The world can be divided into two groups of people: those who read and love it and those who don’t. But many of us find ourselves crossing that border all too often in our lives-people who once loved to read often find that as jobs, children, paying bills and just trying to keep up takes its toll, reading for pleasure takes a distant backseat.
How many of us remember curling up with that beloved story on a rainy or snowy day and being whisked away to a distant land? It’s very hard to get that feeling back again as an adult and many people feel that they are too old to do that anyway and so they don’t even try. But it’s never too late to pick up that book and recover the joy of reading yourself to a whole new world.
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Where to Get Your Books?
Nowadays, there are actually a few options for readers wanting to dive back into their imagination. You have, of course, the traditional book and if you’re cash-strapped, check out and support your local library! Library cards are 100% free after all and there are tons of books of all different types and genres to find. Plus you can bring your kids for the day and get them into reading as well! There are also any number of places where you can get very cheap books such as second hand book stores and thrift stores. And even book stores often sell novels for pretty cheap if you know when to go.
But in the technological wonders of today, you may get more out of using an e-reader such as a Kindle. E-readers let you read your favourite books on a computer screen. You can ‘flick’ the pages to turn them, save thousands of books on one machine and even get books for free or for cheap. Kindle e-books come in hundreds of sizes, types and genres, so you can really pick what you’d like to read.
Getting Back Into Reading
If it’s been a while since you last cracked the covers of a book, then it’s more important to choose books you can actually get into than ones you think will uphold an intellectual image. If this means going for the fluffy books or the summer favourites, go for it! What’s important is to find books and stories that you will fully enjoy so that you’re motivated to keep going with your reading and work your way up to the more intellectual, dense books… or just stick with whatever you love! After all, you’re the one to be transported into a new world, not anyone else!
Struggling with reading
If you are struggling with reading for fun, then just try taking out ten minutes a day and build up. It’s a habit, just like eating properly and exercising and if you have to start slow, it’s better than not starting at all! And after a while, the problem won’t be getting started into reading, it’ll be putting the book down and finding more to replace it.
Remember that there is more out there to read than novels too. For example, some people may prefer to read short stories or poetry over a long novel and that’s fine too. Never confine yourself to what you think you should be reading; read what you think you’ll enjoy and leave it at that.
Benefits of Reading
You may not think you have time for picking up a book, but just like making time for things like exercising, it’s important to take out that time. Reading does some pretty great things for you, including:
Stress relief
Improved vocabulary
Improved concentration
Improved imagination
Improving patience
Strengthening the memory
For aspiring Writers
And if you’re aiming at becoming a better writer, you’d better start reading! Reading consistently improves your vocabulary, lets you take a look at how others write, gives you inspiration and motivation, and will overall help you become a better writer. No matter what kind of writer you want to be; novelist, essay writer, academic writer or blogger-you’d better start reading.
But even more importantly, reading takes you out of your life and into a whole new world with new perspectives and new thoughts. These things are a great way to get out of the normal run of life and let you expand your horizons, travel and meet new friends, all without leaving your chair. Not everyone is going to be an avid reader, but anyone can become a better reader and it’s certainly a worthwhile goal. So, pick up a new book and start reading and enjoy!
Author Bio: Lena Paul is a medical school graduate who is an enthusiastic blogger and holds an editorial position in Prepgenie, a test prep provider that offers exam preparation courses for GAMSAT, PCAT, UKCAT and UMAT.
