Why Reading Is Cool
Book nerd. Bookworm. Bookish. Bookaholic.
All names for readers and book lovers that seemingly have negative connotations. They conjure images of old ladies in unflattering cardigans, bifocals, and like, at least five cats hovering nearby, knocking carefully curated Precious Moments figurines off a table. Loners and introverts afflicted with some weird disease that, upon stepping foot inside a bookstore, makes them totally perv out and sniff book pages like some sort of feral librarian.
Aaand now I’m pretty sure Feral Librarian™ is going to be my Halloween costume. Sorry Joan Cusack in Sixteen Candles complete with neck brace; you’re out.
I’m here to tell you what people have known for centuries: reading’s totally cool. And good for you.
“BOOKS ARE UNIQUELY PORTABLE MAGIC.”
We all have a treasured memory of a book. Whether it’s because a parent read or gave it to you, it’s the first book you ever loved, or a lightbulb went off in your head as you identified with something or someone in the story. Maybe it’s the first one that completely gutted you. (Night, Elie Wiesel) Or even one you thought, This is fucked up. I like it. (Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs) But, I bet if you think about any or all of those books, they will instantly take you back to a specific memory. A book is a tangible object that has the ability to transport you like your very own personal time machine.
I’m by no stretch of the word, an introvert. I’m social. I like to be social. Is that a 24/7 thing? Hell no. People can be so, you know, peopley. *shudder* I usually pray for strength to my Kurt Vonnegut or Jane Austen patron saint candles before I have to go into public. But sometimes we just want to shut off. With a book, you don’t have to lead the conversation or be entertaining. You don’t have to be “on”. You can sit back and let someone else do all the work.
No matter the time of day or night, a book is always there to have a conversation with you. To share an adventure. To give you a peek into someone else’s life. To scare the shit out of you. To make you laugh. To make you cry. Whatever you’re into. No judgment.
Life can get stressful and we frequently need to escape, if only for just a bit. Some people exercise for the same reason - getting your mind focused on something other than the negative and allowing a departure from your own thoughts. Although, I like to count this as a double-win.
Even people who aren’t “loners” can feel lonely at times. There’s an intimacy in books and an almost companionship when you’re feeling alone. Stories can create emotional connections linking us to others. They transport us to places and situations completely different from the world we live in every day, allowing us to experience multiple realities without going full-on Sybil or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Books vividly show us what it’s like to live in a different place or time, have a different profession, and introduce us to new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. They take us beyond what we know and give us a glimpse of what we don’t either real or imagined; satisfying a bit of wanderlust that can feel like a mini vacation.
“READING GIVES US SOMEPLACE TO GO WHEN WE HAVE TO STAY WHERE WE ARE.”
Do you ever read a book and find a character you totally relate to? Maybe y’all share a similar life experience or situation, the same sorrow, same joy, same disastrous date, same break-up, same embarrassing parents, same problems at work. Whatever it is, you’ve thought to yourself, I would totally be friends with her in real life. There’s that emotional connection again, letting us know we’re not alone.
On the flip side of that, sometimes we meet characters that we may not have the opportunity to befriend or learn about in real life. Some we can simply laugh along with, root for, or bite our nails with. Others teach us valuable lessons of humility and empathy because of things we won’t experience personally. We can gain perspective – my problems aren’t so big compared to this very serious thing or that guy trying to save the world from evil aliens. We can be a completely different person through the eyes of another - feel what they feel, see what they see.
“IF I HAVE SEEN FURTHER THAN OTHERS, IT IS BY STANDING UPON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.”
While I’m a staunch ally, as a straight woman, I haven’t experienced what an LGTBQ+ teen boy has struggled through. As someone who is so white I look forward to fall, I haven’t experienced racism towards myself and never will. But, reading To Kill a Mockingbird and The Bluest Eye at a young age gave me valuable perspective and compassion that I carry today.
Books can provide diversity and different viewpoints and an opportunity to learn about them. This allows us to get in touch with our inner selves more deeply, grow, and feel richer inside.
While reading simply for entertainment can be fun and relaxing – we meet interesting people, live vicariously through someone else, and see new worlds – making us feel alive and to dream, we’re also subconsciously learning so we’re using both sides of our brain.
From classic literature to foreign language books to a romance set in the Scottish Highlands, we intuitively pick up new words and meanings and increase our vocabulary and language skills, ye ken?
“TO READ IS TO DRINK AND EAT. THE MIND THAT DOES NOT READ BECOMES THIN LIKE THE BODY THAT DOES NOT EAT.”
Books improve our imaginations. While reading, our minds create the image the author describes on the page instead of having it done for you with a movie or tv show. They set the scene and we see it, even adding our own details at times.
There are so many personal benefits of reading – no matter the genre. They can provide you with purpose, uplift your mood, give you new energy, help you through a difficult time or step away from one for a bit, connect you with someone in a situation just like yours or bring you into a new world you didn’t know existed. They bring a sense of comfort and wonderment.
Studies have shown that reading increases memory, reduces stress, slows your heart rate, and even eases tension in muscles. Books improve your focus and concentration and long periods of being fully engaged, closing off the outside world, and immersing yourself in a story - becoming part of it - strengthens your attention span.
So, you know, read books. They’re cool. And good for you. It’s science. And don’t worry about turning into a feral librarian.
