Proof that Reading is Necessary for Life

Alan Bradley's newest
Flavia de Luce Novel and Holiday Mug

And I quote from the character of Ophelia (Daffy) de Luce, page 205 of Alan Bradley's I Am Half-sick of Shadows, "Books are like oxygen to a deep-sea diver...take them away and you might as well begin counting the bubbles." There, see right on the page was the proof I needed to support my honest belief that I would die if I couldn't read. Books are like oxygen, and the mitochondria in our cells can't carry out cellular respiration without it (oxygen that is not books). Cellular respiration is the way in which glucose in the blood stream is broken down into carbon dioxide, water, and transfers the energy from the broken chemical bonds to the energy carrying molecule of life called adenosine triphosphate, commonly known as ATP. Bet you didn't think you'd get a Biology lesson from this posting did you, but let's face it if you enjoy Flavia's antics you probably enjoy science enough to appreciate her passion for chemistry.

I myself am a fan of chemistry (I should be since I spend much of my day teaching it and biology to high  school students) and love to read about Flavia's plans for using her knowledge to outwit her sisters and the criminals she encounters. I won't spoil the out come of this story for you except to say our spunky gal Flavia comes through in the end.

As an aside, pictured with my copy of the newest Flavia novel is a holiday themed mug full of coffee. Caffeine, readers does not give us true energy, only food which is converted into ATP for all of life's energy needs can do that. Caffeine is a chemical that can play with our nervous system speeding up the activity of certain neurotransmitters and giving us the impression of energy. Watch out for it, too much of a good thing can be harmful.  Of course except reading. Then again, "She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain." - Louisa May Alcott