# Why do you read?



## J.M Pierce (May 13, 2010)

Reading is such a part of our (KB members) lives and I was curious as to what some of your reasons for that would be.

For me, it is escapism. I want to be transported to different worlds, lives, times, and get lost in a story. I spend the day in my office with people constantly asking questions and interupting me while trying to do my work. Then once home (please don't misunderstand, I LOVE my wife and kids) the evening is spent helping with supper, doing dishes, giving baths to the kids, homework, and then putting them to bed. Of course there is playtime with the kids in there, but my point is that I can't wait until everyone is asleep and I can go to my recliner, pick up my book, and be alone with the story, even if only for a small period of time.

What about you?


----------



## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

I think my nature is quiet and contemplative. As mentioned in the shy thread, I come across as more outgoing than I really am and I prefer to be cocooned in a comfortable place enjoying a story and the way the writer's mind works.


----------



## Ty Johnston (Jun 19, 2009)

Ryne, I couldn't have said it better myself. Your four are pretty much my own list.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

As my hero Sherlock said:

"My life is spent in one long effort to escape the commonplaces of existence."

Which is a fancy way of saying escapism!


----------



## Maria Romana (Jun 7, 2010)

MichelleR said:


> I think my nature is quiet and contemplative. As mentioned in the shy thread, I come across as more outgoing than I really am and I prefer to be cocooned in a comfortable place enjoying a story and the way the writer's mind works.


So I'm not the only one? I've described myself as an introvert before and had friends say, "_What_ You're so-o-o-o outgoing!" LOL. Little do they know, much as I love them and my family, as J.M. said, the best part of the day is when I get to escape inside my own head. Either reading or writing is where I really want to be...

--Maria


----------



## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

meromana said:


> So I'm not the only one? I've described myself as an introvert before and had friends say, "_What_ You're so-o-o-o outgoing!" LOL. Little do they know, much as I love them and my family, as J.M. said, the best part of the day is when I get to escape inside my own head. Either reading or writing is where I really want to be...
> 
> --Maria


You're definitely not alone. My husband isn't really like that, but he understands it. Or how I can fully engage with the lyrics of a song and shut everything else out. I've also got a face that looks frowny when I'm in my own little world and so then I have to have the "nothing's wrong" conversation when I really just want to return to my happy place.


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Sometimes for entertainment or escapism, sometimes for education. Also for relaxation or even just to pass the time by doing something healthier than watching mindless TV (not that I don't watch TV but that's not how I want to spend all my spare time). There's also a sense of accomplishment in it for me every time I finish a book or see the progress I'm making through it.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

I read to be wowed. I want either amazing writing, or wonderful characters, or scenes of conflict that are just mindblowing in their awesomeness. Books that fail at all three generally leave a bad taste in my mouth, or I don't finish at all.


----------



## Monica of NY (Jun 3, 2009)

J.M. Pierce said:


> For me, it is escapism. I want to be transported to different worlds, lives, times, and get lost in a story.


Yes, I completely agree.


----------



## Carolyn J. Rose Mystery Writer (Aug 10, 2010)

I agree with the 4 Es proposed earlier in this thread, but would add a 5th - Exercising my Mind. Visualizing descriptions (both good and not-so-good) helps me make more complete movies inside my head and that, I hope, makes me a better writer.
(Apologies if this already posted once - technology is not my friend today)


----------



## flameweaver (Aug 4, 2010)

I read primarily to be entertained with a plausible story that could go in many different directionns but comes round at last to a conclusion I find satisfying. (Not necessarily a happy ending!) Plausible story, characters whose company I like, complex but ultimately peaceable and appropriate solutions, all spiced with quick, light-hearted banter - all those elements make me happy. Surprises along the way - dangers or connections I should have seen, but read right past - are fun.

I will read a great deal of ultimately trivial and meaningless junk if the prose is clear and pure. I can NOT wade through turgid or flabby or look-how-clever-I-am writing.

Lately I've been enjoying another chlly plunge in to the heroic age of Arctic exploration, freezing and marching with the men who were charged with laying regular depot of stores right down to 83 south, so that when Shackleton comes by the Weddell sea he'll find the food and supplies he so desperately wants. This is good summer reading;almost makes me feel as full as if I'd slipped into an icy crevasse and been dunked in near-freezing water (something that happens on a semi-regular basis to these guys.) From a hot, still, humidl, inland Texas town, the idea of being dropped into a crevasse has a certain appeal. 
''


----------



## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

Basically I live inside my head.  Both at work and home I exist inside my head.   I come out and interact with customers, friends and family but 98% of my life is spent inside my head.  Reading, whether for fun (fiction) or education (non-fiction), feeds me and fits very nicely with the "inner me."  So reading is what I NEED to do.


----------



## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

I read to be entertained.


----------



## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

To the four Es, I would add another: to Expand my world. I like to be exposed to times, place, and ideas. I like to enter the lives of people in widely different circumstances, and to challenge my own assumptions. For that reason, I'm a sucker for thoughtful historical fiction and books from other countries, and for narrative nonfiction. I want something that makes me think. A book, no matter how action-packed or determined to entertain, that's purely formula isn't very satisfying to me. Except for traditional ghost stories, that is -- for some reason, I can't get enough of those!


----------



## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

Because I can!!

Don't know if I can offer up much more than that.  
All of the other reasons here probably apply, along with a whole mess more.
But basically it boils down to I read because I can and I enjoy it!


----------



## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Reading is survival for me. What passes for my real life is so dreary, I have to find other worlds to live in for a while.


----------



## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

I like the E's (now 6 of them, lol).  I also read because my mind can get really scattered at times.  If you imagine an office area with papers literally flying through the air, vying for attention, that is my brain sometimes.  Emotions/ideas/thoughts/queries/reactions/to-do...all spinning.  Reading helps me settle down the tempest so that I can go back in and reorganize and reprioritize the office.


----------



## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

What other form of story telling so completely engages the imagination? It's up to the reader to fill in the gaps, to visualize characters and events, to have one's creative juices stimulated. Theater, TV and Movies leave little to the imagination. When you are lost in a great book it engages your entire brain and senses. Nothing wrong with Theater, TV and Movies, but reading fiction leaves YOU in control.


----------



## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

I'm with you on the escapism. Same reason I watch movies. That's why I prefer fantasy and science fiction: the ultimate in escapism.


----------



## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

meromana said:


> So I'm not the only one? I've described myself as an introvert before and had friends say, "_What_ You're so-o-o-o outgoing!" LOL. Little do they know, much as I love them and my family, as J.M. said, the best part of the day is when I get to escape inside my own head. Either reading or writing is where I really want to be...


I've had the same reaction from people. A lot of people define introverted as shy, which is not true. I enjoy interacting with people a great deal, but a lot of social interaction wears me out quickly, and I need my alone time. There's a great article in either the August or September 2010 _Psychology Today _ about introverts and how we're constantly having to adapt to live in the USA's very extroverted culture. I recommend you check it out--sorry I can't remember which month it was.

As for the actual thread topic, I think the 4 Es list says it all for me. Stephen King wrote in _On Writing_ that writing is a form of telepathy, and I would have to agree. When I'm reading a good book, I feel like the author is right there with me, and we're having this great conversation that I don't want to end.


----------



## Tatiana (Aug 20, 2010)

purplepen79 said:


> There's a great article in either the August or September 2010 _Psychology Today _ about introverts and how we're constantly having to adapt to live in the USA's very extroverted culture. I recommend you check it out--sorry I can't remember which month it was.


The article is called "Revenge of the Introvert" and it's in the current, September 2010, issue of _Psychology Today_.


----------



## alstcroix (Sep 11, 2010)

Habit. I was a kid in the ‘40s: no TV; when it rained, I read the books in my father’s small desk library; when it didn’t rain, I still read. As I grew, I discovered the wonders of school library, the local library, and around ten, the five-story library in downtown L.A. Most of my life, I’ve seen myself as a loner: with books I didn’t have to hang around people. Escapist? -- definitely. Experience -- yes, vicariously, I’ve been a small town boy, a soldier, a sailor, a big city criminal, a cop, a vagabond. Formal education, and a real job, I’ve read for those reasons, too, but I haven’t always liked it. Three days ago, I got my first Kindle; now, I’m reading more just because it’s fun, having another go at the authors I didn’t understand when I was ten, e.g. Jack London, and revisiting some that I thought that I understood, e.g. Mark Twain.


----------



## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

MichelleR said:


> I've also got a face that looks frowny when I'm in my own little world and so then I have to have the "nothing's wrong" conversation when I really just want to return to my happy place.


Me and my ex used to call that our 'default look'.  As in, "No, I'm not mad, it's just my default look."


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

To avoid looking at other people on the subway.


----------



## mattbiernat (Aug 5, 2010)

because i got two eyes


----------



## jackwestjr_author (Aug 19, 2010)

I read nonfiction to learn about my world and make me more comfortable in it.  I read fiction to wash the day away so that I can get to sleep, and when on vacation to force myself to relax.


----------



## lorezskyline (Apr 19, 2010)

Total escapism when I lose myself in a really good book i'm just gone and time seems to slip away, be it just a simple train journey or 2-3hours of my Sunday chilout time.  Theres no other media for me where i'm totally submersed in the story.  Having said that it does have to be a really good book to get the full effect.


----------



## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

meromana said:


> So I'm not the only one? I've described myself as an introvert before and had friends say, "_What_ You're so-o-o-o outgoing!" LOL. Little do they know, much as I love them and my family, as J.M. said, the best part of the day is when I get to escape inside my own head. Either reading or writing is where I really want to be...
> 
> --Maria


I've never felt that the whole shy / outgoing thing really fits the introverted / extroverted labels. For instance - I'm not shy, but I am introverted. The BEST definition I've ever seen is this:

*Extroverts are energized by large groups of people and socialization.
Introverts are drained by large groups of people and socialization.*

I feel like that fits me to a tee. I can go to parties and such just fine, but good grief, when I get home I feel like I've run a marathon  Shame I didn't burn the equivalent calories...

Anyway - I mainly read for escapism. I do enjoy exploring the authors thoughts, thinking about new ideas, etc., but mainly... take me away!

ETA: Will have to try to find the Psych Today article - thanks!


----------



## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Thank you Tatiana!  I was wrapping up my lunch break yesterday and didn't have time to go look for it, so I appreciate you posting it.  It seems we introverts are in good company on this thread.  

@Scarlet


----------



## Lori Brighton (Jul 10, 2010)

Mostly to escape, sometimes to learn.


----------



## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

The reading I enjoy is for entertainment or escapism.  If I have to read something for education (or because of it), I'm usually asleep by the second page.  To me, there is no worse reading than when I am expected to delve into the author's mind and speculate on what the hidden meaning or symbolism is contained in the text.  The two most hideous words in the English language, to me, are compare and contrast, especially when spoken or written by an English lit. teacher. 

BTW, I watch TV and movies for the same reason.


----------



## julieannfelicity (Jun 28, 2010)

kcmay said:


> I'm with you on the escapism. Same reason I watch movies.


I like to read books where I can visualize everything, essentially making my own personal movie in my head.  But there is a downside to this; whenever I see the movie, after I've read the book, I usually end up hating it. Such is the HUGE disappointment that came with the Da Vinci Code. I actually liked the book, but was SORELY disappointed when I saw the movie. Who the heck would pick Tom Hanks?! Daniel Craig, maybe, but Tom Hanks?! Bah!


----------



## Guest (Sep 24, 2010)

Ditto - escape!


----------



## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

Add to my comments "I read to understand".  I went to find the Psychology Today article and it is amazing.  My daughter is more introverted than I am, and I think I understand her much better now than I did before.  The bit about  how an introvert processes conversation really hit home for me and I'll share it with my husband.


----------



## Walterrhein (Nov 19, 2010)

Because pictures are still better than radio or cinema.


----------



## Alan Simon (Jul 2, 2010)

For almost 20 years I've been traveling about 80% of the time for my "day job" as a consultant, and started reading a great deal to pass the time during solo lunches and dinners in restaurants. Basically, it helps me deal with being on the road by taking me away for a little while into whatever I'm reading at the time. Interestingly, I rarely read at home.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Why do I read? Why do I eat, sleep, breathe? because I live. I can tell when I haven't read enough in a while; I start to get edgy, tense, short-tempered, all from not reading.. Heck, I get so tense sometimes (because of school taking over my reading time) that The muscles in my neck tense up to the point I can barely move my head. Those are my wake-up calls.. time to grab my Kindle and go read for at least an hour, more if I can carve out the time.

re: the Psychology Today article: did anyone else notice the first sentence on page 3?


> In the united states, people rank happiness as their most important goal


Think I should send them an "ooopsie" email?


----------



## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

sandypeach said:


> The reading I enjoy is for entertainment or escapism. If I have to read something for education (or because of it), I'm usually asleep by the second page. To me, there is no worse reading than when I am expected to delve into the author's mind and speculate on what the hidden meaning or symbolism is contained in the text. The two most hideous words in the English language, to me, are compare and contrast, especially when spoken or written by an English lit. teacher.
> 
> BTW, I watch TV and movies for the same reason.


ICA with this. I'll also add that for me reading allows me to experience places and things I know in real life I probably never will


----------



## Rhynedahll (Oct 23, 2010)

I agree with all the others that said Escape.

Also, however, I enjoy reading about new and different places, strange customs, fabulous technologies, etc.

I enjoy reading about people who triumph over circumstances, evil, elitism, etc. and in general a good fantasy or scifi novel is going to have such triumphs.

I abhor fatalism and want to know that normal people and heroes can beat the bad guys, save the day, and/or vanquish the slimy green thingies from the nth dimension.

In real life, such things seem rare.


----------



## Christopher Bunn (Oct 26, 2010)

In what other known scenario in existence can you instantly plunge into strange worlds, far-off lands, excitement, romance, danger? TV and film, while diverting, don't have the same quality of immersion. Plus, reading feels a lot healthier for the old brain.


----------



## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

A. I tell kids, even kids I meet in the street, "All the secrets in the world are written in books and when you learn to read you can learn all the secrets. Especially the secrets your mother doesn't want you to know."

B. I told my kids that fiction frequently has great truths and non-fiction frequently has great lies.

C. The best working definition for extrovert and introvert is, "A extrovert gains energy from interacting with others and an introvert expends energy interacting with others." That is how it works for me. If I have to deal with others it will eventually exhaust me but I have friends that go from party to party getting more and more wired as they go along. An introvert can perform as an extrovert quite well. An extrovert cannot perform as an introvert.


----------



## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

To travel to a different place or time and experience things I will never experience in real life.

Sign me up for the Introvert club - and I have the "frowny" face too  _that_ conversation is so annoying.


----------



## jkbreunig (Nov 19, 2010)

Usually classic literature, science, philosophy, and biographies


----------



## ClickNextPage (Oct 15, 2009)

purplepen79 said:


> I enjoy interacting with people a great deal, but a lot of social interaction wears me out quickly, and I need my alone time.


I've asked you this in another thread, but really, were we separated at birth



scarlet said:


> To avoid looking at other people on the subway.


LOL!

I read a lot for information because I'm curious about a lot of things: history, culture, the lives of famous and not-so-famous people. If it's well written, it also serves as entertainment. If it's well-written history, it also provides escapism into the past. I also love words and seeing what other people do with them.


----------



## jbh13md (Aug 1, 2010)

I read because I know that some day I will find the tome containing the spell that will release me from this froggy prison and turn me back into a prince.


----------



## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

It's as natural as breathing.


----------



## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

I live in my own head so much, sometimes it's nice to visit someone else's world and be entertained.

A great book is worth gold.


----------



## Holly A Hook (Sep 19, 2010)

I read pretty much to get out of my boring life for a while.  It's great to escape into a book during my lunch break at work.


----------



## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

It's my reward to myself for making it through a busy work day.  My daily life is an adventure, but it's relaxing to read about Eve Dallas's adventures in bed with the comforter pulled up to my chin.


----------



## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

I read to be transported into another world, other lives - I guess that would be escapism!


----------



## s0nicfreak (Jun 10, 2010)

Depending upon the book, entertainment & escapism or education, plus the fact that reading makes me feel more productive than watching tv, sitting doing nothing in a waiting room, etc.


----------



## chipotle (Jan 1, 2010)

I use reading as anti-anxiety medicine. Reading the right kind of stuff (obviously not horror novels LOL) can help me calm down and relax instantaneously. 

I still remember how much I loved reading when I was a kid and my life was more chaotic. I wish I'd had a Kindle then!


----------



## RobertMarda (Oct 19, 2010)

I mostly read to be entertained; part of it may be escapism too.  I would love to live in a world of magic.

I've always read some for education.

In the past year or so I've read the beginnings of books trying to figure out what hooks me about the story to keep me reading.


----------



## LibbyD (Apr 28, 2009)

Interesting thread.

My principal reason for reading is that I love the creative and skillful use of language.  Funny that no one else has mentioned that.  Surely I'm not the only one.  Or am I?

One of the playwrights I admire was asked when he knew he wanted to be a writer.  He answered that the moment occurred when he was just a young boy.  His parents had taken him to the theater and although he was too young to understand the play he was mesmerized by the sound and rhythm of the words.  He said it was like music to him.

I feel the same way.  Of course I read for entertainment, escape, education, and many of the other reasons mentioned in this thread, and of course I appreciate an engaging story and well-developed characters. But for me the real joy of reading is the music of  language and the effective use of all that language has to offer in terms of sound, rhythm, and meaning.


----------



## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I agree -- gorgeous prose is a huge plus for me!


----------



## Laurensaga (Sep 29, 2010)

I read to escape. There is no quicker way out of this life or world and into another than through a book.


----------



## LarryEnright (Nov 27, 2010)

I read, therefore I am. 

Larry
(with apologies to Renee Descartes)


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I've never had the sense that it was escapism to read, more like traveling; not because I want to escape where I am but because I want to know. Know stuff, places, experiences that I don't know, can't visit, can't have. Because I always want more.  I've always been greedy.

Betsy


----------



## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

For all the reasons stated here. To be entertained, taken out of myself.  To travel to other lands, experience vicariously what the characters experience throughout their own journey. So it's not so much to escape from life, but into it.  How else could I get to live other lives except through reading. And writing.

Joan Hall Hovey


----------



## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

No other form of entertainment is so totally absorbing as a good book. I pity those who have never discovered the joy and uplift that only recreational reading can provide.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

LarryEnright said:


> I read, therefore I am.
> 
> Larry
> (with apologies to Renee Descartes)


I am, therefore I read.

(with apologies to both Larry and Rene)


----------



## ladyknight33 (Feb 2, 2009)

For me, reading is like breathing. On days I don't read, I am out of sync. The three and a half weeks i was without my kindle was one of the hardest times. Yes I have a few DTB books around and the iPhone app but I missed holding my kindle. 

In my day-to-day job, I have six people who report directly to me and another 200 would may call regarding payroll or financial information. My lunch hour is spent reading. Unless the building is burning or an employee is hurt, do not disturb my reading.


----------



## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I've been in love with books since about 1954, from Tom Swift, the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Baum's OZ books through Gold Medal paperbacks, spy novels, horror, crime, autobiography, history, poetry. I love to read. It's been my escape, my education, my first love for nearly sixty years.


----------



## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

For me, the question is, "Why don't you read?" I know a man who is great with, "How are you?" invariably answers, "Bored." When I suggest he read a book I get a rather blank look but he doesn't read. Perhaps, he's never read. I can't imagine not reading. A friend of mine who is blind orders audiobooks from the U.S. I admire him as a reader.


----------



## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

I am very much an information gatherer by nature.  Facts, history, trivia, it is like eggs and coffee for my soul.

I am an INTP, very introverted but not shy.  Unless they have information I find interesting, most people bore me.


----------



## Will Write for Gruel (Oct 16, 2010)

Reading is relaxing and entertaining. Sometimes it's inspiring and educational, but I'm mostly a fiction reader. I've read all my life but I grew up in an age when there were no VCRs, videogames, or cable TV. I don't know if I would have developed quite the love for reading I have if I'd had limitless TV and videogames to play.


----------



## AuthorDanielSpringer (Nov 23, 2010)

Complex and great question.

Someone else mentioned this as well, when I read fiction, a movie is created in my brain. A movie that, for me, is better than any movie you pay for at the theater.    I love the feeling of needing to know how conflicts are resolved and the satisfaction, pay off, of that resolution.

Regarding the language used and the writing, my requirement is that it must not cause the movie to pause or stop. When the writer intrudes the least I am happy. So, excellent dialog, active verb usage, good grammar, skilled description all help me to create an excellent, uninterrupted movie in my head.

Dan


----------



## terrireid (Aug 19, 2010)

Tatiana said:


> The article is called "Revenge of the Introvert" and it's in the current, September 2010, issue of _Psychology Today_.


I was just thinking about that article as I was reading this thread. Because of my job, I often speak to large groups, facilitate community meetings and schmooze at parties. It is exhausting!!! 
Reading recharges me and takes me to another place.
It's not only escapism - it's nourishment.


----------



## J.M Pierce (May 13, 2010)

terrireid said:


> It's not only escapism - it's nourishment.


I love this! Unbelievable well said. Thanks.

J.M.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I read because I have to... I'm a compulsive reader. I was in a hospital discharge room a few years ago and didn’t have anything with me to read, so I picked up some hospital release forms that didn’t even apply to me and started reading them. That got me a strange look from the clerk.  

It may have something to do with the fact that I was an Army brat and got moved around a lot, so didn’t have the opportunity to make friends. 

Mike


----------



## terrireid (Aug 19, 2010)

J.M. Pierce said:


> I love this! Unbelievable well said. Thanks.
> 
> J.M.


Thank you - J.M.


----------



## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

The ability to commit knowledge to writing is uniquely human. Our narratives, our mythology and, yes, our entertainment has passed down through the centuries in written form. Our species has always done this with every medium provided by the technology of the day from cave walls, through papyrus scrolls, animal skins, paper and (now) digital. This has been one of the key factors that has advanced us from primitive to modern complex civilization. Imagine if no one wrote anything and/or no one read what was written. It would be a fast track back to the caves.


----------



## ireadbooks (Jan 11, 2011)

I agree with posters who said escapism and entertainment. It's also a great way to relax.


----------



## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

Ditto what you said, JMP.  It's what I look forward to every day.


----------



## beckyj20 (Jun 12, 2010)

Escapism, entertainment, and education. Mainly Escapism!

"Books are a refuge, a sort of cloistral refuge, from the vulgarities of the actual world."  ~Walter Pater


----------



## Jay. (Jan 1, 2011)

Like a lot of people on here, I read because of the escapism. Fantasy & Sci Fi are my favorite genres. Since there are only 6 films of Star Wars out, I rely on the novels to keep me in the universe.

I recently got into different genre like suspense and mystery/horror. Now I read when there aren't any good movies to watch.

Increasing my vocabulary is also another reason why I read. I love how the kindle has a built in dictionary. It makes things so much easier 

jay.


----------



## J.M Pierce (May 13, 2010)

It's neat to see this thread pop back up! I wonder how many new readaholics will be forged in this new Kindle Generation. It seems to me that the convenience of the Kindle has definitely allowed me to increase my reading time. What do you guys/gals think?


----------



## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

I read to experience different slices of life vicariously through fictional characters.  

Miriam


----------



## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

J.M. Pierce said:


> It's neat to see this thread pop back up! I wonder how many new readaholics will be forged in this new Kindle Generation. It seems to me that the convenience of the Kindle has definitely allowed me to increase my reading time. What do you guys/gals think?


Agreed!


----------



## Ray Rhamey author (Jan 6, 2011)

For me, escapism isn't quite the right word. After all, a good novel plunges you deep into what it's like to be a human being, and that's hardly an escape, is it? But I do like to be taken away to something that's beyond my experience, and to meet riveting "people" and see how they handle their stories.


----------



## FastPop (Dec 22, 2010)

Besides talking to people or traveling, it's one of the best ways to learn new information or think about the world.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Weird little known things. I love them. Reading gives me more of them. Then when I am somewhere and someone say Oh has anyone heard anything about "nnnn"? I can say Yes! and talk about it like I know something.


----------



## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

I like to read because it exposes me to new ideas and ways of solving the problems (really--how did that character resolve X situation). I also love learning weird and wonderful things, although I'm mindful that not everything in fiction is based upon facts. LOL  

Most of all, I just like peering into the minds of others. And excercising my own mind to try to figure out a mystery...


----------



## Mel Comley (Oct 13, 2010)

I read to be entertained and also to make me sleep. I generally only read in bed at night, apart from on a beach when on holiday!

Mel


----------



## MeloniePhillips (Jan 13, 2011)

I've always read where my brother, sisters, husband and family do not as much other than one aunt.  I think I read to escape reality and to absorb myself into someone else's reality.  I love a book I can get lost in, books that can make me feel something are my favorite.  It also helps me to wind down just before bed.


----------



## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

The best writers _vanish_. They are so good, you don't stop to notice how good you are. You're THERE, and you almost don't even notice the words on the paper or the screen.

I like books for all the "E" reasons. One is economy. For the price of a movie ticket, you can have a book. The movie lasts two hours. The book can last days. You can take books at your own pace, you can stop to think. Movies come at you at their pace, it is here and then it is gone.


----------



## M.C. Walker (Sep 19, 2010)

To learn, to laugh, to cry, to experience different world views, to "live" in someone else's skin for awhile.


----------



## Bunny Hugger (Jan 7, 2011)

“All the best stories in the world are but one story in reality -- the story of escape. It is the only thing which interests us all and at all times, how to escape.” 

- Arthur Christopher Benson


----------



## patrisha w. (Oct 28, 2008)

J.M. Pierce said:


> Reading is such a part of our (KB members) lives and I was curious as to what some of your reasons for that would be.
> 
> For me, it is escapism. I want to be transported to different worlds, lives, times, and get lost in a story. I spend the day in my office with people constantly asking questions and interupting me while trying to do my work. Then once home (please don't misunderstand, I LOVE my wife and kids) the evening is spent helping with supper, doing dishes, giving baths to the kids, homework, and then putting them to bed. Of course there is playtime with the kids in there, but my point is that I can't wait until everyone is asleep and I can go to my recliner, pick up my book, and be alone with the story, even if only for a small period of time.
> 
> What about you?


 I read to get away from things that bother me.
I had a very odd upbringing with an alcoholic mother and that's why the escapist reading began. Even now, although I read for pleasure too, I still read to get away from whatever is bothering me. An example: reading Pride and Prejudice enabled me to get through a recent and very nasty attack of gastritis...


----------



## M.S. Verish (Feb 26, 2010)

Strangely enough, we only seem to have time to read at work. Sometimes at home, but we're usually busy writing.


----------



## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

I guess I read for a lot of reasons, but the main one is enlightenment.  An attempt to gain insight on the questions that have plagued mankind; What is the nature of man?  What is the meaning of life?  Are we alone in the Universe?  Does time exist?  Is the Universe eternal?  Who shot Nice Guy Eddie?  These are the burning questions that need answered.


----------



## Krystal Wade (Dec 3, 2012)

I read because people's minds fascinate me, because when reading their words, I'm transported into a part of their brain, something imagined that seems so real. I think that's pretty incredible.

On the flip side, I read for many of the same reasons as you. I have a day job. I have a husband and kids. I want something that I can do. Plus, reading inspires my creativity, allowing me to create worlds for other people to dive into.


----------



## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

FastPop said:


> Besides talking to people or traveling, it's one of the best ways to learn new information or think about the world.


Escapism is a part of reading, always will be, for sure. But -- like FP -- I prefer to learn something whilst I'm escaping. Losing yourself in the mentality of a well-drawn character, rather than just in the action of a novel, can be a serious pleasure. And I really get a lot of enjoyment out of very good prose, although that doesn't seem to matter so much to some people. Does it?


----------



## jaimee83 (Sep 2, 2009)

It began in the 50's, a little kid with a reading list going to the library.  My mother asked how I got a library card which I didn't know anything about, I was told the books were free.  In a few years my Mother brought home Hardy Boys books I read in a day.  In high school I barley read the books they forced us to read (many I will re read someday).  In Viet Nam someone always had a paperback book (minutes of absolute terror followed by hours of mind numbing boredom) I remember reading the Godfather & Helter Skelter.  A few books through the University.  
My 1st day as a Firefighter was @ 18 hours in front of the TV and my 2nd.  By the 3rd day I found an old book to read.  I spent @the next 20 years reading almost a book a day.  We did have training, fires & emergencies from time to time.  As I rose through the ranks my reading time fell away. After retirement, Enter the Kindle.  I'm reading 100 books a year & running a business. Scuba takes me 1/2 way around the world a couple times a year, I load up the Kindle.  A 3 week vacation on the beach, I read 10 books on the Kindle.  I ran short of books in Palau or Fiji and had to buy a paperback book, a Jesse Stone book for @ $30.00.  I told the clerk this was an $8.00 book at home.  He looked over the counter at my feet and asked "where are you standing now?"  I paid the $30.00
Why do I read?  Anymore I don't know how I couldn't.  I'm glad when TV sucks, then I can read.  I don't want to start on book prices but...I saw an ad for a book "just like Grisham" for $4.00 while Grisham is @ $15.00, sorry John, I went with the other guy.  My Kindle is always with me, any spare time, I'm reading.  I don't have the answer but I'll finish this and pick up the Kindle, John Locke - Donavon Creed today.


----------



## IowaGuy (Jan 31, 2012)

I read because I can't afford to travel.

I read because TV sucks.

I read because I wouldn't want to do anything else


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Because if I don't my brain tends to scrabble frantically against the bars of its cage, singing loudly to get attention. It gets so loud, I can't hear anything else.


----------



## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Why do I breathe?

I cannot imagine not reading, it's part of what I am.


----------



## jeffaaronmiller (Jul 17, 2012)

I enjoy participating in someone else's imagination. It's a fascinating thing to me when we read and write, that we are creating something in our own heads and, through language, transferring it to other people. That's cool, and I like letting someone else transport me into a world they created.


----------

