Thursday, April 12, 2007

Thursday Thirteen - Thirteen Great Reasons to Read

I tried to come up with thirteen and failed. Then, I dropped it to ten and, lo and behold, I kept going. Weird. So . . .

Thirteen Great Reasons to Read:

1. To learn new things.

2. You can travel without leaving home.

3. It's addictive, yes, but not in a bad way like alcohol or caffeine.

4. Reading doesn't cause cancer.

5. Because you can.

6. Unless you read outdoors, you're probably not going to stir up a lot of pollen reading so it won't make you sneeze.

7. It's a great excuse to curl up with a pet.

8. It keeps the old brain neurons popping (as opposed to drugs, which kill them).

9. Time spent waiting in lines, riding trains, or sitting in doctor's offices becomes enjoyable and productive.

10. Reading builds muscle. Eye muscle, that is.

11. You can do it just about anywhere.

12. It's a great way to escape from everyday life.

13. Books are calorie free.

What other reasons can you think of to read?

19 comments:

  1. Here, here! Great post, Bookfool.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Booklogged. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I thought of just one in addition to all your really good ones: You're not so dependent on others for company because your book is company.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am skeptical on the building eye muscles thing. My eye doctor told me when I was little that I was going to have to get glasses because I read so much, and now, glasses I have. It might be bad reading habits (like near dark) than the actual reading, but still.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's a great way to beef up your vocab. Makes people think you're smart ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great idea for a Thursday Thirteen. How about.. you're never lonely if you've got a book! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. You can do it on your own but it's also great to share with others eg all the great lit blogs!

    ReplyDelete
  8. "because you can" --I love that one.

    How about because it sets a good example for kids?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bybee,

    That's a good one, companionship. I like!

    Kailana,

    I know two people who say they can only read a few pages before falling asleep and their eye doctors claim weak eye muscles, that they can be built up by reading more each night. I'm not sure what to think of it, but I have great eyes and I read quite a bit, so you never know. I do think it strains your eyes to read with less light - it gives me a headache.

    Nik,

    Good one! I used to actually keep vocab notebooks for the words I ran across that I didn't know. I think I learned quite a bit from that experience.

    Nat,

    You and Bybee are on the same train. And, so right. I think I would have gone nuts years ago because of my husband's traveling if not for my books keeping me company (and giving me a break from kid talk). :)

    a.book.in.the.life,

    You're new here! Hi! Very true, great things to share. I think the people I get along with best in person are all readers; you never run out of subject matter if you have books in common.

    Kookie,

    Oh, yes indeed. I actually thought about that one and skipped it but sharing with my kids and turning them into avid readers has been one of my greatest joys. Now, if the youngest would quit reading in class . . . :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great list! Let's see. It gives you something to do at 2 am when you can't sleep. Perfect distraction while on a airplane. If you're lucky,, you might read something that makes you laugh outloud, and we all know that laughter is the best medicine.

    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous4:46 PM

    Oh these are good! I'd add because Reading is sexy! At least I have a tshirt that says that :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Les,

    Oh, yes, those 2am wake-up miseries. How could I forget? All wonderful thoughts. :)

    Iliana,

    I need that t-shirt!!! Where did you get it?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great Post!! I love it!! My eye doctor LOVED my reading habit when I was young. My prescription changed every year and I needed new glasses or contacts each time I went in!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Stephanie,

    That's wild! My eldest has been like that - his prescription changes fast, fast, fast. My eyes pretty much just stay the same, year after year, although my vision improved for a while and now I'm starting to do the oops-you-might-need-bifocals hold. Gettin' old. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well...for me, it helps me get housework done (books on my iPod that is). :)

    Actually, before I had any sort of electronics to listen to books, the book just sitting there calling my name helped me get my chores done quicker, too. *giggle*

    ReplyDelete
  16. How about: 'To get lost in the worlds that simple words strung together conjure in your imagination'.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Joy,

    That's terrific that books helped you get the housework done. It's the opposite for me; I find reading an excuse not to do housework. Well, sometimes, anyway. :)

    Indigo,

    I love the way you put that. I might have to type up a list of everyone else's great reasons to read. Getting lost in an imaginary world is always a terrific reason to read. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous8:03 AM

    You get to meet people you never would have, see places you may never see, travel to times beyond your ability and share these moments with fellow book travelers.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Excellent reasons, Gavin! I hadn't thought about traveling through time; that's a good one. History, fictional or otherwise, is always great to immerse yourself in!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my blog! I use comment moderation because apparently my blog is a spam magnet. Don't worry. If you're not a robot, your comment will eventually show up and I will respond, with a few exceptions. If a comment smacks of advertising, contains a dubious link or is offensive, it will be deleted. I love to hear from real people! I'm a really chatty gal and I love your comments!