Reading has always been a passion of mine. I loved reading even when I was in elementary school. I found a book series targeted towards kids that I think I still have the entire series of. It had helped me in many ways throughout my life whether it was with school or making new friends. Now I want to help you love reading just as much as I do.
1. It can be a new hobby
If you are looking for a new hobby or pastime, reading is definitely one to consider. Most people use their phone or television as a their main ways to spend any extra time they have during the day. However, reading can be a new hobby for you, all you need is five minutes to read a page or two in any book you have. Every time you open Instagram, it may have the same posts you saw since the last time you were on it two minutes ago. With a book, every line is new and every time you open it something different is happening no matter how many times you do it. When you're done with one you can pick up another and start the process all over again.
2. Reading can help with school
If you're like me and still in college, or even if you're in high school or lower, reading can help you with assignments. If you come across an assignment you're having difficulty with reading can help you clear your mind or may even contain the answers if you read a textbook. I know most people think reading a textbook is one of the most dreadful things you could possibly do, but if you read books normally it is much more bearable.
3. Reading can help expand your vocabulary
If you're ever in the mood to learn new words, reading is a great way to do that. Authors mostly use words that are used in everyday language but a lot of times you can find words in books that you won't know the meaning of. When you find them you can look them up and suddenly you have a new word you can use everyday if you wanted.
4. There's a genre for everyone
Before you say "I've already tried reading books, I don't find them interesting," take a second look because there's a slim chance you find nothing you like. There are dozens of genres from romance to science fiction and from poetry to fantasy. Don't give up on trying to read, instead, try to think of a topic you're interested in and take a look at that section next time you're in a book store.
5. Reading can help your imagination
Everyone has an imagination, but reading can help expand it. Reading certain types of books can help you think of things you may never even have considered picturing in your mind. If you take a look at any science fiction or fantasy book there is a whole world in there completely different from ours for you to think about and to open your mind to possibilities.
6. It can be a conversation topic
Reading can open up a whole new world of conversation to you. Right now, you and your friends probably talk and gossip about the newest episode of your favorite show on Netflix, but what happens when you're all caught up? Your friends may read a book series that you never got into but if you start reading it you can talk with them about that book. Even if they're done with the book most readers love talking about a book they like to anyone even if they aren't caught up.
7. Reading can help with writers block
If you write anything, poems or short stories or even novels, then you've experienced the one thing every writer fears the most... writers block. For those of you who may not know what it is, writers block is basically writing something but then hitting a wall and not knowing how to continue it. Reading can help this because you may get ideas from other books. I'm not saying to plagiarize but someone else's work may give you an idea that you could take in your own direction.
8. Reading can be thought stimulating
Reading can help you think more critically than you have before if you pick the right book. You might be in a disagreement with someone about something going on in the world today or in the past. You can pick up a political or historical book and find out information that you may not have known before and it may change your mind or bolster you point more than it already was.
9. You can be very passionate about reading
Reading can be a meaningful passion that you have. It embodies the art of storytelling that has been around even before people could read and write.
10. Reading will always be around
No matter what happens people will be reading, whether it be a hard copy of a book or if it's on a reading tablet, it won't go away. This is good for two reasons: it can be something you can do for however long you want to and it will never go out of style like most things do today.
