Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Reasons Why I Love Reading. It seems challenging to break down into an itemized list why reading is such a dominant part of my life, but here goes:
1). Reading involves my brain, my emotions, my heart… it’s an immersive experience that makes me feel and makes me think.
2) I’ve learned so much from books! I love entering another time period through historical fiction, or learning about a place or a culture I might not otherwise encounter.
3) I can never be bored — I always have a book with me! Waiting on a long line at the store or the pharmacy? No problem — more time to read!
4) Bonding — Even if we have nothing else obviously in common, if I meet someone who loves the same book as me, we have plenty to talk about.
5) Flights of imagination — I love reading about fantasy worlds and feeling them come alive.
6) Getting to know favorite characters in a series. A well-written series can make me feel like certain characters are a part of my own life.
7) Living vicariously. Let’s face it, I’m probably never going to wield a sword or explore new star systems, but reading lets me feel as if I might, even if only in my reader’s brain.
8) Oh, the smarts! I’m adamant that reading makes us all smarter. Vocabulary, geography, scientific concepts — you name it, and I’m better at it because of reading.
9) The calming effect — sometimes, when times are tough or there’s just a lot of stress, opening a favorite book can feel better to me than meditation or even a nap. I can immerse myself in a beloved story or world and come out of it feeling refreshed and ready to face the world again.
10) Gaining empathy and understanding: Great novels let us into their characters’ hearts and minds. Walking in a character’s shoes and seeing how life feels to them is key to opening our hearts to people whose lives might not mirror our own.
Why do you love to read? Please share your TTT links!
Bookshelf Fantasies 