I believe that people should read more books.

By reading books, I am expanding my knowledge, general culture, imagination, and vocabulary. Reading has also been proved to improve one's concentration and focus, as well as one's memory. Not only is reading good for me as a person, but it’s also just a genuinely fun thing to do.

Books allow me to broaden my horizons when it comes to, well, basically everything. There is unbelievable selection of literature that covers anything one could possibly hope for; from histories, tragedies, comedies, romances, to numerous other themes. It is very apparent that people who read more will frequently have a wider knowledge of life and a bigger perspective on their environment. While it can be argued that movies and documentaries do the same thing, I believe that books are a more effective alternative, seeing as they allow the reader to experience the story on a more personal level, using one's own imagination to follow along.

    Imagination is a major part of any child's life. As people get older, they tend to lose some of that as the real world takes hold. Reading is the epitome of imagination, as, unlike movies or television, we are forced to illustrate the story for ourselves. Books put me in the position the artist and creator of my own mental cartoon, movie, or illustration collection. Because I am creating these images by myself, I automatically connect a certain emotion to it- whether consciously or not- helping me remember the things I learn.

    To me, reading is a great way to pass the time- for multiple reasons. Obviously, the previously mentioned reasons play a big part, but part of it is more vain; I like being smart. I was blessed to be born into a very bookish family who pushed books at me from a very young age, starting up my love for literature nice and early. Over the years, I started paying more attention to what I was getting out of it. I found that learning new words, being exposed to more concepts (even though teachers sometimes argued I was too young for such mature subjects *cough* sex), and losing myself in other peoples troubles helped me be more observant of the world around me. I could then take what I had learned from these imaginary, yet relevant, situations, and apply them to my own life. It made me more prepared and confident, which translated to smarter life choices. I pride myself in being able to bring real life circumstances back to things I've read.