The Benefits of Reading Books

Hey everyone, so I know I haven't been super active on my social media and stuff lately. I've had a ton of assignments, and with the end of the semester coming up, I've had to study for tests and exams too. Hopefully once the winter break arrives, I'll be able to post more often!


I was thinking about the benefits of reading books, on a personal level. While I've read lots of articles describing generalized benefits of reading books, citing studies, I wanted to talk about the ways that reading books has personally helped me out!


1) Stress relief: Sometimes, you just have to take a break from what's stressing you out, and read a book. When I write my assignments, I often take little breaks to read and relax. It helps me to keep my focus.


2) Better grades: I've noticed that the more I read, the better my grades at school are! That's remained true throughout high school, college, and so far at university!

While I may not go to a vampire school like Evernight, I'm sure that upon my inevitable transformation into a vampire, my reading habits will continue to assist me as I adjust to life in a vampire boarding school.

3) Empathy: I find that reading has given me increased empathy for others. I'm able to step into another person's shoes in the fictional world, and I think this has assisted me in mentally doing this in the real world. I think reading has made me a better person.


4) Representation: While I'm not of the belief that every book must be diverse, or that authors are under any obligation to represent any group within their works, I must admit that representation within books is an exciting thing for me. I often feel very alone because of some of the groups I fall into, and when I see representation of people like me in books, it eases that feeling a little bit.

Symptoms of Being Human was the first book I read with a genderfluid protagonist. (Also sorry if anyone is annoyed by me talking about gender identity a lot on here and on Instagram....I'm just very alone and it's nice to have a place where people will listen. There's not many people I can talk to about this kind of stuff so it just builds up you know? Also I'd like to show others like me that they aren't alone, and that they can be awesome people and achieve their goals. Anyways.)

5) Goals: Books can sometimes portray characters who I look up to and want to be like in some way. Whether that's being more confident, open, or social, books can give me ideas on how I could change for the better. I also find myself discovering my own flaws through books....sometimes I'll read a character who bothers me a lot and then I realize we share some negative traits in common. I can then easily identify some of my flaws and consider changes I should make to become a better person.



So, what are some personal benefits you've found to reading books? How have books changed your life in a positive way?