There are three things I believe in very strongly:

1. Love is love.

2. Philadelphia will always have the best soft pretzels. Hands down.

3. The best way to lose yourself in adventure is through a book.

So, while I could drone on and on about the first two forever, it’s the last one I want to talk about. Being part of a digital generation has made reading very hard. You pick up your tablet to read, get bored two pages in, and switch over to Netflix. It’s a shame, and the reason I refuse to own any kind of tablet/E-reader. I personally love the way a real book smells. I like being able to physically turn the pages of a book and see how much I have left. I actually love lugging around a real book. In typical Rory Gilmore style, I carry a book everywhere.

When I was little I went through books obscenely fast. My neighborhood library had contests over the summer where every time you passed a book milestone, you got some sort of prize. I used to go through 15-20 books a summer. Granted, that’s when books were smaller and print was larger, but I still go through at least 2 or 3 books a month. In 5th grade, I was part of Reading Olympics, a club where you would read books on a pre-selected list and then compete with other area schools by answering crazy detailed questions about the books. My team won that year. I remember that experience with fondness and I will always wholeheartedly embrace the nerd in me that considered reading books a sport.

I recently just finished the "Harry Potter" books for the first time (I know, scold me after you’re done reading this). I’m actually really grateful that it took me this long to read them. At this age, I have a great appreciation for J.K. Rowling’s writing style and her incredible attention to detail (and the occasional innuendo that would’ve gone over my head as a kid). I don’t know if I would’ve appreciated that as much if I had read them at 12-years-old like everyone else.

Which brings me to something I care about deeply. For the love of all that is still good in this world, please read the book before you watch the movie. This applies to everything. I have heard rave reviews about the "Harry Potter" movies, and while, yes, they are well-acted and visually stunning, I am very upset at some of the key details they left out. I understand it’s hard to turn a 900-page book into a two-hour movie, but it feels like these books, which I very much enjoyed, have been beaten to a pulp.

As far as books vs movies, however, I must give credit where credit is due and say that the movie adaptation of "The Fault in Our Stars" was one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I’ve ever seen, probably due in part to author John Green’s presence on the set. But at least 90% of the time, I am very disappointed in the movie (mostly because it doesn’t look like what it did in my head and that’s half the fun of reading).

I have this huge fear that with this current uprising in Netflix and a huge digital generation, books and libraries will go “out of style.” Though, if reading a real book ever comes back around as “vintage” and “trendy”, dear God, throw me off a cliff.

There are a lot of things that are so important about reading. Aside from expanding your knowledge on certain subjects and expanding your vocabulary, people who read everyday are at a much lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, due to the stimulation reading provides your brain. If all it takes to prevent those things in older age is just reading a book, I don’t understand why more people don’t do it.

The common excuse I hear all the time is “Well, I don’t have time to read.” I’m gonna hold it right there and call bullsh*t on that one. Everyone has time to read. I grew up learning that reading before bed is great. Fifteen minutes with a book instead of a phone screen before bed will actually help you sleep better, I promise. Also, about a year and a half into living in New York, I got bored with listening to my iPod on the train. I have a 20-minute commute to work and a 50-minute commute to school. Do you know how much reading I get done?! It’s awesome!

Also, everyone seems to binge watch a lot of Netflix and streaming shows these days. And though, yes, I love "Orange Is The New Black" as much as the next person, I don’t have the ability to binge watch for 13 hours straight. Between episodes I like to give myself a break and read a chapter of whatever I’m reading. No, I don’t get the whole season done in one day, but that’s fine with me. It’s nice to mix it up.

So, if you’re reading this article, it means you can read and you have no excuses. I am begging you, please, pick up a book! Support your local library and local independently-owned bookstores! They’re unfortunately dying out and it breaks my heart. Used bookstores are the best! You can trade in books you’ve already read and use the credit to get new ones! You could even trade with your friends! There are so many inexpensive ways to get your hands on a book you haven’t read yet!

Go! Read a book! It’s a great escape from this crazy world we’re living in. Be a part of someone else's story for 200+ pages. It’s so worth it.