I wanted to introduce this new thing I discovered during winter break. It's not the next Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. It's not the next season of "Game of Thrones" or "The Walking Dead" (which actually have forms of what I'm about to talk about). It's not the next hoverboard or iPhone. It's a book, a legit a book.
Most kids these days probably don't even know what that is. Not a textbook for your biology class, but a novel. When I'm out and about on the town, I casually glance at people. I pass and frown at all the horrible prospects of the universe. People are either absorbed in Instagram walking across the street, not even glancing to see if cars are coming either way (because of their superiority-complex), or scrolling deeply through Facebook. To be honest, there's no in-between. Now I see babies playing on iPads rather than playing with toys or blocks. That's why introducing this newfound (not really) knowledge of reading a book for fun will be beneficial to you.
Nothing is better than a new book smell. I mean maybe a new car smell, but whatever. A physical copy of a book is something you praise. I remember as a child when I received the next new "Harry Potter" novel and cried my little eyes out. I feel like kids these days don't even appreciate paperback. Kids don't even know what paper is to be honest.
Reading a good book is just like watching a movie or playing a video game, but better. If you actually enjoy a book you really get absorbed into it. This isn't chapter 12 of organic chemistry. This is reading a book for fun.
Now, I know you're probably terrified of picking up a book and having to read it WITHOUT a deadline, but let me tell you, it's fun! There are quite literally millions of books to choose from. Now, I'm not telling you to read Edgar Allen Poe or William Shakespeare. I'm telling you to pick what YOU enjoy. You like cooking? Buy a book about cooking. You like murder mysteries? Buy a murder mystery. You like robotic-unicorns that have to save the world from a flesh eating disease? Buy a book about a robotic-unicorn that has to save the world from a flesh eating disease! It's that simple.
Personally, I love horror stories, and Stephen King is the way to go for me. Maybe that isn't the way for you, but I don't care. Just kidding. I'm not.
Reading really fosters creativity. Whether you're 15 or 35, a book uses your imagination. Wouldn't it be nice to escape reality for just a couple of hours, or minutes even? If you find a good book you'll probably never put it down.
Instead of scanning to see how many pages a book is and groaning at the 432-page count, open the front cover and start from the beginning. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and turn on a light. Before you know it, you'll be done with it, and then you'll be itching to buy the sequel.
