Two different people can watch the same movie and see the characters and setting the same way, but a book creates enough ambiguity to give two different readers two completely different experiences. That isn’t to say that movies are bad – they just display an objective appearance for the characters and places where the characters live and visit. Books, on the other hand, let the reader make a picture of the characters and settings in their minds using their imagination. Of course, as an avid reader myself I am somewhat biased, but I’ve never ran into anyone who was upset that I love reading. Here are 10 things to love about growing up an avid reader:
1. Growing up, you were never bored.
Whenever your friends weren’t around, you could lose yourself in a good book for hours of entertainment. And when your friends were around, you would either pretend to be characters from your favorite books,= or talk about your favorite books.
2. You often didn’t have to think too hard about what you wanted for holiday and birthday presents as you got older.
Even though you may have grown out of wanting a bunch of new toys, there were still at least a few books you were waiting to read. And when in doubt an Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card would suffice.
3. You could give recommendations and lend books to your friends, and get some in return.
You want someone to talk to about that amazing book you just finished overnight? Now you can talk to someone about it because your friend finished it the night after you. Want another good book to read? Your friends have your back.
4. And with those same friends, you would make jokes that all of you understood.
Because you’d all read that certain book that had just the right funny moments.
5. You often learned about history, science and human nature from your books.
Or else you were inspired to do your own research because of a book. Either way, you learned a lot about Greek mythology while reading "Percy Jackson."
6. You did well in school, except when you were reading when you should have been doing your homework.
Because you read a lot, you were a good reader and a good writer, which helped in English class. And because you knew a lot of random facts from your reading, you did well in just about any subject as well.
7. You learned about life and the human condition from your reading.
While books like "Harry Potter" didn’t teach much about science and history, they often have a lot of thematic elements centering around difficult topics such as death, and how rather than being something that should be escaped, “Death is but the next great adventure.” – Albus Dumbledore, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone"
8. Eventually, you started reading more classics on your own.
Some of them may have been dry or difficult to understand, but they were still some of the most interesting books you’ve ever read – that’s why they’re classics.
9. Adults would always come up to your parents and comment about how smart you were if they saw you were reading in public.
You probably didn’t think of yourself as being much smarter than most of your peers, but it still made you feel good when someone made the comment.
10. You wouldn’t change your childhood for the world.
Because you lived in the worlds of many. Even if you’re a realistic fiction fan, then you still got inside the heads of many different characters, meaning that you lived many miniature lives instead of just one long life. It’s much more interesting this way.