The Generation that does not Read

Sometimes I do not think everyone realizes just how important it can be to read a book for yourself every once in awhile. Reading a book for yourself is therapeutic and almost a way to cleanse yourself and to escape into a fantasy world for a while. The type of books you choose to read for your own leisure time can tell a lot about the type of person you are. For instance, I like to read romance novels with an impending trial, or novels about mental illnesses, and of course as a typical college girl I love to read summer romance novels. Who does not enjoy falling into a story about love and happiness, or romance and sadness? The moment when you first open a book and you are so unsure about whether or not it will be good, for a few days you might put the book down for a bit, then you pick it up for a day and you fully immerse yourself into the book and suddenly it is a page turning thriller that you cannot bring yourself to put down. When you reach the last few pages of the book and your eyes are red rimmed brimming with tears and you feel sad because you cannot stop reading for wanting to know the solution or the finale but at the same time you wish the book would never end. Coming to the end of a book is almost as bad as a breaking up with a boyfriend you’ve had for a year. In fact, I’m writing this article as I close the binding to the book Mercy by Jodi Picoult. The book was one of those romances with an impending trial about a murdered wife type of books that you just cannot put down. Throughout the book I found myself jealous of the love that spilled from the hearts of the characters and jealous of their small town lives filled with routine. At random moments I was overcome with emotion and crying so hard I went underneath my blankets to attempt to keep my roommate in the dark about the tears flowing from my eyes. Ending the book was difficult and lead to me writing this article. Now I will probably spend about two hours trying to find another book to commit to on Barnes and Noble because it truly is a commitment to buy a book and spend a few hours reading it. Books are genuinely good for the soul in my opinion and I know after reading one I am genuinely too hyped to sleep and want to change my life in some way- usually either find true love or have a career in books which is what I am aiming for anyway. But overall, any bad day can be cured by reading a book for leisure, one that can be read on your own time and without the ever-daunting pressure of having to write a book report on after. So next time you find yourself stressed beyond relief, try reading a good book. I would suggest the authors John Green, Jodi Picoult, and Sarah Dessen just to name a few of my favorites.