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12 Things Readers Really Want Nonreaders to Know
Every reader has friends or family members who just don't get it. "Why do you read so much?" they might ask, staring at your overflowing bookshelves or your Reading Challenge on Goodreads. "I haven't read an entire book in years."
Oh, those poor, unfortunate souls… Haven't they heard about the very real scientific benefits of reading—like stress reduction and improved sleep? We asked our followers on Facebook and Twitter to share one thing about the comfort, joy, and importance of reading they wish nonreaders could understand. Check out some of our favorite responses below!
1. "Best therapy money can buy…or borrow for free with a library card. Reading helps me sleep, helps me forget about the day, and helps me relax in general." -Sarah
2. "Opening a beer when you get home will reward you for an hour. Opening a book when you get home will reward you for life." -Douglass
3. "Reading teaches you empathy, and it really gives you a chance to examine all the grey areas of life. You get to think about and see things from other perspectives—it's awesome!" -Nyeisha
4. "I feel like I have friends all over the world, through space and time, who I can visit whenever I need a break from my own life." -Kat
5. "Books are better than the movie. There is so much going on in the minds of the characters that movies can't show. To really understand the movie characters you love, read the book." -Linda
6. "The smells of books, whether they're new and old, are enjoyable and pair well with tea or coffee. People who are loathe to read are missing out on smell-o-vision." -Ian
7. "It's one of the ultimate escapes. You can forget where you are and who you are. There have been times I've gone to Middle-earth and Hogwarts and Narnia in my head just to survive… Everyone should have that blessed escape." -Ruby
8. "The more I read the easier it is to express what I am thinking or feeling. Thanks to books, I have the words." -Melanie
9. "You will always have friends. Real life doesn't always hand you the right people. But a book is the perfect place to find your people whenever you need them." -Gillian
10. "Don't give up on reading just because you tried one or two books that didn't do it for you. Keep trying, and I'm sure you will find your niche or genre. When you do, you'll be so glad you did!" -Wes
11. "Reading to me is like unconditional love. I always feel like I'm home when I read a book." -Susan
12. "Used correctly, a book can transport the reader on an instant mental vacation with no jet lag, TSA, or dysentery!" -Todd
Tell us how you share your love of books with nonreaders in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves Today
Published from Prison: The Books That Inspired a Former Bank Robber
20 Hottest Debuts of the Season
Oh, those poor, unfortunate souls… Haven't they heard about the very real scientific benefits of reading—like stress reduction and improved sleep? We asked our followers on Facebook and Twitter to share one thing about the comfort, joy, and importance of reading they wish nonreaders could understand. Check out some of our favorite responses below!
1. "Best therapy money can buy…or borrow for free with a library card. Reading helps me sleep, helps me forget about the day, and helps me relax in general." -Sarah
2. "Opening a beer when you get home will reward you for an hour. Opening a book when you get home will reward you for life." -Douglass
3. "Reading teaches you empathy, and it really gives you a chance to examine all the grey areas of life. You get to think about and see things from other perspectives—it's awesome!" -Nyeisha
4. "I feel like I have friends all over the world, through space and time, who I can visit whenever I need a break from my own life." -Kat
5. "Books are better than the movie. There is so much going on in the minds of the characters that movies can't show. To really understand the movie characters you love, read the book." -Linda
6. "The smells of books, whether they're new and old, are enjoyable and pair well with tea or coffee. People who are loathe to read are missing out on smell-o-vision." -Ian
7. "It's one of the ultimate escapes. You can forget where you are and who you are. There have been times I've gone to Middle-earth and Hogwarts and Narnia in my head just to survive… Everyone should have that blessed escape." -Ruby
8. "The more I read the easier it is to express what I am thinking or feeling. Thanks to books, I have the words." -Melanie
9. "You will always have friends. Real life doesn't always hand you the right people. But a book is the perfect place to find your people whenever you need them." -Gillian
10. "Don't give up on reading just because you tried one or two books that didn't do it for you. Keep trying, and I'm sure you will find your niche or genre. When you do, you'll be so glad you did!" -Wes
11. "Reading to me is like unconditional love. I always feel like I'm home when I read a book." -Susan
12. "Used correctly, a book can transport the reader on an instant mental vacation with no jet lag, TSA, or dysentery!" -Todd
Tell us how you share your love of books with nonreaders in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
7 Great Books Hitting Shelves Today
Published from Prison: The Books That Inspired a Former Bank Robber
20 Hottest Debuts of the Season
Comments Showing 151-200 of 208 (208 new)
Claire wrote: "Books are real magic. I've visited foreign worlds, underworlds and parallel worlds without ever leaving my sofa. I know how to mix potions, catch dragons, kill vampires and use necromancy. I've sha..."My words exactly. My mundane world gets so much more colorful and interesting when I read.
Reading to me is a source of knowledge in order to find out those things missing in my life and every issues of interest. And since I began developing the love for reading books I have been able to think through in order for me to be thick in all spheres of life.
Most enjoy reading to escape reality. I read to make reality my bitch.
"Those who do not read, are no better off than those who cannot read."- Ann Landers
Sarah wrote: "My number one for this list would be: "If I'm sitting by myself reading, that is NOT a good time to start a conversation!""I totally agree! I go into work early just to have a few minutes to delve into my book. It helps me look forward to the day. Just because I'm sitting there reading doesn't mean I want everyone to start a conversation with me. I'm not lonely, I'm engaged in a story!!
The most important thing that books have taught me is that people come first. I can bring a book or my sudoku puzzles with me to pass the time, but If someone interrupts me to chat, they get my full attention. After all, they have much to teach me as well as my books.
“...through books they have learned how to pull their wits out of the ruts of peasants, of impotent and blundering misfits, getting out of themselves and into the great currents of life and a sense of the range of human possibility.”
Miranda wrote: "Books help me in some ways that even medication can’t. To settle down on the couch with no sound other than my rabbits eating dinner I enjoy to cuddle up and read a good book while drinking a hot b..."Miranda I love this, this is so me
Pam wrote: "Desirae wrote: "Reading, is the basis of every civilization in existence from law to economics; for non-readers its laughed at due to social standards. Back then, reading was a luxury for the wealt..."ditto!
Kristen wrote: "No, I'm not super smart just because I read a lot. I'm not sitting here reading textbooks. I'm reading smut, and lots of it."Lmao that's me..
Friend: I don't get it, why would you want to buy a book?Me: ….You did not just ask that.
Books are part of the building blocks of life. You can't just "not read". Look in a genre that you think you would like. The thing about books is that there is a book for everyone. You just have to find it.
Friend got that one right!!! There is a book for anyone out there!! No matter what you like, just try it, I so agree with you!
I see other kids do nothing but scroll through instagram all the time, but I never liked it. It's just pointless waste of time for me. I feel sorry for them because, they get bored so easily.The thing is, if you read, boredom will be foreign. You'll always have something to do when you're alone and it's like having good friend by your side.
Reading is a vacation for the mind. New friends emerge and populate your world forever. When a good book ends, I am sad and feel the need to wait before starting a new one. In reverence to the characters and story, I grieve a bit.
Reading is often that mile you walk in another’s shoes. It gives you new insights.
Books are like the best chosen gifts. They can transport you into other worlds, take you to friends you never knew about and teach you things most people never take the opportunity to know. I’ve read everything from chick lit to biographies to mysteries to historical works and there is no such thing as a bad book, only the book that hasn’t found its person yet. Books provide the senses with renewable energy in the most surprising and intense ways. Read a book & enhance your life....
Reading us my escape. Time for me...and coffee, of course.
I read books about people who have struggled to survive. It gives me strength.
Reading is like breathing to me. I can’t imagine my life without it. People ask what my favorite book is. How do you choose from so many?
Reading is the ultimate escape. You can "visit" the past in a time travel novel or visit a foreign land through the eyes and descriptions of the author. It keeps your mind occupied and always thinking.
There is many positive things I could say about reading, there is nothing negative. Reading is good for the brain and the soul, satisfying and fun too. Movies are fun to watch but movies can never ever take the place of reading a good book.
It is an honor to read; a privilege to be invited into the mind of a protagonist; a blessing to learn new material; and a duty to let it transform you.
My library has quotes on the entry walls. My favorite is by Groucho Marx: “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”
Sarah wrote: "My number one for this list would be: "If I'm sitting by myself reading, that is NOT a good time to start a conversation!""Couldn't agree more!
Cindle | Cindle wrote: "The comment about how reading a book is like having friends all over the world, through space, and through time, is likely the most profound one that I relate to. Like the words of an exceptional p..." Exactly!
I have a couple friends who have such learning disabilities that they cannot read. They are intelligent and accomplished but they cannot read a book. Luckily there are audiobooks now.There are people I know who just don't read for whatever reason. I guess I don't understand that.
Except for story hour, I didn't go to our library until I worked there. I didn't have too. We had books in EVERY room of the house. Now, I have many of my favorite books stored elsewhere so I use the library much more than I did.
To finish a good book leaves me feeling empty until I find another to read. My latest favorites: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and Fascism by Madeleine Albright.
Katya wrote: "Sarah wrote: "My number one for this list would be: "If I'm sitting by myself reading, that is NOT a good time to start a conversation!""A-fucking-men."
I second that!
Kat wrote: "Reading has literally saved my life in the last year. My husband left me, my career flopped as a result and my finances have dived. I was suicidal. My husband did not read and as a result I gave up..."It's wonderful how someone else's transcribed thoughts can have such a powerful impact on our lives, positive or negative. Glad to hear you found your stride. Read on!
On a side note... Darrell's tragic passing on IRT allowed me to realize life is fragile and to be grateful that I'm able to be present in the moments of life today.
Reading opens your mind to the thoughts and lives of others; not just the characters in the books but also the authors themselves. Ever wondered why an author wrote a particular book? Personally the hundreds of books I own are nothing until shared with and lent to others. No need to restrict yourself to a particular genre, read it all! Fiction, non-fiction, they all offer a window into another world.
Reading makes me escape all the stress of being an adult and father, I can just escape for that brief moment and have no worries at all.
Sarah wrote: "My number one for this list would be: "If I'm sitting by myself reading, that is NOT a good time to start a conversation!""Right!?!? And why do people get jealous if you read? If I was watching TV you would shut up and let me watch?
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”-J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Reading books is the only way to discover the systematic mystification of our gracious politics : books are windows open to the past reality ; of course malicious boks do also exist (quite all bokks speaking of religion or history.Reading , any way is the "body building" of our mind.
Poetry is another windows that give us the sense of ourself.
To have a good shelf with books enhance the personality of you and you get the permanent joy of reading in life. Reading is good for knowledge too.
When I read, I often come out feeling like I've taken a nice nap. Reading makes me cry, laugh, smile, get angry and feel a whole range of emotions in a matter of hours. It's great therapy. I come away from a book feeling great but a little sad because I never want it to end. Oh, if I don't answer you right away, it's just because i'm so into my book that I don't hear you right away.
I read because I need it. I'm me with a book (anyone; the one I have for this day; or week) waiting for me by my bed. And I can't explain it better... Ortega y Gasset, the famous Spanish Philosopher said "The man is He and His Circumstances"; well, I think "I am me myself, and my book".
Susan wrote: "Reading is a vacation for the mind. New friends emerge and populate your world forever. When a good book ends, I am sad and feel the need to wait before starting a new one. In reverence to the char..."Oh damn Susan so do I!!!
Phyllis wrote: "Reading is like breathing to me. I can’t imagine my life without it. People ask what my favorite book is. How do you choose from so many?"I so agree with you Phyllis, how do you choose!
Susan. For me reading is an interactive experience whereas movies and tv are one-sided directed at you without the creative stimulation that comes from reading.
Thank you all! I’m so glad people still understand the benefits of reading. Movies are good, but I say with conviction that books are better. I don’t know where I would be without them; they’ve helped me to become a better person and made reality so much more awesome/survivable once I return. Not to mention the many, many things I’ve learned from them that I never would have discovered otherwise. And yes, I have several series I refer to as my favorite. And, as C. S. Lewis said, “We read to know that we are not alone.” We get to know characters who understand things other people often can’t, and who will never abandon us. Non-readers, please consider these things. Not all books are like the boring classics.
Crysania wrote: "Thank you all! I’m so glad people still understand the benefits of reading. Movies are good, but I say with conviction that books are better. I don’t know where I would be without them; they’ve hel..."I agree except for the fact that I know a great many classics that are not boring.
Benjamin wrote: "Crysania wrote: "Thank you all! I’m so glad people still understand the benefits of reading. Movies are good, but I say with conviction that books are better. I don’t know where I would be without ..."I have also enjoyed some classics (I recently read The Little Prince, which I enjoyed), but I think some people have been given a bad impression of books from being forced to read classics, not all of which are interesting.
Crysania wrote: "Thank you all! I’m so glad people still understand the benefits of reading. Movies are good, but I say with conviction that books are better. I don’t know where I would be without them; they’ve hel..."Oh my I agree with most of this but many of my all-time favorite books are classics so I felt a little bit stabbed in the heart when you called them boring...Also most would agree that C.S. Lewis had a few classics under his belt. So if you're quoting him you've probably already made it to the ranks of classics connoisseur :). I'm joking but I don't think I could quote any classics author to save my life.
Prakash wrote: "To have a good shelf with books enhance the personality of you and you get the permanent joy of reading in life. Reading is good for knowledge too."I love this, Prakash, and I fully agree!
Alexis wrote: "Crysania wrote: "Thank you all! I’m so glad people still understand the benefits of reading. Movies are good, but I say with conviction that books are better. I don’t know where I would be without ..."Yeah, I think the problem is with being forced to read classics. I've found with other people that often they get wrong impressions of books because they are forced to read them in school.
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Nemo wrote: "A great book can literally take you through time and across universes. It can take you to unvisited lands yet unexplored or into the mind of anyone. It can prompt you to look at your own internal s..." Thank you Serkan for the kind words. They are greatly appreciated. I hope you have a wonderful morning, afternoon or evening.
Serkan wrote: "Hello nice share
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Nemo wrote: "A great book can literally take you through time and across universes. It can take you to unvisited lands yet unexplored or into the mind of anyone. It can prompt you to look at your own internal s..."