I love reading. Always have and (hopefully) always will. It was always my primary form of entertainment, and this past week I've rediscovered just how much I love it. My boyfriend got me a Book of the Month subscription for my birthday in November, and when my April book came last weekend, called The Library of Legends by Janie Chang, I basically couldn't put it down. I read it as much as I could until I finished it on Thursday. While at my lake house this weekend (where my main activity is always reading on our super comfy couch), I started and almost finished another book - Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. These two books rekindled my love for reading (that I'd really lost only briefly since my March Book of the Month), and now I'm here to tell you why I think reading is SO MUCH better than watching movies.
1. Reading lasts WAY longer
I get sad when a movie I love finishes just an hour or two after I've started watching it, but I can nurse a good book for a week or two. It's a more long-lasting escape from reality, and that's exactly what I've been needing in this quarantine time.
2. You can get WAY more into the characters
By the time I finish reading a good book, I feel as though I know the characters. Like really know. I know their thoughts and needs and wants. I feel connected to them in a way you simply can't be with characters in a movie. regardless of how well the character is played.
3. It's much easier to put down a book than it is to pause a movie (for an extended period of time)
Most people who read books don't read them all the way through in one sitting, but it's almost unheard of to pause a movie in the middle of it to come back the next day. I guess this point may go with Reason #1, but it's more than just lasting longer. When watching a movie, I feel like I'm stuck on my couch until it's over, but I can put a book down whenever I feel like it. I could read for 5 minutes and put it down if I so chose.
4. Reading makes you smarter
The #1 tip that supposedly makes anyone a billionaire (or helped make billionaires billionaires) is making reading a habit. Just the action of moving your eyes across the page is way better for your brain health than gluing your eyes to one blulight-filled screen. Therefore, even if I'm reading a trashy romance novel, I know it's at least better than watching a trashy romance film!
I could go on for hours about other reasons why I think reading is so much better than watching movies, but I hope you enjoyed my first few. I'd be happy to accept any counterarguments, but don't expect me to be convinced.
1. Reading lasts WAY longer
I get sad when a movie I love finishes just an hour or two after I've started watching it, but I can nurse a good book for a week or two. It's a more long-lasting escape from reality, and that's exactly what I've been needing in this quarantine time.
2. You can get WAY more into the characters
By the time I finish reading a good book, I feel as though I know the characters. Like really know. I know their thoughts and needs and wants. I feel connected to them in a way you simply can't be with characters in a movie. regardless of how well the character is played.
3. It's much easier to put down a book than it is to pause a movie (for an extended period of time)
Most people who read books don't read them all the way through in one sitting, but it's almost unheard of to pause a movie in the middle of it to come back the next day. I guess this point may go with Reason #1, but it's more than just lasting longer. When watching a movie, I feel like I'm stuck on my couch until it's over, but I can put a book down whenever I feel like it. I could read for 5 minutes and put it down if I so chose.
4. Reading makes you smarter
The #1 tip that supposedly makes anyone a billionaire (or helped make billionaires billionaires) is making reading a habit. Just the action of moving your eyes across the page is way better for your brain health than gluing your eyes to one blulight-filled screen. Therefore, even if I'm reading a trashy romance novel, I know it's at least better than watching a trashy romance film!
I could go on for hours about other reasons why I think reading is so much better than watching movies, but I hope you enjoyed my first few. I'd be happy to accept any counterarguments, but don't expect me to be convinced.
I'm so glad you rediscovered reading! I just finished the book Where the Crawdads Sing (which is amazing if you haven't read it) and there is such a great feeling of satisfaction when you finish a book. Its a really great escape during quarantine!
ReplyDeleteAnyone who knows me knows how much I prefer reading to movies! I rarely watch movies and when I do, it's never based on a book because I'm sure I will have read the book before and be disappointed in the film version. But thanks for sharing these tips! I enjoyed having a fellow book girl think the same way as me!
ReplyDeleteIt sucks that school kind of killed the will of reading on your own with all the assigned books and critical reading requirements. Reading just for fun is awesome and totally agree on all your points up there!
ReplyDeleteI have struggled with reading books aside from my the requirements of my class work. My brain thinks that reading is a requirement and something I have to do. I need to transition back to the thought that reading is something that is beneficial to personal growth. After college is over, I hope that I will be able rediscover reading too. I enjoyed the post!
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