Lost in a Book

Do you remember when life was simple? A time when all your worries were about yourself. If there was no homework, or chores, to be done then you were free. You hadn’t begun to overthink the world yet, all that mattered was what was straight in front of you. Being a child is so much more simple, although they would probably disagree.

Why We Read Fiction

It can be an addiction for some, and for those it can be hard to understand the aversion that others seem to hold for it. Many people fall somewhere between these two extremes, most people do it in some form. But, why do we read stories?

Many people say reading fiction is an escape. Going into another world, which is different to our own. Is our own world so bad? For some it is and therefore books must seem like a raft taking them to safety. Most of us have a fairly comfortable life, but with comfort often comes monotony, then we are searching for the different. That could mean magical worlds filled with mythical beasts, or it could simply involve being transported to distant lands that we wish we could visit.

Following the Family Tradition

It’s funny when you see your kids picking up family traits and following in your footsteps, as well as those of your forebears. Every child is different and don’t all show these signs of course. Some children obviously resemble or take after a parent in some way, but when you can see a thread flowing through the family that can be quite astonishing.

A Healthy Obsession?

Can any obsession be truly healthy? Surely the very word has negative connotations. Obsessions can interfere with our lives, our decisions, and affect the path we take.

My current obsession, is reading. We all read for different reasons. To escape, to other worlds and into other lives. To escape, for relaxation and inspiration. We also, of course, read for knowledge, whether it be sourced from fiction or non-fiction.

I believe that reading simply improves us. Of course, we can read self-help books for this purpose. But any book exposes us to somebody else’s mind. Their thoughts, feelings and experiences, as well as their culture and history.

Travelling is, perhaps, the best way to experience other cultures. But reading is a close second. In a world which seems to be obsessed and suspicious over every difference then, maybe, I have a healthy obsession after all.

© Neil Hayes and neilsworldofenglish

Avid Readers All

Well, it seems my son is going to take after me. After only a few months in school, he is already a dedicated reader. He practices every night, with no complaints. When he gets a new book, he starts reading it as soon as we have left the shop. Even when he doesn’t have a book, the world of words has opened up a world of information. All of a sudden, he can understand signs and posters, and so he is becoming more independent. No need to ask so many questions, now he knows. 

I have become a slightly obsessive reader over the last couple of years. Having started to use the Goodreads social network, I raised my reading game and last year read sixty books. So far, this year, I have read over thirty. I suppose there are worse addictions, but I have to make sure I leave time for writing something too!

My daughter has also caught the reading bug. This is a funny one, because she can’t actually read yet. But she sits down with a book, follows the words with her finger and reads aloud. But the words she is saying are coming from her imagination, and are a proper story.  It is amazing to listen to, and she can keep this up for quite a while. 

So it looks like we are a family of readers. I just hope it continues into the future and both my children grow up and continue to use their imaginations as they do now. 

Daily Prompt: Avid

© Neil Hayes and neilsworldofenglish