Top Ten Tuesday: Why I Love to Read, Let Me Count the Ways

  

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Why I Love to Read

Reading lets me experience other lives/realities.

Through reading I have been able to experience far more than I would ever be able to in a single lifetime. Whether it's the experience of someone in another profession, a different stage of life, or life in a far-off country, reading has granted me access to lives far outside my own.

Reading makes me think... and sometimes challenges my perspective.

Reading has given me new perspectives on topics and themes and ideas. Sometimes my opinion remains the same, sometime it changes, and sometimes I gain a new understanding that I wouldn't otherwise have. Almost any story can offer some food for thought.

Reading provides escapism.

Now more than ever, reading provides an escape from daily life and from a world that is increasingly chaotic. Twenty-four news, social media... it doesn't take much to feel overwhelmed or discouraged. Escaping into book, and someone else's life and experiences, is the perfect antidote.

Reading is solitary.

As a total introvert, I crave time alone and often have a need to "recharge" after spending time in the company of others. Reading is the perfect way to enjoy the quiet down-time that I need.

Reading is also social.

Even though the act of reading may be solitary, overall it can still be a social activity. Being able to interact with other readers is one of the joys of reading. Shouting your love for a new favorite book, venting about a character or a plot twist, or buddy-reading a book together - sharing the love of books and reading with others is priceless.

Reading has introduced to me characters who became friends.

Over the years (40+ years of reading), I've met countless characters. And they've run the gamut from lovable to loathsome and everything in between. And there are those that made a lasting impression on me and stayed with me long after I finished their story. Maybe they felt like a friend I would love to have in real life, or maybe I felt a particular kinship with their struggles. But there are definitely those who were unforgettable.

Reading has given me stories that made an impact.

Some books you read, set aside, and move right on to the next one. Some are good but ultimately forgettable. But then there are those rarities that stand out far above the rest. The stories that were so powerful, so moving, so... something, that their impact was felt long after you turned the last page. There are some stories that my mind returns to years after reading the book. 

Reading is a connection to family.

I come from a family of readers. My mom read to me when I was a child and we made many, many trips to the library. She and my father were both readers and that love was definitely instilled in me and my two sisters. While we don't often read the same books (or even the same genres), we still often share what we're currently reading and offer up book recommendations to one another.

Reading and Books allow me to indulge my love of lists.

I've never met a list I didn't like and everything about lists brings me a sense of happiness (starting a new list, maintaining lists, adding to a list, finding a reason to make a new list). Books and reading are major contributors to my bevy of lists. Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, Google docs, paper lists, iPhone notes... the lists are everywhere. And the topics are just as varied: lists of books I own, lists of books I've read, lists of books I want to read, lists of series... and on and on it goes. 

Books are pretty.

Yes, I'm ending on what could be considered a shallow note, but admit it... books are pretty! :) Haven't we all been swayed by a gorgeous cover? To-die for-endpapers? A stunning stepback? The very aesthetic of books makes me happy.

Why do you love to read?