Don't quote me, but I think the actual lyrics are "I like big books and I cannot lie." No? They're not? In all seriousness though, reading has often got the boot over the years, but now is an ideal opportunity to let this pastime shine.
People all across the globe are stuck inside and running out of options to stay entertained. May I suggest a surefire way to pass the time and get lost in more than just the sauce. Reading gets treated like TV's ugly stepsister; neglected and cast aside by the masses. However, after binging every show Netflix has to offer to the point that your eyes have glazed over, it might be time to find a new hobby.
Enter books. No matter how much they are ignored, books will always be there to welcome you home with open arms. If you really can't even stomach reading an entire novel, then try your hand at something else like a newspaper or magazine. Even the cereal box is better than nothing.
If paper copies aren't your jam, then turn to digital options. The internet is a wonderous place full of anything you could imagine, and shockingly enough, that includes all things literary too. Dust off your old Nook or Kindle (although if you're like me, your Nook went up to that great big library in the sky eons ago). Download a reading app on your phone or laptop. Look up your local library online. A couple months ago, I discovered that my library had even a wider selection of things to choose from digitally, and ever since it's been a gamechanger.
The accumulative amount of stress in the world right now might seem maddeningly heavy and overwhelming like a weight on all our shoulders, but locked away in your house, it can be an oasis. I won't judge the methods you use to relax as long as you might consider to include reading too. Take as many self-care days as you need to calm the anxious feeling inside due to the metaphorical storm brewing out the window. What better way to do that than escape this crazy world altogether and venture into lands unknown?
You never know where a story might take you. There could be faraway islands with swashbuckling rogues, evil fairies, or epic battles. You can journey back in time to other major historical events that we survived to give you courage for what's to come. If you don't want to be taken off into space or deep below the ocean, then go down a completely different route. Solve mysteries, laugh your pants off, imagine yourself in romantic scenarios. Books are endless possibilities. Don't forget about those wholesome Chicken Soup for the Soul books if you're really feeling the brunt of this whole pandemic situation.
When I was a tiny preschooler, I first encountered the magic of reading when my mom took me to the library every week. I would pile on stacks that stretched taller than my head and immediately go home and devour every word. Unlike many who outgrew that hunger and began to preach that being a bookworm was uncool, my love for reading has never wavered over the years, and I hope to one day impact children and teens through my stories as much as the authors that have come before me.
If anything, reading will gift you with an expansive vocabulary which can really come in handy in an argument or writing a paper for class. It can open your eyes to so many different perspectives and teach you so many things you would have never hoped to learn otherwise. Most importantly, reading dares us all to keep dreaming; that our goals and desires are never fully out of reach and to keep striving until the very last page.
