Most of us know that books are amazing. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who aren’t as keen. For those people, books remind them too much of school and homework. They don’t understand the concept of reading for pleasure.
They just don’t like to read.
It can be hard for us book lovers to understand when others don’t share our passion for reading. But there are some fantastic reasons to pick up a book. Here are just a few.
To gain an insight into other lives
As George RR Martin wrote: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…the man who doesn’t read lives only one.”
Books are a fantastic way to experience places, events, lifestyles and emotions that you might not encounter in the real world. As you read, you’re working to visualise the scenes that have been written and understand the feelings of the character. A really good book can absorb you and draw you in to the centre of the action.
To look at the world in an original way
Our minds work in different ways, we have different ideas and thought processes. Reading can provide an insight into the mind of the writer and help you to see the world through their eyes, or from the perspective of a character in a particular place or situation.
It can inspire you to develop your own opinions on life and learn how to express them effectively.
To learn about new cultures
There are so many novels out there that are set in a specific place and time in history. Want to learn about what life was like as a slave building the railroads in America, or how it felt to be condemned to death in Victorian England? Pick up a book.
Non-fiction might provide you with all the facts and anecdotes you need to know, but a novel can give you a glimpse into everyday life in another culture and make it real.
To educate yourself
There’s a reason that you had to read so much at school. There is something to be learned from every book, even if it is only a deeper understanding of what is important to you.
To stretch your imagination
The more you read the more you will develop the ability to imagine new places and stories and become intrigued by those mysteries that you see around you.
There is wonder in creativity and writing provides a medium through which to comprehend the human condition.
To learn how to tell a great story
The one thing that aspiring writers are always told is to read as much as possible.
Reading exposes you to the elements that make a great story. You will learn how to construct a plot and how to write convincing dialogue. You will read a bad book and understand what not to do when writing your own manuscript.
Reading will inflame your passion to write.
So, what do you think are the most powerful reasons to read?
Sara Strauss says
I love this!! These are all the reasons why I love reading and why I tell others to read! When you read, you live your own life and the lives of so many others!
~Sara
Amy Lord says
Totally agree, Sara! Reading gives us an insight into so many other worlds.