Category: Books & Reading

How do Books Influence Our Daily Lives?

Elli4 Comments

Books are all around us. They are an indescribable amount of books and stories, and I’m sure you can find one on any topic if you need to.

The beautiful thing about books is that they’re universal. Some popular books are even known all across the world, with fans of the story in every country. It gives us a feeling of unity, and shows how we’re all in some way interconnected.

Books have a unique way in impacting our life, in more ways than you think.

They Change Our Attitude

Reading can greatly change our attitude toward others, and mostly in a good way. I will admit that it really depends on what you’re reading, but overall stories are extremely beneficial toward our health and attitude.

While we read books, we’re able to understand and sympathize with the characters in them. We’re forced to view the story from a certain point of view, to try to understand what’s going on and how the character is feeling.

When experiencing these stories, we are strengthening our ability to empathize with people in the real world, as well.

It’s important to be able to understand what people are going through, and be kind to them. Doing so makes us more respected by others, since we’re not afraid to show compassion or stand up for someone.

We Learn From Mistakes That Aren’t Ours

When we experience stories from different perspectives and form our own opinions based on what the words tell us, we tend to notice a lot of mistakes that characters make, mistakes that we wish we could stop them from doing.

If a character messes up, you feel the regret as if it’s your own. After all, you were with them through the entire story. It almost feels like you could have done something, even though you really couldn’t have.

Seeing these issues will help us learn from them. If we ever face a similar problem in our own life, we clue in as to what to avoid. We’ll think before making a decision so that our outcome isn’t the same as the character’s.

Isn’t it convenient that we get to learn from other peoples’ mistakes instead of having to make them ourselves?

Our Personality Changes

Even if just a little bit, the way we behave and what we do are changed depending on the books we read.

For example, after reading the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, I learned to value my friends more. After reading Sherlock, Hound of the Baskervilles, I’ve practiced being more aware of my surroundings. After reading Animal Farm, I’ve paid more attention to keeping myself from being influenced by greed or power.

Little things change after we read a book, and this very change is what helps shape who we truly are. Every story is meant to influence us, and helps us find ourselves one book at a time.

Photo by Jonas Jacobsson on Unsplash

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Why it’s Important to Read Books that Deal with Difficult Topics

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A loss of a loved one, body shaming, mental health – these are just some examples of topics that are difficult to write about.

When a writer is creating their story, they may decide they want to add something into it that will make a person sympathize with the characters on a deeper level. Maybe the writer just likes generally sad books because they feel touched by them, and want to write their own, or they’ve experienced something similar in their life and want to express their feelings in their writing.

Making the reader feel strongly about something is what all authors strive to do. Why are the best stories so popular? They have a way of captivating you, of making you feel like this is a true story and that you need to know what happens next. If a writer fails to do this, then until they learn how, they’re simply not a good writer.

I think we’ve all read that one story that just… breaks us. That breaks our heart to its very core. That’s still on our mind after we’ve finished it.

Some people hate reading books like this, because they make you feel for a character that isn’t even real.

But at the same time, no matter how sad it makes us, we know we’ve experienced something unique that we won’t find anywhere else. Something changes in us. We look at the world differently because of it. Books like this are rare, and the fact that an author managed to make us feel as if the characters from their imagination are real is astounding.

But why is it important that readers experience books that deal with difficult issues? Why don’t we decide to instead only write books about happy topics, books that always have a perfect ending?

Inspirational Characters

Reading stories that you can relate to in some way can give you an emotional outlet.

A way of doing this is to have inspirational characters. Having characters that you can relate to will help you feel less alone, and you’ll have someone to look up to when you need them most.

Just like every character in a story, every human faces obstacles that they need to get past. If we begin to lose hope, it can be uplifting when we read about a character similar to us who faced roadblocks.

A New View of the World

In a book, we get to see from a specific character’s perspective how the plot plays out in their eyes. This means that we’re probably taking the side of said character, since it’s the only point of view that we’re reading the story from.

But once we get to read from another character’s perspective, and choose which one we agree with most, we start to become more empathetic.

While we’re reading, we’re also developing our skills in understanding and empathizing with characters, which in turn will help us in real life situations.

When reading books that deal with difficult topics, we can begin to understand how people who face similar problems may feel. We start to see the world around us in a different light, not just by what we’ve experienced, but by what a story’s characters have as well. This gives us an opportunity to form our own opinions and empathize with others on a stronger and deeper level.

Life Isn’t Meant to be Perfect

The beautiful thing about books is that, no matter how fictional, it still captures an essence of real life.

Stories find ways to seem real to the reader, and part of that is by the issues that characters have to overcome throughout the story. The book just wouldn’t be good if the main character hadn’t run into a problem or two along the way.

Even if the story is fictional in the end, it still impacts each of our lives in very real ways, and it’s nice to know that we’re not alone.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Will Books Become Obsolete in the Future?

Elli7 Comments

A question has been rattling my mind lately, and I feel a need to write about this topic.

Will books ever become obsolete?

People have been questioning the possibility of books disappearing as technology advances for a while now, so I’m going to share my thoughts on this matter, and explain what I think will happen in the future.

Possible Causes

At first glance, it seems obvious that the problem with books losing popularity is because younger generations aren’t as excited to read.

Though people might argue that this people losing interest in reading is a bad thing, I think it’s best to look from their perspective and see what could be causing this issue.

One of the biggest reasons that people might be avoiding books is from the development of technology. From podcasts to social media sites to search engines, we can now get information from anywhere at any time.

It’s hard for me to believe that there was a world without technology, since that’s what I grew up with. Imagine not having almost all the information available at your fingertips? Having to put effort into learning more about a topic, like going to a library to find books about it?

It makes sense that the younger generation is more interested in technology, since that’s what they’re used to. Just the same goes for older generations. They grew up with books as their main source for information and entertainment.

This means that books, especially non-fiction ones, don’t matter so much to the younger generations than they did before. You could argue that the internet’s information is less accurate than books, but this isn’t necessarily the case, since although the internet may have some unreliable information, students are learning more about internet safety and reliability now that it’s an important issue to address.

There is also another reason why children and teens may be less interested in books that I’ve recently noticed: could they just not have had a good experience with the first novel they’ve read?

Think about it this way – school systems tend to make students read assigned books that are usually classics. Those books are considered timeless, but it doesn’t feel that way to someone who can’t understand what’s going on because of the older kind of language used in the story, or because they need to take notes instead of just enjoying the book.

If this is frustrating to someone, and also their first time reading a novel or book of that genre, they probably won’t want to try reading books like that again. They now have bad memories associated with books, of struggle and lack of understanding.

So, now that we’ve looked into it more, doesn’t it make sense that students don’t pay as much attention to books as they do to other forms of entertainment? And the even bigger question: How can we change this, and keep books from becoming obsolete?

Resolving This Issue

One way we can fix this issue by targeting more fictional and even nonfiction books toward children and teens. Modern popular books are popular because of their readability, and because the plot is easier to follow. There are also characters that we can understand and relate to, and the story has never-ending suspense and discovery.

Books used in audio format may also be more popular than the printed format, since they’re more accessible and don’t require so much concentration.

I always wonder why some people don’t like reading the way I do, but I was lucky to have found books that fit my style from a young age, and my love of reading continues to grow as I get older.

That’s another a great way to help people enjoy books on their own terms; to let them find their style.

There are dozens of genres out there, so many that there’s bound to be one that each person likes. It’s exciting to find a book you’re engrossed in, and there’s a new adventure for you to go on each time you flip a page.

There’s a variety of books for people to read, and if we let others find ones that they’re interested in, then maybe there will be an increase in readers down the line.

In the end, I think everyone should take the time to find and read a good book. It’s especially important for children and teens to do this, since books can inspire us and help our creativity grow, and may come in handy in the future during university or for a job. What does avoiding both reading and technology do, except limit our view of the world?

Image: Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

6 Reasons Why Reading Increases Positivity (Guest Post) — lifesfinewhine

Elli5 Comments

Thanks to Pooja for letting me guest post on her blog! Check out my guest post about 6 Reasons Why Reading Increases Positivity on her blog, lifesfinewhine.

By Elli from NeedtoRead Everyone strives to be more positive, happy, and healthy. It’s a goal we all have in mind, and subconsciously try to work towards day by day. But what if I told you that reading isn’t always just a pastime, and can actually help you obtain this goal? #1. Different Points of […]

6 Reasons Why Reading Increases Positivity (Guest Post) — lifesfinewhine

Creating Lists for Friends – Inspired by ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’

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Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson is by far one of my favorite books of all time. This isn’t just because of its perfect story, or its captivating characters.

It’s also because it’s given me and a friend of mine a new fun way to spend our time!

Description:

Since Emily and Sloane became friends, Emily has been encouraged to forget her worries and find ways to be more adventurous with her friend.

Everything is going perfectly, and right when summer begins, Emily knows that she’s going to have the time of her life now that she has a new best friend to spend it with.

But something strange is going on. All of the sudden, Sloane isn’t answering her phone, and her house is now empty. Emily’s friend has disappeared out of nowhere.

The only thing she has from Sloane is a letter; a checklist of tasks, varying from simple to scary, that would usually be too nerve wracking for her to complete.

But what if there’s a chance that completing them all will help her find her friend?

Before you decide to make a fun list of things to do for your friend, I recommend reading Since You’ve Been Gone first, so you’ll get the gist of what I’m writing about.

When I talk about making lists, what exactly do I mean?

Tasks that will make your friend nervous, but will give them a sense of validation when they do it.

Some of the examples that my friend has made me do are:

  • Have a dance party by listening to ABBA songs.
  • Tell someone a secret you want to tell them but are too scared to.
  • Go to a sewer drain on the side of the road and scream; “Pennywise, I challenge you to a dance off!”

The reason I’m sharing this is because I think it’s a fun and easy way to find things to talk about with your friends, and you get to be creative when making it!

The Don’ts of Writing A Friend’s Checklists

When making these lists, have fun and don’t forget that you want your friend to have fun too!

Don’t choose to write about something that will make your friend or someone else feel uncomfortable or get someone hurt, because that’s not the point of making these lists.

Never force anyone to do something they don’t want to do, and be respectful of people’s rights when writing ideas down.

Also, don’t do anything that might get someone into danger, trouble, or is illegal.

The point is to break out of your shell and have something to do when you’re bored; not to get anyone in trouble or cause problems.

The Dos of Writing A Friend’s Checklists

It’s best to make the tasks on the list vary from easy to difficult.

Write some fun ideas down, and create some that they’ll have to put more effort into doing. The amount of tasks to write down is completely up to you!

When I make these lists with my friends, we set a date where we try to complete it by. We put our best efforts into completing them, but know that we don’t have to do them if we don’t want to.

Another option would be to theme your list! Some theme examples are food, reading, music, and fun!

If you decide to do this activity, let me know what you think! Since You’ve Been Gone is a great read, and I highly recommend it.

6 Fun Ways to Sort Out Your Bookshelf

Elli4 Comments

Is your bookshelf looking a little boring these days?

There are many different and easy ways to have an aesthetically pleasing bookshelf for your Pinterest-worthy room!

#1: By Author

By far the most used, yet most boring, form of sorting books, is sorting by author!

Sorting books out by author is used by libraries and most book stores, and is the most efficient way to locate books (If you can remember the name of the author, that is) because all of the books in a series can be put next to each other.

It’s good to sort your books out like this if you have a large bookshelf, and have trouble locating the books easily.

#2: Alphabetically by Title

This is another good way to sort books if you have a large bookshelf.

If you have trouble remembering the author, you’ll find it easier to locate the book you’re looking for if they’re sorted by title.

However, you won’t be able to put books in a series together, since their titles start with different letters, which can be unfortunate.

#3: Sorted by Colour

This is a really fun way to organize your books!

Sort out your books by colour of the cover, so that they are in rainbow order when put on your bookshelf.

From reds to blues to browns to whites, they’ll all be sorted in a colourful and appealing pattern.

If your books have more than one prominent colour on the cover, either just sort it by the most space taken up by a colour, or have a special section for multi-coloured covers.

#4: Unique and Fun

Stacking books on top of one another, making some face forward, and putting decor on your shelves are all great ways to make them look fun!

Horizontally, vertically, and diagonally organized books make your shelves look more unique than just having books lined up next to each other.

You can also add bits of decor or knick-knacks along your shelves next to and in front of your books to add a unique touch of colour.

#5: Sorted by Genre

Sorting books by genre can easily separate your dystopian sci-fi books from your unrelated romance or horror books, and can lead to a nice, neat and organized looking bookshelf.

I prefer this method myself because my bookshelf isn’t that big.

All of my classics, fantasy, dystopian, and non-fiction books are separated into different parts of my shelf.

#6: Hardcover and Paperback

I use this method on my shelf, as well!

Put all of your hardcover and paperbacks on different parts of your bookshelf to give it a clean and interesting look.

This way of sorting out books that’s appealing to the eye, since all of the smaller and larger books are separated from each other.

There are so many ways to organize your bookshelf, so make sure to pick the right way, one that you like, and fits the look of your room.

Have fun decorating!

Image: Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Pros and Cons of Assigned Reading (From a Student’s Perspective)

ElliLeave a comment

Schools are always assigning books for their students to read.

Usually it’s for a novel study, where they have to summarize the story and state what it means to them.

But is assigned reading really helping students improve, or is it just putting more pressure on them on top of the rest of their schoolwork?

Pros

#1: Engaged in What They’re Reading.

One of the reasons that students might not like reading is because they find it hard to stay engaged in a book.

However, when you are reading an assigned book, you have to pay more attention and write things down as you go.

Students will focus more on what they’re reading instead of zoning out and rereading paragraphs over and over again.

#2: Learning About Classic Writing Styles

The most common books that schools assign are classics.

Old classics can be difficult to read, but there are a lot of ways that students can learn from them.

There is a lot of information in them about what life was like at that time, and how the society ran. You also learn about what readers looked for and valued in books.

Reading assigned books can make you more well-rounded when it comes to old literature.

#3: Time Management

Since reading can take a while, students have to figure out how to manage their time correctly in order to finish it by the deadline.

Finding breaks in your schedule and bringing books along with you when you go somewhere are great ways for students to utilize their time.

If you want to learn more ways for how to get through a book quickly, click here.

Cons

#1: Difficult For Non-Readers.

Some students don’t read very often, and wouldn’t be used to having to read a large book before a deadline.

If you don’t enjoy reading that much, then how are you going to stay engaged when reading an assigned book, one that you have to remember the details on?

#2: Classics Can Be Boring.

Assigned books have a reputation for being boring.

They have hundreds of pages with tiny words, the old, hard-to-follow writing style, and long, descriptive paragraphs.

There are times when they aren’t, of course, when the reader is fully engaged in the story on the pages. But that isn’t very common, especially for students now.

It’s pretty easy to just lookup a summary of the story line instead.

More recent and modern stories are the best choices for students, since the language and writing style is easier to understand, and the characters are usually more relatable.

#3: There Isn’t Enough Time.

Homework, extracurricular activities, outside-school projects, friends, family, and work.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

If someone has all of these things going on, it can be pretty difficult to find time to read and write about a large, 400 page book.

Some students may even lose sleep, which is important for them to get when they’re doing all these activities every day.

In the end, this debate about assigned reading is more about opinion than fact. Some people hate assigned reading, and some people love it.

What has your experience been with assigned reading?

How You Know You’ve Found the Perfect Book

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Photo by Nong Vang on Unsplash

You’re searching through the bookstore, taking a look around, thinking you won’t buy anything.

Then, a book catches your eye. You were drawn to it because of its cover and title.

You grab it and read the description. ‘It’s worth a shot,’ you think, so you buy it and put it on your bookshelf. Later that day, you decide to start reading it.

Then, out of the blue, it’s over. Sadness flows through you. You’ll never get to see the characters again, and even if you reread it, it won’t be the same. There are no more surprises.

You sit there with the book in your hands, remembering the adventures, trying to come back to reality.

Eventually, the emptiness fades away. But that book will always have a place in your heart.

#1: It Grabs Your Attention Immediately.

It doesn’t take long before you are fully invested in reading the book. You’re only focused on the words on the page, and the world around you seems to disappear.

Maybe you fell in love with it since the first sentence. Your mind can’t engage in anything else except for this amazing story.

#2: There’s NO Way You’re Stopping.

How long has it been since you’ve eaten? And weren’t you planning on running all of your errands today? What about going to the gym?

None of this seems to matter when you’ve found the perfect book.

The book draws you in, as if it were magic. You just keep turning the pages.

You even make plans to stop, ‘right after you finish this chapter,’ or ‘after you’re done this page’. But something big happens in the story, and you just need to know the outcome.

#3: What Time is it Again?

Time begins to fly really fast.

You were so sure that it was only 12:00 pm, but all of the sudden when you look at the clock, it’s 2:00 pm.

But you just shrug your shoulders and keep going.

#4: It’s Always On Your Mind.

You finally decide to get up and go do something productive with your day.

But no matter what you do, you can’t shake the book from your mind.

You keep trying to predict what will happen next, while you’re at work or at school. No matter how hard you try to ignore it, questions and answers are always forming in the back of your mind.

#5: You Slow Down.

You’ve been trying to get through the book for so long now. But then you realize you’re on the last few pages.

So you begin to read slower. You savor this moment, where you still don’t know what will happen, where you can still enjoy the characters’ company.

And then it’s over. Now what will you do?

#6: Remembering the Good Times.

The book is over. You reread the last sentence, and then slowly close it.

You sit in the same spot, staring into space.

When will you ever find a book as good as this one? Will there ever be another good book out there?

Life begins to feel really boring at this point.

All of the memories come back to you now. Your favorite parts of the story, times when the book had a big twist or reveal, which characters you liked the most…

If you have a favorite book, then you’ve probably gone through some, if not all, of these stages.

Finding a perfect book can give you a new perspective on how you live your life, and even change you for the better.

I’ve learned a lot of things from reading, and wouldn’t be the person I am today without the guidance of the characters that I aspire to be.