Reading: it can be a scary word. When some people hear reading, they think assignment. That is not always the case. Some people actually enjoy reading, not text books or assigned books but leisure library books. When I hear reading, I think enjoyment, escape and relaxation. I read because I enjoy it. When I was bored or if it was a nasty day out, I either slept or ate. However, when I discovered that I really like fiction novels, I started reading, and reading, and reading.

Now that I read a lot when I am bored, I don’t risk gaining unnecessary weight or sleeping the day away. I can go outside on a nice day and enjoy the sun and read a good book. It also goes for when it’s a cold and snowy or rainy day, I can sit on my couch wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea and read.

Reading is also very good for your brain. For example, during the summer when you are out of school for three months, you forget things you learned in school and you become a little bit forgetful. Reading every day can keep your brain learning and active. Granted your brain is always active, but it’s on a scale of everyday living and learning.

Reading for escape is another good thing. I know some people, including me, who have a rough time with their family, mental health and emotional health and they are trapped. When I read, I get so absorbed in the book that I forget about all the problems I am facing at that time and I feel better.

It gets your mind off of bad thoughts, and horrible home lives, an escape. Reading is something healthy you can do that won’t cause any harm to your body. It could also help you learn grammar. You read a book and when you see a flaw in a paragraph, you realize how you could have written it better. In most cases though, the grammar is very well established and you learn for future references how to write that research paper or letter that much better.

It is also good for relaxation. For those who over stress, this is a good way to de-stress. It could also help you learn material better. You may have heard someone say that between studying sessions, video games can help you absorb the material you are learning and it would be easier when the time comes to answer those questions. Reading could do that too, and it’s a lot less violent then video games. Reading for me is what cat and dog videos are to most people. Funny, entertaining and exciting.

It is also very good to do it before bed. Some of you stare at your phone for one or two hours before going to bed, but I read. There are a lot of studies showing how using your phone before bed can be bad, but reading isn’t. Staring at words on a page for one or two hours can relax you and still make you tired so your eyes don’t hurt from that bright screen of your cell phone or tablet. Now, I know that people use tablets to read but that is still better then staring at Facebook, Twitter or Instagram before bed.

I, however prefer to read using a book, and I have reasons for this. When the book gets intense, a big page turner, you can grip the pages and the book. You can’t really grip a tablet without your fingers hurting. It's solid. If I drop it, it will not break. You may get angry if you lose your page, but it's easy to get back to the page. It’s not easy to buy a new tablet.

You may or may not think reading is fun, or a stress reliever, but I do, and it’s a heck of a lot better than doing anything illegal or dangerous. So, my fellow book readers, page turners and dog ear makers, keep calm and read on!