I loved to read when I was younger. It was my favourite pastime, but after completing university, TV and the internet took over somehow.

My preferred kind of novels were fiction. I loved Eric Jerome Dickey’s work along with James Patterson and while living in London, I almost missed my stop on the train several times because I was reading Dan Brown’s books.

Whenever January rolls around, people think about their goals for the next few months. For most, weight loss is a priority, however, one of my top goals this year is to read more.

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Why You Should Read More

Reading is incredibly important for the following reasons:

1. Improves Your Vocabulary

Communication is vital and one of the key ways that we do this is through talking and writing. Books expose you to a wide range of words with which you can express yourself. The more you read, the better your vocabulary becomes.

2. Boosts Creativity And Imagination

Anything is possible in a book. When you read, you are forced to create the scene in your mind as opposed to watching TV where the image is placed in front of you.

3. Makes You Smart

There is nothing like knowledge. Possessing the ability to join in conversations, answer questions posed to you and just being aware of what is going on in the world makes you feel good. You gain a wealth of knowledge from books as they cover every topic you can possibly think of.

Learning is not just limited to non-fiction books, authors of fiction novels often carry out a massive amount of research before they begin writing so even if it’s just learning about a place in the world that you have never visited, you can always absorb something new.

4. Improves Your Concentration

Now this is something that I have been struggling with a great deal especially in the last couple of years. I often walk into a room and completely forget why I went there in the first place and do other things that show signs of poor focus.

Reading forces you to sit quietly and concentrate on one task for an extended period of time. Eventually, this will increase your attention span.

5. Reduces Stress

Reading is incredibly relaxing. You sit in a comfortable place, shut out the world and immerse yourself in something enjoyable. Your heart rate will slow down and your muscles will relax. Your body and mind will thank you if you do it on a regular basis.

6. Entertains You

If none of the other reasons that I mentioned motivate you to read more. Then, do it because books are entertaining! Pick a topic that interests you and learn more about it. Want to see a new part of the world? Read a book about travel. Lose yourself in a fictional world with characters that inspire you. Whatever you want to read about, there’s a book for that.

Where To Find Books

In this modern age, there are many ways that you can access books. If you’re like me and you’re trying to decrease clutter in your home, then audio books or e-books may be the way to go.

E-Books

I absolutely love that I can read Kindle books on any device that I own and I don’t need an actual Kindle e-reader. You just need to download the free Kindle app. I purchase the book on Amazon.com and read it on my mobile phone which I carry with me everywhere. This is really convenient for when I have a moment to myself at lunch or while lying in bed. I can also read the book on my tablet or computer via the Kindle Cloud Reader.

Last month, I made my way through J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and I have read most of the books and watched all of the movies so this book was right up my alley.

Audio Books

If you want to delve into a book without actually reading it yourself, then Audio books might be the solution you’re looking for.

Audio books allow you to carry out other activities while you listen to a book. This is great for times when you may be exercising or travelling. Downloading the Audible app allows you to listen to books across all your devices.

On Audible.com, you get your first book free with a 30-day free trial and after that you simply pay a monthly fee of US $14.95. You can select from thousands of books written by best-selling authors.

Physical Books

If you belong to the group of people who prefer the feel and smell of physical books, then there are a number of places you can shop. In addition to traditional bookstores, online sources like Amazon provide books in hard copy.

I prefer Book Depository as they offer free shipping worldwide. Amazon is also a great source.

If you’re watching your wallet, check your local library. Libraries are great resources for books and magazines. Best of all, membership is free! Just make sure you return the books on time so you’re not penalized.

If you have any book suggestions for me, either fictional or non-fiction, I’d love to hear about them. Leave the names in the comments below.