Monday Musings: Why I Read

The benefits of reading are well-documented in decades of research. Reading to young children helps with strong language development and comprehension. The benefits for adults are just as important. Reading books has kept me grounded, distracted and stimulated, especially during the pandemic.

I read for several different reasons. I love to visit another place or time period without having to leave my home. I love the way a good book will stay with me long after I finish it. I know I've experienced great writing when I suffer from a book hangover for several days or weeks.

Reading books, both fiction and non-fiction, have been a healthy distraction since early 2020. When so many aspects of my life are out of my control or unfamiliar, a good book allows me to forget about the worries and stresses I experience daily.

Books also allow for continuing education and exploring new interests. In recent years, I have read several book (and listened to a few podcasts) about the Enneagram -- an ancient personality tool. (I wrote about this last year in two posts -- you can find them here and here.) I have also read several books about race and racial tension in the United States. This has always been a topic of interest to me, but after the events of last summer, I felt it was important to take a deeper dive into this topic and read leading voices in the racial equality movement.

I love words and storytelling. I love being challenged to think critically and to learn new concepts or idea. One of the most fulfilling aspects of being a co-founder of And She Writes, is that I have a platform to share book reviews and reading lists with our community. You can find many of them here.

Happy Reading!