Take Time to READ!
written by Kate H.
“Reading is important, because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.” -Tomie dePaola
If you’re headed back to school, you may be scrambling to finish your summer reading. As a kid, reading was always a chore, strictly something I HAD to do. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to notice real value in sitting down with a good book or simply reading an article in the newspaper or a magazine. From personal experience and some research, here are just a few of the ways reading is beneficial for everyone!
Reading boosts your creativity and imagination. Whether you are reading an article, a book, or even an advertisement, you are exposed to many different things. When reading books, you may encounter magic, tragedies, or true stories all of which expand your knowledge of the world and challenge your brain to consider the impossible.
When reading, you are also improving your memory. You must recall what you read to understand what comes next in the book or article; therefore you are using the muscles in your cerebrum. This form of mental stimulation has been proven to slow the progress of, and even prevent, Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia.
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” -Richard Steele
Reading grows your vocabulary and is one of the easiest ways to learn new words. Often times when reading, you stumble upon new words of which you don’t know the meaning. Then, you use context clues to infer their meanings so that you do not have to stop reading. The more you read, the more likely you are to see words repeat and better understand their definition. Before you know it, you will be using the new words in your writing and conversations!
Reading can improve your concentration as well. When you are reading something, you focus all of your attention on that one book or article and tune out everything around you. Focus and concentration help keep you on task and enable you to absorb the information you are reading more efficiently.
Reading can improve you analytical and critical thinking skills. Think about reading a crime novel or mystery. Often times, you begin to hypothesize “whodunnit” and try to connect clues to solve the case yourself.
Lastly, reading=Happiness! You may have found that when one book has grabbed your attention, you cannot put down. It makes you feel as though you are one of the characters. When you are thoroughly engaged in a book, it can take your mind off of the busyness of life and can relieve your stress. Temporary distractions from stressors can improve your mood and help you live a happier life.
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” -Victor Hugo
Need help getting started? Below are some of the She is Fierce team members’ favorite books from all different genres!
Books to Make You Cry:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Mystery:
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Scary (15+ yrs old):
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Misery by Stephen King
Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson
Classics:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Fiction:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
5 Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Key to the Treasure by Peggy Parish (for younger kids)
Romance:
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Sci-Fi:
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
The Martian by Andy Weir
Nonfiction:
Left to Tell by Immaculée Illibagiza
Books if You Do Not Like to Read:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Legend by Marie Lu
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
We Were Liars by Emily Jenkins
“Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.” -Vera Nazaria