10 Reasons Why Being a Bookworm Makes Life Better

“An hour spent reading is one stolen from paradise”
—Thomas Wharton

Books aren’t just a static form of entertainment to turn towards during a boring hour in your life. No, bookworms know that reading is one of the best parts of life. And here are ten reasons why.

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1. Books can be BFFs

A good book speaks directly to you, as if it knows everything going on inside. It takes something from your own life and breathes it onto the page, sending you a direct message; you are not alone. Others know how this feels, too. Others have made it through this and you will, too. A book best friend knows everything you’re going through. Also, books don’t try to make you leave the house to socialize. True. Soulmates.

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2. Patience is a Virtue

Waiting for a new best friend to be added to a beloved series teaches us bookworms to be patient. Very patient. SO patient. Is there a release date yet? Haha, no? Okay. We have learned to go for years between new releases. Decades, even. We could teach Saints a thing or two about forbearance. This learned trait is a great one to have when waiting in line at restaurants, as well. Life skill=unlocked.

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3. Reading is Self Care

When anxiety gets overwhelming, books can be a moment to sit, switch your mindset to something else, and hit the reset button. Going through some rough times and wishing for a happy ending? There’s one in a book. Wishing to see some tough emotions worked out in a way you have no outlet for? Reach for a book. They don’t *make everything better* like a magic wand, but books are definitely one valid method (among many) to care for your mental health.

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4. Books are an endless font of good quotes

“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge. That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.”—Tyrion Lannister

“We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled”—Hermione Granger

The opportunity to use a good one-liner from a book comes up nearly every day. And we bookworms are always prepared. We also have a good arsenal of fun vocabulary to draw from.

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5. Books are educational . . . without the pain of Education

Right!? Who knew? You can learn a lot just by cracking open a book. And you won’t have to sit through a two hour Power-Point lecture to learn it. History, science, engineering, language, culture . . . If the story is good enough you won’t even feel like you’re being spoon fed facts and figures. Bonus, you’ll never run out of random trivia to annoy your friends and family with.

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6. Make actual Friends

Especially in this digital age, finding other bookworms who share your love of one specific genre or author is amazingly easy. Your connection is pre-forged, just by virtue of the fact that you both adore Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series and you totally agree that Era 2 doesn’t get nearly enough love. And there’s nothing better than watching the movie adaptation and tearing apart each and every UNNECESSARY CHANGE (hint hint, Hollywood) together.

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7. Books decrease the need for those dumb “get to know me” introductions

No more coming up with some annoying list of “fun facts” about yourself. Just create a handy graphic of the books on your to-be-read list and people will know all about your likes, dislikes, and interests. Alternatively, call up your #bookstagram feed on your phone and hand them the screen to look at. Voilà, your life just got easier.

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8. A burden shared is a burden halved

When a book devastates you emotionally the bookworm way to make it better is to immediately recommend it to all your friends and family. They will now know what you’re going through, which makes it easier for all of you. Hopefully? And since someone else is reading it might change the plot. Who knows? Maybe they did not die this time. Why not try it?

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9. Coming up with a wishlist is super easy

No dreadfully blank mind when the question “what do you want for your birthday this year?” arrives. Thankfully, that’s a simple one to answer. We can just think up the first few books on our ‘I-can’t-wait-to-read-this’ list, excluding any hardbacks if the person asking is on a tight budget, and BOOM. Done. The perfect gift for 10$ or less. No agonizing, no multiple choices, no wrong sizes. It’s a painless process for everyone involved.

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10. The discovery never ends

Although each specific book inevitably reaches a finish, new books are being published every year. There will never be an end to books. Brand new worlds to discover, plots to amaze you, people to love. The excitement never has to stop because your next favorite book is always just waiting for you to find it. It’s a never ending magic.