Just a week into my summer vacations and I’ve already devoured five books. I’d tell you I’m pretty amazed— but then I usually underrate my genius, so what I think is immaterial anyway. I sometimes feel I’m too hard on myself— this constant pushing-forward often leaves my muscles sore. But then I realise there’s a lot that I’ve to see, do, read, study, know, learn, feel…the list is not exhaustive. So I can’t stop. I can’t fall into the ordinary. You feel me?
Anyway, I digress. Sorry.
So, books. Books keep me sane. I’m angry, I read. I’m happy, I read. I’m sad, I read. I’m annoyed, I read. And when I’m burdened with my coursework and can’t make time for reading, I throw my course books aside and I read. I cut back on sleep and read. Sometimes I read while I eat.
For me, reading’s pretty much a synonym for halcyon. I’m an addict and I have no qualms about it. I love to experiment with genres, no favourites here! Oh except, I can’t tolerate crappy romance novels. I just can’t. I’ve tried to develop a liking for them but failed miserably. Consider:
Natalie’s dating Nathan but she sleeps with Anton, Nathan finds out and breaks up with Nat only to realise 150 pages later that Nat cooked this story up because she’s dying of cancer and didn’t wanna leave Nathan hanging. So much for love.
Plots like these make my eyes cringe and bleed, just can’t stand them. The writing’s usually bad and superficial with zero application of psychology and sense. I could name a few authors but I won’t. To each his own.
Coming to why I read and you should too. A good book will keep you amused and also equip you with life skills. Even if the story’s not gold, a book will teach you something. If the plot’s set in Sweden, it’ll give you a glimpse (if not an all-around-peeper) of the Swedish culture. If it’s non-fiction, it’ll enhance your understanding of the world around you. If it’s a mystery it’ll give you an adrenaline rush. If it’s a non-fiction-medical-thriller then it might even shove some science down your throat. If it’s on self improvement it’ll help you in becoming a better version of yourself.
Most books will provide you with all of the above, and much more. You’ll learn about places, people, cultures, traditions. Whatever the genre maybe, it’ll open doors to paradise, besides giving you an insight into human psychology.
There will definitely be moments when you identify with a character so much that you magnify understanding of your own self. Funny isn’t it? I always find it amusing when a fictional character tells me stuff about myself.
When you start reading, the world will become a better place. You’ll actually look forward to lines and layovers and waiting rooms. You’ll never be bored again, you’ll always be intellectually stimulated. You’ll ask why it took you so long to rouse this superpower within you.
You’ll learn so much, you’ll realise that you were dumber than you thought, that there’s so much about your world you don’t know yet. To shed off the stupid you’ll read even more. It’s a cycle.
Of course, some books you’ll forget quickly. You’ll never pick them up again—just like you meet people in the streets you never see again. But then there’ll be books you’ll never really close and put away. You’ll always carry the stories in your heart, you’ll always take these books with you to the airport or to the station. You’ll grow so fond of the characters you’ll find yourself googling “I’m in love with a fictional character, what do I do?”
The point is, once you begin reading, you’ll change. Reading will sculpt and chisel your raw form and refine you. It’ll bring out feelings you didn’t even know resided in you. I believe to know the world, you needn’t always travel. You can read! It’s equally thrilling.
An advice is in order: don’t just read what you think you love. Experiment! To me genres are like children, can’t treat one any different from the others. Once you become aware of contrasting dissensions, you discover truths you thought were false. That’s when you dive into the trench of wisdom and discover pretty pearls of knowledge.
What’s more, there are studies which prove that reading reduces stress. You don’t want grey hair on your head at 30, do you? So waltz to your book abode and skim through the pages to find treasure. There’s always a pot of gold waiting for you at the last page.
Happy reading!
Images used are my own.
©All Rights Reserved
I love this, it’s so true! And your comment, “when I’m burdened with my coursework and can’t make time for reading, I throw my course books aside and I read”, very very relatable. Made me laugh 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad to have a like minded blogger friend! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess we are on the same page here..coz i have similar views about books as u do…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad to find a like minded blogger!:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊☺
LikeLike
That’s one of the best arguments for reading that I’ve ever read! I sometimes come across people who don’t read, or only occasionally read non-fiction as they say they can’t learn anything from fiction. Now I can link them to this post :).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw I’m glad you liked the post, feel free to share it and encourage people to read! It’s a wonderful, cost effective way to enrich life:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love to read books but not all are as great as “The Godfather” and Some experiments have proved a waste of time and money. So I rely on reading books recommended by friends. I see you have a great collection of books would mind recommending me some?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi!
Yes maybe I could recommend some, do you have a particular genre in mind?
PS I’ve never heard of The Godfather, I’ll look it up and give it a read! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
You haven’t heard of “The Godfather”..The novel by Mario Puzo has a film based on it starring Ali Pacino…A must watch and read
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oops looks like I missed something worth reading. I looked it up online and it seems like an interesting read, I’ll definitely try to lay my hands on it! Thank you for telling me!
As for you, if you like to read legal/medical thrillers you can look up books by John Grisham and Robin Cook.
I find books by Michael Crichton very intelligent- you can read The Terminal Man and Timeline.
Then there are some evergreens, such as The Help and To Kill A Mockingbird, The Alchemist.
If you’re looking for mysteries then you can check out books by Mary Higgins Clark- The Shadow of Your Smile is an excellent read.
I recently read The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and Animal farm by George Orwell. I loved both of them! Also, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma is a very positive book, you should read it if you’re looking to improve yourself!
These are some books and authors I can recall at the moment, I hope this helps! ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is a long reading list…will take a year to read all of it
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, you can choose whatever you like and give it a go!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A pot of gold waiting for you at the last page sums up a lot.☺
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it does! I’d say books are dearer than gold :p
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love reading, and sadly don’t do nearly as much of it as I used to. Part in fact due to my eyes. When I lived back in CA. I used to love the summer time. I would come home from work at 6pm, it was still light. I’d go sit on my balcony and read till 9pm when the sun went down. Living in Alabama, I can’t do this because it’s too god awfully hot and humid, and the myriad of bugs outside would eat me alive lol…. I absolutely adore long book series like “The Sword of Truth” or “Outlander”. It takes so long to get through them, you get to know the characters so well, and you want the story to go on and on and on and never end. Reading the story because a part of your every day routine, like a friend… So when the story is finally over.. you feel sad and lost and like: “what will I do with my life now?.. I have no purpose?” hahaha
LikeLiked by 2 people
Aw it’s so sad that you don’t get to read as much as you’d like to! But I guess it’s okay as long as you manage to grab a book once in a while. 🙂
My mom absolutely hates it when I pick up a new book, she says I shut my ears while I read lol. It’s impossible to make me come out of the bed while I’m reading. I lie on the bed and read for hours on end, just like you used to!
I completely understand your obsession with long book series, I feel so attached to the character by the time I finish reading! It’s almost comical that I feel so much love for someone who doesn’t even exist :p but then that’s the beauty of reading, it makes you feel feelings you didn’t know you had 💕
LikeLiked by 2 people
Recently started delving back into a ton of books myself, and it truly is so therapeutic! 🙂
Happy reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So so so so very true. Ah books…that beautiful escape from reality that I depend upon to help me get through reality.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve put it excellently :p
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love your writing style!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Incredible post! I guess I’ll branch out of the genre I’m accustomed to and see what more’s out there. BTW, I cannot count how many times I’ve fallen in love with a fictional character 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haa I’m glad you feel me! There are books I just don’t want to close because I’ve fallen in love with the protagonist too deeply. I feel so sad when books like these end!
And yes, you must experiment with genres. You may discover a lot of new things that delight you equally, maybe even more:)
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know 🙂 thanks for a great read
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed reading your post 😀 I didn’t like books until a couple months ago i fell on this strange book about somebody that every day wakes up in a new body. I started reading it and I just devoured it. At that moment I began reading more and more books, now I even question why I watched tv shows.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aw it’s great that you discovered reading! I can’t imagine life without books. I’d die of boredom :p
Thanks for stopping by:)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Such a truthful post! I love it! x
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for the appreciation, means a lot:)
LikeLiked by 2 people
My pleasure 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Girl, I honestly laughed out loud at Natalie’s example😂 This blog was so much fun to read because it was so relatable🌸👌🏼
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha, I’m glad you feel the same way. Man, nobody likes this genre why’s it being published still😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nooo, I know many people who only read this particular genre and obsess over it. When I tell them there’s nothing that good about it, the reply is: Well, that means you don’t understand deep stuff. Like, okay😂😂😂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Tell you what, that is the argument that I hear. I’ve stopped caring :p
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a great post there! And yes , I cant stand those romantic novels either! Books are my escape from the reality 🙂 After reading this, I surely will take out some more time to read!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha glad to know there are so many more who can’t stand that genre :p
And yes you should definitely make more time for reading, the more you read, the better 💕
Thank you for reading:)
LikeLiked by 2 people
True that. Books indeed are our best friends. When you are reading something , it is like a transition to a different world and that my friend is just wonderful. Well written…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rightly said.. Thank you💕
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good one
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful post, I agree with so much you’ve written here. I can’t read sappy romance novels, neither can I read 50 shades kind of books. Books are supposed to be food for thought, if you’re writing fiction atleast make it worth reading ! I think Dan Brown has spoilt me, as I expect ficiton to be of a certain calibre now. Lol 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
We’re definitely on the same page here! There’s so much to books besides mindless romance. Although all books of the genre aren’t necessarily unreadable, I’d surely like to invest my time into reading something much more fulfilling, like Dan Browns. His books are a giant bundle of facts I love it :p
I’m glad you liked my post! 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad to have found someone who agrees with me! Hahaha… Cheers 👍😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thats a blog-of-substance 🙂 Good work
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, means a lot! 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person