Why Books Are Amazing

Today's Fun Fact:  I own lots of purple stuff.

I recently returned from my spring break.  It was pretty chill, not having to worry about exams or projects or anything.  That meant I had plenty of time for one of my favorite activities: binging on books!  I finally got through Anna Karenina, which I've been working on since November.  Then I read the amazing words of John Green in The Fault In Our Stars.  It was a fabulous way to spend spring break.

You see, I'm a person who can sit for hours on end reading a book.  I take a book or two along on every road trip.  If I can't find a new book to read, I’ll reread one of my favorites for the umpteenth time.  Most of my friends also enjoy reading, but I do have a few friends that don't understand my love for novels.  So, I have compiled a list of why I think books (specifically fiction novels) are amazing!


Books let you experience someone else's story.  I love escaping into the storybook world, immersing myself in the lives of the characters.  George R. R. Martin wrote in his book A Dance with Dragons, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.  The man who never reads lives only one.”  I have fought for my survival on television, fallen hard for Mr. Darcy, helped an alien escape persecution, found a golden ring, destroyed a dark wizard, and lost a lover to cancer.  The list can go on forever.  

Books provide knowledge.  Yes, encyclopedias and history books are informative, but even pleasant 19th century British romance novels can teach you something.  I've learned quite a lot about past cultures and customs from all the classics I've been reading lately, like Emma by Jane Austen.  Character interactions with one another, their daily tasks, their figures of speech, all of these things were very ordinary when Austen wrote them.  But for me reading it 200 years later, I find it all very fascinating.  Reading a story is far more interesting than learning about the daily life of a 1800's middle class woman from a textbook.  

Books are inspirational.  One of my favorite authors from my teen years (and still!) is Ally Carter, author of the Gallagher Girls series.  In this series, the characters attend a boarding school that trains them for the CIA.  These books sparked my interest in the CIA and other intelligence agencies, and I briefly even looked into how one becomes a CIA agent.  I mean, I'm not pursuing a career in the CIA (and if I was... I would have to kill you), but it did make me think about my future and what I wanted to do with my life.  


Books beg for discussion.  When you're having a conversation, one person says something and others join the conversation by discussing what that one person brought up.  Well, when you read a novel, that's hundreds of pages of something said by someone!  That leaves so much to talk about!  This can be literary analysis, like the character development Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, or social commentary in books like Divergent and The Hunger Games.  Realistic fiction like The Fault In Our Stars or The Perks of Being a Wallflower can open up discussions about your personal life experiences.  I love reading books, but I also love talking about the books I've read with others.


Books always have something to offer.  I firmly believe that I have gained something from every book I've read, whether or not I liked the book.  Take for instance J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.  This trilogy is hugely popular and it's a magical fantasy adventure… but I didn't really enjoy it.  It's just not my kind of book.  However, I gained a huge appreciation for the author who came up with this whole world and history and language and everything.  That's just awesome.  Another book that I can't rave about is Anna Karenina.  It was just another book on my list of famous classic books to read, and I didn't love it.  But it was very thought-provoking.  There were many philosophical passages that made me think about things like faith and morality.  I definitely gained some insight to my own beliefs.  I finish every book that I start and I never regret reading a book, even if it wasn't my favorite.   

I can go on forever about why books are amazing and fantastic and wonderful, but for now I'll call it a day.  Do you agree with my list?  What's your favorite book?  Let me know, because I'm in need of something new to read!  

Happy reading,

Shelly