I read for the escape, to pause my own life for a moment and escape into an entirely new world. Maybe it’s a love story and dropping myself into a budding relationship. Maybe it’s a self-help book that allows me to see the bigger picture of the Universe. Maybe it’s a fast-paced thriller where I can spend some time trying to solve a case and less time trying to solve my own problems.
I read to be educated. Fiction and nonfiction alike allow me to see the world through a different lens. Americanah opened my eyes to the cultural differences between African-Americans and Africans who immigrate to the United States. MWF Seeking BFF made me realize that making friends as an adult is hard for nearly everyone, and it gave me practical steps to make friends. A Thousand Splendid Suns taught me what life is like for women in other countries where their voices are oppressed. The Willpower Instinct helped me understand my brain and how it reacts to willpower and self-control in a super easy-to-understand way.
I read to be moved, to be taken to a place outside of myself and my own little bubble. Two Kisses for Maddy had me sobbing as Matt Logelin told me in the most honest and raw way possible about the death of his wife. Firefly Lane gave me unexpected tears and hiccuping sobs when the book took an unexpected turn that nearly destroyed me. Me Before You broke me, taking me into a world full of pain and heartache and strife, but showing me how goodness and sweetness and heart can commingle with it.
I read to calm my anxiety. It’s easy to tell when I’m feeling anxious and restless because all I’m reading are romance novels. Whenever I’m feeling out of sorts, I can always depend on a sweet, light-hearted romance novel to lift my spirits.
I read for an experience, to be taken on a journey so far outside my realm of understanding. The Martian allowed me to explore life on Mars. To Kill a Mockingbird brought me to a small Southern town to learn about racism. The Night Circus took me to a secret, vivid world of magic and storytelling and fantasy. And, who can leave the Harry Potter series out of this? A series unlike anything I’ve ever read, an experience unlike I’ve ever known.
I read for enjoyment, because reading is, hands down, my absolute favorite hobby and my favorite way to waste time. I read to lose all sense of time and place, to dive so completely into a book that all other demands and needs disappear for a while.
I read because it connects me to a younger me, the girl who would go to the library every Saturday and check out 12 books (the limit for the children’s section) and read them all within a week. The girl who didn’t care if her parents grounded her from playing with friends or watching TV, but would throw an all-out hissy fit if they took away her books. I read for that girl who loved nothing more than getting lost in her stories, who loved these fictional worlds more than the real world.
I read because it’s a part of my identity. I am a reader, a bookworm, a bibliophile. I am the girl that people come to for book recommendations, and I can usually find something perfect for that person and their needs. I make the time for reading because it fulfills me and makes me happy. I read because I don’t understand people who don’t read. I read because I love it.
Why do you read?
Love this post. I used to enjoy reading as a kid until my mother started forcing certain books that she found appropriate on me – Count of Monte Cristo at the age of 12 comes to mind. I used to get yelled at for not reading a certain number of pages. From that point on until adulthood, reading was a chore that I associated with punishment. I hated it. In my early to mid-20s, I started picking up memoirs and to this day, they’re my favorite to read. I get to experience life vicariously through people that are doing much more interesting things with themselves. I don’t read consistently though. I’m very active so in my free time, I’m running or cycling. I may have some form of adult ADD because I can’t keep my butt glued to a chair. Needless to say, it takes a long time to get into a book. But once I’m there, I can’t stop and find myself going through eight books in a month.
I will admit to being a terrible reader. I just don’t think I have the attention span for it anymore unless it’s really engrossing. I like non-fiction more than fiction, typically. I think I’m also losing my visualization capabilities which is why TV and movies spoil me. I just have a harder time picturing things in books the way I used to and that really decreases my enjoyment. If things are either overly complicated with description, it messes me up. I actually prefer books like Hemingway with more simple details. Otherwise I get frustrated because I’m not sure I’m envisioning things right.
I love this post so much and can totally relate to how you feel. I read because, like breathing, it is just something that I have to do! I can’t imagine my life without books. I read to escape, to travel, to enlighten myself, to push my boundaries, to learn new things, and to feel delighted! It’s such a huge part of who I am and it’s something I know I will make time for as long as I live!
I read to escape, to enlighten, to feel connected, to travel, to wander, to experience new places and situations, to understand, to learn. I read because it’s one of my favorite things and I can’t possibly imagine a life without it!
I love this post.
I request that you read Lonesome Dove. 🙂
Yes, to all of this! I love reading for the same reasons (even though I don’t make quite as much time as you do)…
Great post! I read to escape and to experience things from a different perspective. I only recently started reading again and have been really enjoying it. I did read as kid but then didn’t for many, many years after that as I just couldn’t get into it. However, after learning about the benefits of reading I decided to give it another go and now I am so glad that I have found a new hobby. It’s the best when you discover the genre’s that you enjoy the most too.