Why do you read?
By SusanLee
@SusanLee (1920)
United States
June 8, 2011 10:23am CST
Do you read for edification or pleasure?
I read for pleasure. It's an inexpensive way for me to go on vacation without ever leaving my chair.
I don't buy magazines or stuff like that. If I'm going through the grocery line I'll scan the tabloid headlines but I won't buy one. I did subscribe to Better Homes and Gardens in hope of coming across some recipes and garden ideas. Unfortunately it's mostly filled with advertisements so I probably won't resubscribe.
I like a good fiction. I have my favorite romance authors, I like Jude Deveraux, Kathleen Woodiwiss (I was sorry to hear she passed away) Woodiwiss novels are so descriptive you can almost feel the chill of the water or hear the moaning of the wind.
I like John Saul, mystery-horror writer but without all the explicit gore and perversion.
Then there is the simplicity of Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetter and their fictional Amish stories.
I've also found Lawana Blackwell, an inspirational fiction writer where the characters live by a biblical moral code in the 1800s, they live and love but without the sneaking around groping each other. It's just understood that you wait until marriage. They have many human obstacles to over-come and they do it by acknowledging the need for God and Jesus in their lives.
And lets not forget Susan Sloan and Karin Slaughter, modern day characters dealing with criminals, a little romance sprinkled in, but wonderful story lines.
I read to get away from the stress of everyday living. It gives me a place to go. I also pick up tidbits of facts along the way.
I catch myself at work sometimes trembling with anticipation of meeting up with my character friends in what ever book I'm reading at the time. I can get away from my job, my sink full of dishes, the floor that needs mopping. I can go back to the days when they had dirt floors, thatched roofs. When they lived in stone castles and had fire places big enough to walk a horse into.
Yes, I read for enjoyment, just to get away from the everyday chaos, the worlds troubles and sometimes my family. We all need an escape and reading is mine.
Why do you read?
1 person likes this
9 responses
@Abello (68)
• Philippines
9 Jun 11
I read both for pleasure, professional call and advancedment, as well. I usually classify books into - those that need to be digested/swallowed (textbooks, and other references), books to be tasted/enjoyed (my favorite novels, magazines, periodicals, and comic books).
I also enjoy reading screenplays of my favorite movies - The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Lord of the Rings (series), The Chronicles of Narnia (series), Elizabeth The Golden Age/Elizabeth (1998), among others.
I read because it is necessary - I am a University professor.
@Leonardo1106 (4)
• Philippines
9 Jun 11
I read books for pleasure and professional advancement. I enjoy reading love stories because I've learned a lot from it. I usually apply that knowledge that I've learned in my daily life. About my professional advance, I read books about accounting in order to update myself on the current principles that I can utilize in my profession as a CPA.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
8 Jun 11
I read for both reasons. I enjoy a good fiction book, but I'm picky about them. I want one that holds my interest so well I can't quit thinking about it when I have to put it down. Other than that, I read because I'm curious and because I enjoy others' thoughts and ideas. I read all the time, both online and off.
I like alternative ideas, like holistic medicines, edgy politics and religious books that question "what is known." But my favorite is to read about homesteading, both historical and modern. I love 18th century social history, too.
1 person likes this
@AgentGulaman (3546)
• Philippines
9 Jun 11
Yes! read for both reasons! It's like enjoying while learning. Also, precious insights can be collected from different persons' point of view in reading. Reading is the easiest way to get into another person's thoughts.
@cheatedaphrodite (810)
• Philippines
8 Jun 11
for me it's just simple, I read to learn and become updated to what's happening around the globe. I read a lot and I enjoy it specially when I get bored. Sometimes, I prefer reading than watching because books are still better and I consider it the best source of knowledge.
1 person likes this
@arnouardian (286)
• United States
9 Jun 11
it's an interesting discussion:)
personally, i read to get a valid and reliable information. usually i like to read info about current international politics news, natural, and social sciences. i like this serious type of reading because it gives me the sense of being able to use my brain to analyze things. it makes me feel clever:)
@madcaptravels (11)
•
8 Jul 11
reading is like meditation for me, it calms my mind. i also gain insight about myself or am reminded of things that i want to do or see in the future. sometimes a character reminds me of a person i know and i realise i must contact them. sometimes books are purely inspirational especially creatively.
@sephrenia (567)
•
9 Jun 11
I tend to read as a form of escapsim.
My favourite genre is Fantasy as it is easier for me to submerge myself in the story than it is with non-fiction for example. This is not to say that I only read books in the Fantasy section, I have wide and varied interests, but this is where my natural inclinations tend to lead me.
With non-fiction, I prefer to read books that are based around subjects that interest me, usually social and political history in my case. I like to learn about all the different facets within any given situation in our past.
I'd like to know if you have the same problem as me though. When I'm reading, I literally shut out all the background noise in the house and often don't hear people talking to me when I'm really into the story which often irritates my husband. I thought that lots of readers did this, but he says that they don't so I thought I would check with other people who share my love of the written word to see who's right.
@emerillus (467)
• Philippines
9 Jun 11
Hi SusanLee!
I read both for pleasure and knowledge about everyday things. I do read magazines, newspapers, even food labels. Every night before going to sleep I read my paperback novels because they make me relax and they are so fascinating, especially historical romances and adventures. I'm Asian and I've already glimpsed phases of the American history through stories of Maud Hart Lovelace and Laura Ingalls Wilder, the authors I've learned to love since I found out reading is an awesome pastime. It's also glorious to find a nice book to read since reading takes away worries I've brought home from work. On the internet I read news and current events if I haven't found time to watch the evening news.
@kristib0213 (20)
• United States
8 Jun 11
I really enjoy Nicholas Sparks novels. Some of them have been turned into movies now, but I always enjoy the books more. I am embarrassed to admit it, but I also really liked the Twilight series. Twilight is not the type of fiction that I typically like, but someone talked me into it and I couldn't stop. I usually pick books that are fiction set in a historical time. I agree 100% with you that reading a good book is like going on vacation. It is a good escape from the stress of the real world.
I also like to read often because my children see me enjoying reading and I hope it rubs off on them. My 8 year old has struggled with reading this year in 2nd grade and I am trying to instill a love of reading in her since it is not coming naturally for her.
