I love books. I love the way they fit in your hand, as you hold it open. I love the way the pages rustle as you turn them. I love the printed words, neat and orderly, working together to transport you to a different world. I love the way they smell (yes, I smell my books), each one slightly different, but all with that comforting old and just a tad musty scent. I love the illustrations on the cover, giving just a small taste of the wonders the book contains. I love the adventure you inevitably find in between the pages.
I love to read. I love how running my eyes over words on a page can magically transport me to another place, to another life. I love to journey to far off places and experience the romance and adventure beyond every cover. I love to lose myself in the lives of the characters, living their story right along with them. I love reading the words and having images and glimpses of the story play through my head. I love the different styles of the authors, each with a different charming characteristic that pulls you in. I love the magic that reading is.
Why do I love reading so much? Truth is, I have dozens of reasons I could probably give. If I sat and thought long enough about it, I could spend the rest of my life listing them off. But, as we both have limited time and things to do, I'll only list the first few that come to mind.
1. Books are the best teachers.
Fiction or non-fiction, the lessons you can learn from books are endless. Non-fiction books can teach you just about anything depending on the subject: engineering, math, science, art, history, etc. Fiction also teaches, but it teaches more values and morals than facts. Depending on the story, you can learn about loyalty, love, trust, friendship, the list goes on and on! Each book has at least one thing you can learn from it. And the best thing is, if you don't get something the first time, you can go back and read it again! Books are the most patient of teachers, and they are there whenever you want them.
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2. Reading is the most stimulating form of entertainment.
One of the things reading is valued for is as a form of entertainment. It was around long before movies or video games, and in many ways is a higher form of entertainment. It is not simply engaging, it is stimulating. Reading grows the mind and encourages the imagination. One of the most fascinating things about books is that, in a sense, no two people ever read the same book. Each person will learn something different from the same book. They will take away a slightly different lesson or value. They will notice different metaphors or foreshadowing while missing others. They will see the characters, places, and even some of the actions performed, more or less differently from someone else. No other form of entertainment allows so much freedom for thought and imagination
3. Books are fun.
Books really are fun. Fun to read, but also fun to play with. I love to look at the illustration on the cover and try and figure out what part of the book it was inspired by. I love to just hold them, feel the cover, rustle the pages. I love to smell my books. I know, it's weird, but each book has a different smell, it gives them personality. I have also found that snapping hardcover books shut makes a most delightful sound. And of course I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that books can also be great weapons! :D
4. Reading is magic.
If you think about it, reading really is magic. Reading open doors in our minds, allows us to enter new dimensions, learn new ideas, and experience adventures that we wouldn't be able to otherwise. It transports us to new worlds, allows us to live different lives It is the only successful method of time travel and even allows us to journey to lands of magic. Also, as I mentioned before, the same book can be different for each person. In a sense, it can tailor itself to your personality and ideas! All this from marks of ink on a piece of paper! If that is not magic, than nothing is.
Why did I spend all this time listing some of the reasons that I love reading? Well, two reasons. 1) I just wanted to rant about reading and 2) I was hoping that maybe I could inspire at least one person to open a book, to experience this magic themselves. Just go to your library, look around until you find a book that just jumps at you. It doesn't have to be a huge book, a well known book, or anything like that. It could be about anything: spaceships, alien, romance, pirates, caterpillars, worms, anything! Just open that book and turn the page. It might just change your mind on books. It might, I'm not guaranteeing it, but it just might change your life as well.
Now, as I said in my first post, this blog is not just me sharing my thoughts, it's about you sharing yours as well. I want to hear your opinions on reading. What are some of the reasons you love reading? What are some of the reasons you hate it? Who is your favorite author and/or book? Have you ever read a book that changed you? Please share your thoughts in the comments. I want to hear your thoughts, ideas, and opinions. I'm dying to know what you all think. So please, share your unique thoughts. I can't wait to hear them! :)
Love,
A Reader
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