Why Read?

I remember that it all started with that annoying question; presented to me by a rather smug and sadistic classmate. She'd said, "Why should I read? It's not a do-or-die thing!" Needless to say I was seconds away from borrowing my friend's three-in-one edition of 'Lord of the Rings' and whacking it over this girl's head. Why read? I made myself a goal to web-search and think up as many reasons as I could.

1.) It’s fuel efficient.

 
2.) You need to have a backup in case the TV and Internet go out

3.) A flight attendant will never ask you to turn off your book.

4.) No Commercials. 

5.) Reading makes school a lot easier (TIP: put book on lap and pretend to gaze studiously at text book). 

6.) It’s less fattening than chocolate.

7.) 96.5% of the time, a character is better looking in your imagination than onscreen

8.)Reading ——> Education ——–> Money. If you read many books you become more educated and you have a better chance to become rich.

9.)Are good conversation starters. "Hey, what did you guys think of Gandalf? I mean, do you reckon that beard is for real?"

10.) Are good weapons - yes, book-fu is a highly established martial arts form. Try it some time - preferably when no adults or librarians are in sight.

11.)You can travel around the world - and to other worlds - without boarding a plane, boat, yacht, helicopter, mini-bus or griffin (in-flight meals are on a BYO basis).

 12.)Great way to trick impressionable friends. "And wasn't it nice how Westley gave her those flowers?" "Who's Westley?!" "Oh...(gaze dreamily into the distance) Just a friend."

13.)You get the benefit of laughing at jokes - the best part is when you're in a silent room full of people and you crack up randomly. Priceless!

14.)Get in trouble with your siblings? "Mum, honestly - how could I have locked my sister in the attic? I was reading studiously the whole time!"

15.) Want to be a spy? Simply pick an opportune position and start to read - people will believe you to be too 'absorbed' and 'angelic' to bother listening in...perfect right?

I think that's enough for now. So for all you people who find a kindred spirit in my sorry classmate I mentioned earlier, please...PLEASE, wake up and smell the crisp book pages - reading is AWESOME. Whether it's massive novels like 'The Stone Key' or small ones like 'Rainbow Magic' (snigger snigger), just get in there and give it a try. And that's a dare - so are you up for the challenge?!