Reading is more than just a pastime for me, it's a hobby and something that I enjoy immensely. It's part of the reason I am who I am today. Being a "book nerd" has it's perks and these are just a few of them.

1. Reading is a better way to watch a movie in your head.

I love reading, it takes me away from my life at that moment and transports me to a new world with new people and problems. Every movie I have ever seen is not better than the book. For example, "Harry Potter," "Hunger Games" and "City of Bones" are all great movies, if you haven't read the book and been inside the character's heads.

2. It builds your vocabulary.

I never thought that any of my reading would affect my vocabulary but it did. I find myself using larger words for simple sentences and finding myself enjoying that I can use those words without not knowing the meaning behind them.

3. You can read anywhere you want to.

I read everywhere I go. Whether I am waiting for a class to begin or waiting for my friends to finish getting ready. It beats wearing down your phone battery just scrolling through Pinterest or Facebook. I read whenever I can because it is so easy and always accessible. With Ipads and E-readers people can take their entire library with them if they choose, or you can bring an old fashion paper book.

4. You learn so much about history and geography.

I have always thought it was so interesting that some books even though they are fiction, have some accurate aspects in history and that the time periods are so real it feels like you lived them. I have been out of the country before but in a book I have been to Europe, all over the United States, Africa, Australia the list goes on and on.

5. It’s like a mini vacation.

Whenever I have a bad day or need to just get away from everyone, I read. It takes you away to a different time or place and allows you to imagine a whole world full of possibilities. It is something you can only experience, just this morning I was a successful lawyer on the beach in France and yesterday I was a wedding planner in Wyoming. If you want to experience something at any place or time you can just crack open a book and there it is waiting for you.

6. Great leaders are great readers.

I believe that in order to be a great reader you must be able to teach yourself.

7. Reading will improve your focus and concentration.

Reading has taught me how to focus on one task at hand and completely finish it before I start another one, this is part of the reason that I can’t start another book while halfway through a different one.

8.Reading will improve you imagination.

I would hate to see where my imagination would be without some reading. Ever since I was a little girl my parents instilled in me the value of reading consistently. There are always other ways to get the creative mind flowing but, as a communications major I feel it is my duty to stay up to date on different ways to be imaginative.

9. Reading will improve your memory.

I have never read a book twice (you can’t count "Harry Potter" because it’s a classic). Every book I have ever read is ingrained into my mind and I crave a different story with different characters and plot lines. Reading can give you time to think it offers you a unique pause button on your brain.

10. People who read appreciate the arts and improve the world.

People who read are more likely to attend concerts and museums than those who do not. They are also three times more likely to volunteer and do charity work. Reading will give you a different perspective on the world and will leave you wanting to leave the world a better place than when you got here.

I have always read books ever since I was a little girl. It is true when they say that you have lived a thousand lives through the pages of books.