Should we read books and why?

I remember when I was younger I used to spend hours reading books. While most people can list off all the TV shows they watched as a kid, I can name several authors that made my childhood special such as Enid Blyton, Jacqueline Wilson, Malorie Blackman and Kiera Cass. I had a whole bookcase full of Enid Blyton’s books and I would spend hours re-reading all of them til eventually I knew them off by heart. Some people prefer non-fiction however, and would rather read facts about sea-animals and human anatomy rather than delve into a fictional story about a faraway tree and its peculiar inhabitants. What can I say, something about fiction gave me a thrill, it took me to a place far away from this world where the characters in the book were people I could talk to and experience adventures with.

2 in every 5 people in the UK read for pleasure, which shocks me to my core. Books are a safe space, a way to escape the harsh grip of reality and be whatever you can dream. While trying not to seem childish, I want to explain how reading has many benefits you’ve probably never even thought about. Instead of struggling to teach your child how to speak, give them a book and watch how their vocabulary will build over time as they learn to recognise words and associate them with actions and objects. With a larger vocabulary, your child will learn to be more effective when communicating with peers and will build up their confidence. It is also an enjoyable way for you to spend time with them. From personal experience I can tell you, the books that were read to me as a child, I will never forget. In fact I have them safely stored in the attic to pass on to my kids someday. Books are memories, either you can make them a part of your memories or you can miss out on some of the finer things in life.

Non fiction books. Unlike me, my brother was interested in those large colourful books filled with animal facts. Even at the age of seven he would come up to me, and start spouting out some random fact he had read, and him choosing to read that made me realise he was more likely to remember it later on. While I wouldn’t choose to read non-fiction, reading in general prevents age related cognitive decline and any facts you learn will often come in handy at some point in the future when you least expect it. Most people don’t know what they want to do with the rest of their life at a young age so all information could be useful. For example, a Marine Biologist may have been in a tough situation but due to the extensive knowledge they gained from independent reading, would have been able to find a suitable solution. Non-fiction books contain knowledge and as Stephen Hawking once said “ Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge” and I don’t think you could disagree with him.

Another topic I wanted to address was whether reading online was better than reading a paperback book. Personally I prefer to read the hard copy version but now and then due to convenience and cost, I understand preferring to read online. There are alot more books available online now compared to when I was a kid and it makes sense to just read for free online and not lose what page you are on by bookmarking the page. I would argue that there is a sort of feeling you get from reading the hard copy, it’s the feel of the pages and the words sort of springing to life that makes a book a book for me. Reading a book brings an emotional connection that simply isn’t there for me while reading online. The smell of a new book fresh from print and not yet opened, the feeling of waking up and finding your hand still desperately holding the book on the right page or flicking through the book to find your last page if you lost it.

I respect anyone who reads books, no matter where they choose to read or what they read. It’s important to just do it and allow it to be a part of your experience because while it comes easy for some people, others struggle and need support to read so feel privileged if you have any access at all to read and take advantage of the opportunity that has been given to you.