As you get older, reading for pleasure can become a fond memory from a time when your only worry was how is Harry Potter going to make it out of this mess? When I look back on all the great books I read growing up, I realize how much I miss the cozy feeling of being curled up with a good book.
Sadly, I came to find out that reading for pleasure was not just something I had unintentionally turned my back on but an increasing problem for children today. According to a 2016 Scholastic survey, although 86% of children agree reading is important for their future, only 58% love or like to read for fun.
I decided to share some of my favorite moments from rekindling (reading pun intended) my love with books that will maybe inspire you to pick one up again yourself.
1. The suspense is killing me.
Even big stars like Ben Affleck cannot create the same type of suspense a great thriller novel like “Gone Girl” can. Each chapter leaves you on the edge of your seat. Was she murdered? Did he do it? If you want to find out in the first 30 minutes, watch the movie. If you prefer to wonder till the very end, as you come up with several of your own conclusions, pick up the book.
2. Imagination sensation.
One of the best parts of reading a book is taking the author’s description of a character, scene or environment and making it your own. With the amount of description J.R.R. Tolkien put into “The Hobbit”, you can create your own world down to the last blade of grass. Sometimes allowing a movie or T.V. show to create it for you takes a lot of the fun out of it and not to mention utterly disappoints when compared to the elaborate vision you concocted.
3. Nostalgia.
Reading draws out all kinds of emotions from the reader. Especially if you choose to reread an old favorite, just be prepared for the nostalgia to kick in. So go ahead, crack open an oldie and maybe catch a ride on the Hogwarts Express—I hear third year you even get to visit Hogsmeade—with a parent’s permission of course. Or an invisibility cloak.
4. A whole new world.
Reading can take you on a journey to the deepest ocean in the world or to the tallest tower in the kingdom. All of a sudden you are no longer stuck inside on a rainy day or stuck on an airplane with a disheartening amount of crying babies. Instead you are entranced in a whole new world.
5. Knowledge is power.
The more you read, the more you learn. Whether you learn how John Napier created logarithms in 1614 or that a group of unicorns is known as a blessing, you still know more than you did before. Now go ahead and impress your friends with your endless trivia knowledge or go win a Nobel prize. Whatever works for you.
And for those of you who say you don’t have time read…do you have time to binge watch a Netflix show for 13 hours? Great! Then you have time to read a book.
With today’s advancements in technology, books are more accessible than ever. I have one word for you: Kindle. Best. Invention. For. Reading. Ever. I don’t know why I never had the urge to invest in one before but thanks to a certain sweet boyfriend of mine, I am now a proud Kindle owner and able to read thousands of books anywhere I go. Hopefully, you’ll think of me as your reading role model. Now go flip some pages!
