On Reading

So why do I read?  It's not like every single book that I pick up interests or moves me.  I've even read some pretty awful fiction.  So what keeps me reading?

There are several reasons.

1. I love hearing other people's stories, both in real life and in books.  Even the minutia interests me.  The little tidbits about people that I pick up along the way are part of what makes reading worth it.

Pictures in this post are of some of our farm animals.

                                 

2.  I almost always learn something new when I read a book, whether it's a new name, something about another country, or how to cook a dish that is new to me.

                                       

3.  Reading helps me become a better writer.  There's all kinds of data on this, none of which I can cite at the moment.  I do know, however, that the more books I read, the more I can feel my writing "voice" develop.  With every new book I read, it gets a little easier to write.

                               

4.  I read out of habit.  I have been reading and being read to since I was a little girl, so it just feels natural whenever I have a free moment to pick up a book and start reading.