Did you know that it is recommended that a child be read to for 20 minutes every day? This helps to improve language and reading skills. If reading has benefits for the smallest of our society, surely it could help the adults too.
Last night while at Target browsing for a great book to read, a young lady stopped me. She asked for advice for what her 9 year old brother might enjoy. We got to talking and she told me that she didn’t enjoy reading, and my first thought (which slipped out of my mouth) was, you just haven’t been introduced to the book that will knock your socks off.
There is a book out there for every taste, and desire. From the funny, to the super serious. From the gory crime to the funny cozy; the deep literary novel to life changing women's fiction.
With the rise of non-readers, I couldn't help but think about the great benefits of reading, and how a book can change lives.
So, why should we, adults, be reading? Here are my top three reasons.
1. When you read a book, you discover what you like and what do you don’t!
Whenever you crack open a book, it is almost like a first-date. You’re getting to know the characters, imagining how they are, building a connection to their desires, wants, and obstacles. And if everything goes well, then you will flip from one page to the next and end up in bed with it. And if everything doesn’t, well, it ends up tossed in the corner to never be read again.
Personally, I know that through my love of books, my love of castles began. My love of story telling flourished and I made it a point to get to know myself, all thanks to great books.
2. When you read a book, you become more empathetic
There is something amazing about a story-line that moves you. You become fearful, tense, questioning, trying to solve the problem, and you also begin to feel for the characters. Although the story is not your own, you can understand the characters emotional roller coaster. This then helps in real life, whereby you are able to understand and according to The Guardian “navigate social relationships.”
In an article by Thomas Ehrlich and Ernestine Fu, they said it best: “Each time we read such a work, we learn and in learning we grow in understanding ourselves and the world around us.”
Seems to me, if we want a better world, then we need to spend time creating better, and more empathetic people, which is helped by reading books.
3. Stressed out? Choose Bibliotherapy
Reading can help you relax. It’s healthier than any alcohol, less expensive than hours of therapy and more exciting than simply watching a movie. Reading gets you involved in the story, where you are actively trying to solve the mystery, which can help your analytical skills, and assists in your being able to de-stress. Maybe that's why bibliophiles are so much happier than those who don’t read.
Reading helps in so many ways, and it shouldn’t matter if you’re creating books or just love to read them. We all need more books in our lives.
After making my purchases, I headed home and before bed, I cracked open the book and sighed in glee. A fresh new book to devour? How could life get any better?
So what are your thoughts? How do you benefit from reading? What are you reading?
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TINA GLASNECK is the founder of the author/reader platform Celebrate with a Book, and a crime fiction writer. She believes that a good book can make a good day great! Learn more about Tina at her website: www.TinaGlasneck.com and connect with her on Facebook