How has reading changed your life for the better?

[AfterTheRainComesSun]

Just this really :)

How has it changed yours?

Very difficult to answer, because my life isn't a thing separate from reading.

On a terrible holiday in a dying relationship long ago I read The Golden Notebook, making the holiday interesting and throwing a light on the relationship that killed it off further (though I would not in a million recommend TGN or Doris Lessing as guides to love tbh). On my first honeymoon which was very dull, I read Peter Ackroyd's amazing biography of William Blake, making that week technicolour and exciting. On my second honeymoon which was much nicer, life was enhanced by reading the first of Robert A Caro's books about Lyndon Johnson.

I measure out my life by books. I've lived a thousand lifetimes, seen every continent, by reading.

Reading is an integral part of my life. I make a big effort to read by every day. It’s my time to escape into the world in my book.

I hated history at school…it was the one subject I could not abide…dull…boring….
As an adult, I started reading some historical fiction…authors like Sharon Kaye penman, Margaret George, Edward Rutherfurd, Robert Harris…and it transformed my interest in history…I can’t believe how little I cared and now I can’t get enough…I still love reading historical fiction but I have since read widely on historical eras which I knew nothing about. I watch a lot of documentaries, always find time to wander round museums and absorb it all…my 14 year old self would not recognise me 😂

It's the antidote to internet 5 minute articles.
It's more important I think for me now more than it's ever been.

I introduced our kids to Alan Moore, starting with V for Vendetta. The eldest not a problem, the youngster actually asked for it! Youngster can, read, does read, doesn't tend to read for pleasure, so when he asked for V, it was Christmas come early.

So now I can see our kids being old enough to enjoy some of the books and ideas I love.

I find reading easier to relax and mind escape than meditation, perhaps I am doing meditation wrong, who knows. But in a well told story I am gone escaped, form the rabbit hole.

As a teen I read a novel by Sydney Sheldon. In it a woman questions something that she was asked to do in prison by the guards. It was the first time I realised I could be assertive and question others and not be passive. Growing up, I was taught my self esteem came from what others thought of me, if I was a 'good girl'. I still can't shake that unfortunately.

With books, I can live so many lives. It’s space and time travel for my mind.

I could read before I went to school. Dad took us every week to the library and I was given access to the adult library at 10. It improved my understanding of the world and enhanced my vocabulary no end. I became a librarian and then an English teacher so, yes, reading has a big impact on my life

Apart from expanding my knowledge of the world, and escaping into a book to relax, my first conversation with now-DH was about Terry Pratchett books 😊 We’ve been together ever since that chat about books we both loved. So that changed my life quite a bit!

I used to read regularly at uni but haven’t done so for at least 15 years - I know, shameful :( I’d like to get back into the habit but I am struggling to fit it into my routine and wanted some extra motivation, hence my question.
So no, books haven’t changed my life but I’d love to get to the point where I’ll be able to say that.

Reading resets my brain. I am always juggling multiple tasks, worrying about myriad things, and reading just calms, resets and gives perspective.

Interestingly, like you I had a prolonged (>10yr) break from regularly reading when I’d previously been a book worm. When I first went back I was horrified at how little I could read before reaching for my phone to check for messages/look at social media. This has improved massively, so I would also recommend getting back to it to improve your concentration.

If you see 5 minutes as a window to read 2-3pages of a book rather than play on your phone, you’ll be back in the habit in no time.

good luck!

@PlasticPotPlant thank you, that’s encouraging. Any tips on how to make it happen? What helped you improve?

Well, I'm never bored because I always have access to a book. Reading is like food - it's fundamental, so I can't imagine living without it. Books give knowledge, entertainment, new worlds to explore, respite from the real world.....

@Hbh17 I am
so jealouse of those of you saying reading is an essential part of life - I want to feel the same but currently I don’t.
Was it part of how you were raised, have you always loved and read lots?

I honestly think my brain just started to reset as I stopped meeting it’s dopamine easy hit cravings- a bit like how after cutting down sugar a lot of you don’t need so much anymore. Ironically the book I was reading when first trying to get back into it was called The Shallows and was all about how the digital age alters how your brain works!

my 2 strategies were firstly to initially ‘gamify’ reading- I’d time how long it took me to read 10 pages with the stopwatch on my phone, which encouraged me to stay focused on reading, which I then increased to 20 until I suddenly found I was once again managing to get lost in the book rather than constantly battling to stay focused on it.

my second strategy was accountability- I told everyone I was going to read 50 books in a year and started keeping a list.

I feel so much better on weeks when I’ve done more reading than internet (irony that I’m currently on mums net typing this is not lost on me)

let me know how you get on

"People say that life is the thing but I prefer reading": Logan Pearsall Smith.

I wouldn't go quite that far (well, depending on how life is going I might) but reading is a really important part of my life. I always have a book on the go; I use a small rucksack or big shoulder bag with room for a book so I'm never stuck in a queue/waiting room/whatever without something to read.

My parents, my mum especially, read to us every night and I did the same with my kids. It was often the nicest part of the day.

I agree with a PP that you just need to ease yourself back into the habit. Build up your reading stamina by deciding to read for ten minutes, or twenty pages, find books that really catch your interest and you'll find you'll want to read on and on.

Similar to another reply here- I could read before school. By age 6 I had the reading ability of a 14 year old and soon had access to more and more books.
It's a big part of me- however it does ebb and flow. If I have the right book, it stays with me for along time and sometimes I can't move past it easily.
Both my kids like to read, I love them taking pleasure in it.

@AfterTheRainComesSun I confess I do not physically read anymore but listen to audio books. I have a subscription with Audible so tend to listen to books when commuting, cleaning or cooking.

@AfterTheRainComesSun I have never tried audiobooks, should give it a go

If your library is registered with the BorrowBox app you can borrow around 6 audiobooks at a go for free!

Reading generally has been brilliant for me. As a child it was an escape from reality and, as it kept me quiet, I was under my mother’s radar so got shouted at and hit less.
The book Her Mother’s Daughter by Marilyn French changed my mindset. I didn’t know it was a feminist novel when I read it but it blew my mind.

@caramac04 ❤️