Today, I am setting out on a journey I have long dreamed of: starting my own blog. Both books and writing are aspects that lie very close to my heart and I am immensely excited to combine them by starting this blog.

Books are somewhat of a phenomenon and have fascinated me from a young age. In my posts, I plan to write about the reasons we ceaselessly marvel at books. I shall share thoughts on how to get more meaning out of your reading and talk about new releases, events and an assortment of other useful tidbits about books. Although the term “books” is somewhat broad, it is precisely my plan to inspire and promote the appreciation and love of books on the whole, rather than focus on a specific genre or aspect of books. I believe that in our era, it is more important than ever to nurture a relationship with books and reading. Although this is especially important for our younger readers, people of all ages can benefit in some small – or usually, vast – way from including more books in their lives and daily routines.

For those of you who still need some persuasion to follow a blog on such an old-fashioned topic as books, here are ten reasons why you still need books in your life:

1.  Reading books enhances relaxation and is believed to be more effective than walking, exercising and music in reducing stress and tension. What is more, is that these benefits can begin taking effect in as little as six minutes.¹

2.  Reading books has been shown to be beneficial in treating symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders.²  Although this applies to reading in general, even more benefits can be gained when reading inspirational or self-help books or books that supplement therapy.

3.  Daily reading improves brain function by stimulating the connectivity in neural pathways and has shown to improve memory, while slowing down symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. ²

4. Reading aloud with your children not only helps develop parent-child bonding, but is estimated that a mere 10-15 minutes of daily reading with your children can enlarge their vocabulary by up to 1000 words per year. ³  

5.  Children who regularly read books overall seem to cope better with social pressures, adaptation to change and academic challenges. ¹

6.  Statistics have shown that avid readers generally show higher levels of independence, self-sufficiency and employment. ^{1, 2}

7. According to statistics generated from questionnaires, people who read often display lower levels of selfishness and greed and higher levels of empathy. In our broken world, doesn’t that sound like a wonderful reason to make reading part of your routine?

8.  On a lighter note, books are surprisingly versatile. You can write them, write in them, write about them and even use them for reading and as conversation starters! Stack a few big hardcover books on top of one another when you don’t have a stepladder to reach those high shelves. Use them to help your children build tents for their Lego camp-outs (or Barbies, or trolls). For the less eager readers, books are also great for decorating shelves and being used as a hiding place for your emergency cash (or love letters). What a multipurpose item!

9. Some of history’s greatest fictional characters came from books. Imagining a world without books would be imagining a world without Winnie-the-Pooh, Mary Poppins, Harry Potter, Frankenstein (and Frankenstein’s monster), Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, The Grinch, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond and Paddington Bear (the list could go on).

10. Besides the income earned by authors, the creation and existence of books also ensure jobs for millions of people worldwide through publishing houses, printing presses, freelancing for editors and illustrators, book shops, libraries and reading therapy. Not to mention all the movies and television series that sprung from written books, generating an income for millions more.

Hope you are persuaded to make more time in your day for reading!

Sources:
1. Lysander, Raphael. 2014. ‘Benefits of Reading Infographic .’ https://metamorphosisj.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/benefits-of-reading-infographic/

2. Brown, Brendan. 2016. ‘4 Ways Reading Improves Your Mind and Body (Infographic).’ https://experteditor.com.au/blog/brain-books-benefits-reading/

3. Clifford, Reza. 2019. ‘Leer om te lees; lees om te leer.’ https://atkv.org.za/nuus/posts/2019/february/leer-om-te-lees-lees-om-te-leer/?fbclid=IwAR3JUr3sIdeCV2gEVsNWDfHprxeLZAMVztPBOS-mM5Pp0Lwqnu8bvnAzv7Y