Why books?

Of all the blog topics to focus on, why did I choose books? Why, after encouraging my 9th-grade students to pick a "passion project" to blog about for a month, did I select literature to model for them? What is so special about the written word compared to, say, shoes, sports, or sartorial stylings?

Well, if you've spent any amount of time with me, then you've heard me talk about my reading list or pitch to you the newest book I've fallen in love with. You may have heard me remind you to "follow me on Goodreads" or listened to me tell you how important it is to get a library card and support your local library. At the very least, you may have seen me carry a book or my Kindle, or with my headphones in to listen to an audiobook on Audible. Suffice it to say that reading is more than a light hobby for me.

But why do I think reading is so important? Here are several reasons:

1. Reading provides an escape from the outside world. Reality can be uncertain, scary, stressful, overwhelming, boring, sad, monotonous, etc. By reading a book, you can CHOOSE which type of environment in which you place yourself. You temporarily leave your reality and fall into another realm. Maybe you are a crime-fighting detective, a child in another country, a murderer on the loose, a vampire in a coven, a housewife looking to stir up her life--anything! Books take you out of the ordinary and place you into another environment, which is often preferable in a time like this.

2. The more you read, the more you'll be able to read. Many people say they don't like to read or don't read because it's been so long since they cracked a book. But the cool thing about reading is the exponential growth that takes place the more you do it. It's a skill that, the more you practice, the better you get. A few years ago, I was reading about 30-40 books a year. While that is a lot (2-3/month), I slowly increased my pace to read 50 a year, and then 80 a year, and then I set a goal for myself to read 100 books a year. That was a very lofty goal (and I plan to talk about HOW I did it in a future post), but I found that since I had been reading more and more, it became easier to do it. And the more books I read each month on my quest for 100+, it came more naturally. So if it's been a while since you dived into a paperback, give it a try to build up your stamina and your reading count.

3. Reading to children--and on your own--is proven to be the single greatest activity for academic success. There is a reason literally everyone tells new parents to read to their babies before the infants can even understand words. There is a reason that when quarantine-induced homeschool problems arise, the solution is often "just read a book". There is a reason that elementary school libraries (and the children's' sections at public libraries) are vast, eye-catching, and welcoming. Reading to children and teaching them a love of reading at an early age is one of the best things anyone can do to ensure future academic success for that child. It's a hallmark of education. So it baffles me when, at some point in life, people just stop reading... Reading helps you become a better writer because you naturally model what you see, it improves your vocabulary, it increases your imagination, and it makes you sound more intelligent when you reference a book, or even when you admit to just BEING a reader.

Given these reasons, and even a few more I didn't mention, I think it's obvious that books are my passion, and I feel quite strongly that this passion should spread to others as well. As I continue this blog, expect to read about books I've enjoyed, my methods of reading, book lists and authors, audiobooks and narrators, and more. It would also be SWELL if we could interact together about reading and the things I post.

And on that note... Follow me on Goodreads! :)