Books! (And why you should read them)

Okay, so I don’t think I ever actually stated this in my blog last Sunday, but the theme for Sundays is a list of 10 reasons why you should do…….something. This week, I present you with a blog about books! And the top ten reasons (at least according to me…) that you should read them!

1. You’re never alone!!!!!
Just open a book….and, look, people! Right there!!!!! Now, granted, they can’t hear you or interact with you….but THEY’RE PEOPLE!!!! I mean….okay, this is going to make me sound quite lame probably, but whenever I’m going through a really tough time, I always turn to Harry Potter. And it always makes me feel better. I mean, yes, OBVIOUSLY they aren’t real people? But if they feel real enough to you, to make you feel less lonely or upset or like you have someone who cares….then that’s what really matters, right? I think so, anyway….I mean, this is the girl who gets literary crushes on people like Neville Longbottom and Jack from the Importance of Being Earnest and Adam Eddington. I know it’s…nerdy, but that’s the point!

2. You have something to do when you’re bored!
I mean, really. If you carry a book around with you everywhere (as I do), then you always have something to do! Unless, of course, you run out of new books to read, which happens to me often since I do not have an endless supply of money and our school library sucks. But anyway, if you read books, then you almost always have something to do….Bored? Snowing? Raining? Stuck in the waiting room? Finish a test an hour early? TAKE OUT THAT BOOK! And everything will be good again! (Assuming you are in the mood for reading and you like the book and all…)

3. Your teachers will like you.
Obviously, if you like reading, your teachers will be happy…as long as you aren’t reading while they are trying to lecture. English teachers love students who love to read outside of class, because it gives them ideas of good books that they could maybe use. Or, they just like the fact that a teenager likes to read! (*gasp* It’s the apocalypse!) Also, this one teacher was talking about how she was going to read The Importance of Being Earnest with her class…and I said, “Oh, I LOVE that book!!!!” And she was so INCREDIBLY happy. Occasionally, they might also think you are strange—my current English teacher thinks it’s weird that I’m obsessed with Harry Potter and that I went to an HP conference. But….mostly, he likes the fact that I read a lot and that I read a bunch of new books all the time.

4. You can tease the authors!
Now, this only exists in our lovely age of the internet. Imagine if Maureen was a popular 90s author, and we were all reading her books then. WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO BE DOING THIS!!!!!! No blogs from Maureen, no funny twitter updates, no BlogTV, no demanding monkeys…WE’D HAVE TO RESORT TO SNAIL MAIL!!!!!!! (end of the world!) But, if you read, and you read books by people like Libba Bray and Maureen Johnson and John Green, then…wow. So much fun! We can tease the authors on YouTube and Twitter….For example: @maureenjohnson Why yes, I do want my monkey. Thank you. (you know...you shouldn't ever promise the nerdfighters anything. WE WILL WIN! And, really, what could be better than teasing the amazing authors?

5. You make a difference in the world!
Again, this applies to the internet being around! But look at all the stuff us Nerdfighters have done! Project for Awesome! Bangladesh! Candle for Rwanda! And all the charities and such that JK Rowling donates money from her extra books to! =] I wouldn’t have every found out about most of these things without reading books….particularly the HP Alliance, which does such wonderful work! READ BOOKS! MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

6. You have advance knowledge of awesome events.
Harry Potter Conferences. The Tour de Nerdfighting 2008. Knowing the EXACT date of book releases! Knowing when the author is working on their next book. Knowing when they might be coming near your town. Knowing when they make appearances. BlogTV shows. Hank dressing up as Carrie Bradshaw….You know. All that awesome stuff.

7. You seem smart.
Reading books USUALLY makes you seem smart. Especially if, like me, you like reading books like Pride and Prejudice and A Thousand Hills and The Phantom of the Opera and Shakespeare. But, in general, books increase your vocabulary greatly. I think half the reason I did so well in the spelling bee was that I had read so many books that had the words in them, and my photographic memory remembered how they were spelled. But, also, you learn new words…and you can do better on the verbal section of the SAT (or whatever your country’s equivalent is). WIN!

8. You can strike up a conversation….
Well, again, let’s say you are at that boring party. And the story of your stupidity didn’t work. So it’s all silent again, and getting really awkward. You can immediately start asking people what books they’ve been reading lately and discussing book recommendations and, if you’ve read the same book, discuss how great (or bad) the book was. Once again, you have SAVED the party. The host will come worshipping you again, and you will be invited to all the future parties because you are so good at starting people in conversation. (Disclaimer: It is also possible that you might get thrown out of the party and never be invited to another one because you are so boring. But let’s stay optimistic)

9. You talk to people all over the world!
For example, I am currently talking to Joe, in England; Tobias, in the Netherlands; and Abby, in Indiana. And this is all because we like Maureen’s books and are nerdfighters and all that great stuff. Again, this is only truly possible because of the internet and Skype and all that. But if I hadn’t read these books, I don’t think I’d be talking to them (and teasing Joe. Teehee. RAWR) I’d just be really bored, with nothing to do! Books for the win!

10. You have stuff to blog about!
Yes, it always ends in this. If you are out of material, you can blog about your favorite books, your least favorite books, write a review of a book, share a funny book discussion, share a funny story about a conversation you had with friends you met because of books. And, if you really need a reason to read more books, here it is: When you run out of BEDA ideas, you can just write about books.

Okay….I meant to post this a lot earlier. But I kept getting distracted by my Skype friends (thanks, guys). Basically, you should read books—you shouldn’t even need a reason, but if you do, here are ten great ones!

Until tomorroooooooooooooow!!!!!! Cheers! DFTBA!