Reasons to start reading are numerous, any book savvy person would tell you, yet, I doubt we fully understand how important books really are and how much we can all benefit from them! A book will keep you occupied longer than any movie, it enables you to use your imagination and will help you learn a thing or two but that are not the only reasons to grab a book, a very good book, right now... there are more...
“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” And if you can name the brilliant author behind this quote, I’m sure yours is as sharp as Valyrian steel! A good book is more than an interesting way to fill a boring afternoon, it keeps your little gray cells working hard trying to soak the words in, create a face for each character, solve the presented mystery or figure out the next step and while you’re having a good time immersed in the world of choice, you’re also learning valuable lessons and facts that might come handy later in life.
Thesauruses, vocabularies… reading these books will help you learn a few new words, yet I doubt you’ll find them as interesting as all of those wonderful pages that put the same words into a good use. The best part about it is that it all comes easy and as natural as breathing! It’s one of the most useful if not best reasons to start reading as it will allow you to express yourself in many wonderful ways, as well as get familiar with different dialects as well as some long-lost, archaic words.
Books you read can influence your career, helping you become a better writer, better artist, better spokesperson, they can even help you decide what are you going to be later in life! But let’s say you have no aspirations to be great – should you still read books? Well, of course! And if you like movies, I’m sure you’ll like books even more because they give you a chance to mold characters and places on your own, instead of just accepting them as presented. I’ve always loved that and, with all due respect to casting directors, they’ve disappointed me more than once.
Castles, dragons, brave knights and fair maids are not a common sight these days which are all good reasons to start reading more! All you need is a few good books and you can do everything you’ve dreamed of – ride a dragon in a mythical land far, far way, jump into your space ship and rush to save the universe, take part in some of the most important moments in history or enjoy a knee-weakening romance without the risk of getting your heart broken!
Why people act the way they do, why right is often wrong and wrong is often right, that friend can be a foe in disguise while the hand of your foe might mean life – a good book is full of wisdom, all you have to do is reach in and grab it! A book will help you learn that every hero has his fears, that anti-heros are often the bravest of all, that even gods might err when it comes to difficult choices and that a human character is like an onion, with many, many layers, not all of them good, yet not all of them rotten either.
Need more reasons to grab a book right now? Well, let me just say that finding out that a person you don’t know very good has the same taste in books as you might be a good reason to wish to get to know him or her better. My best friend and I could spend hours talking about a certain book, advising each other about our next reads and arguing about the pros and cons of each. It’s a great feeling, I must admit, and the more books you read the greater are the chances of finding a kindred spirit to share thoughts with.
Many wonderful books are based on historic facts you would have known nothing about if you had a habit of sleeping through your history lessons (or had a teacher who preferred to do so) but add an interesting plot such as the ones Alexandre Dumas is famous for and you’ll end up knowing more about great battles and kings than most of the people who actually did pay attention and learned their lessons diligently. But historic info is one of the good reasons to start reading yet not the only one which is why I’m leaving this chapter for you to finish.
Can you list a few good reasons to start reading more and do you have a few good books to suggest? Do feel free to offer a few of your favorite titles, I’d love to take up something interesting for a change, once my exams are over.