Sure, it’s summer, and the last thing you probably want to do is stare at another book. But here’s the difference: it’s a book you actually want to read! Read on for reasons why summer reading is good for the soul.
Keep your mind exploring
Oscar Wilde once said, “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” So don’t just choose to read, choose wisely! There are many different genres, theories, and topics to explore that a full semester of courses can often bar you from. Why not expand your interests and pick something that sparks your creative fire?
Reading during the summer also keeps your mind sharp. Keeping your cognitive process running while unmasking symbols and characters – in a book of your own choosing – is a great way to keep in shape mentally, so returning to school in the fall will be less jarring.
Become a better writer
One of the best teachers I have ever have, who has improved my writing tremendously, always said that to be a better writer you have to be a better reader. Reading and writing go hand in hand, and whether you are reading an author whose style you hope to imitate or you’re looking into a specific genre, everything you need to be a better writer is in your hands.
Go on vacation without leaving the house
Paying for a pricey summer vacation is a lot less appealing that enjoying a vacation in the comfort of your own bed. Pick a nonfiction or fiction novel set in an exotic location, like Eat, Pray, Love, Under The Tuscan Son, or E. M. Forster’s A Passage To India and let your mind experience grade A wanderlust.
Improve your vocabulary
A great way to improve your vocabulary is to skip the thesaurus and go straight for a good book. After some time, you’ll find that you no longer need a thesaurus at all, and your essays will come together much faster during the school year. The more you read, the more you will express yourself naturally with the words you have become immersed in in your literary treasure troves.
Learn some new tricks
How about a DIY book on something you have always wanted to learn how to do but never had the time to explore? Conquer new recipes, craft projects, or art projects just by picking up a book on the subject that catches your eye. Challenge yourself to try a new project every month! Summer is all about self improvement and adventure, both of which you can obtain in your local bookstore.
What do you think?
What are your favorite summer reads? What is your favorite part about reading over the summer? Let us know in the comments section below!
it is kind of fun, but only when you get to choose the book you want to read, in my school we have to read a book that is making absolutely no sense and it isn’t even the first one of the series! i would actually enjoy it if i got to read a book i WANTED to read.
I love this. I am currently reading the hunger game.. I want to finish the book before i see the movie :)
Summer reading, winter reading. It’s all good! lol I don’t read as much as I like since I have to actually work for a living. *scoff* But I love to get lost in a good book whenever I can. :)