate to the book.
The series as a whole is a children book series and while adults can read it, it looses it's childish wonder after a while.

My favorite book series of all time, is a series loved by many. It is read by the young and the old, and for many, it is the series that changed their life. (If you know me at all, you know where this is going.) I, of course am talking about Harry Potter. This book is read and appreciated by people of all ages, and for some it is the cornerstone of many great relationships. For me personally, Harry Potter is where I learned right from wrong. I was never raised christian, and when I found Harry, it helped me identify with the characters. I identified with Sirius Black the most, although he wasn't the first. He has remained my favorite character since I read the third book in 3rd grade.

The entire series changed my life. It's part of how I met my best friends, and it's even a conversation starter. I don't think it was bad for me, and the fact that so many adults love it almost as much as I do, really says a lot.