Read this to yourself. Read it silently.
Don’t move your lips. Don’t make a sound?
Listen to yourself. Listen without hearing anything.
What a wonderfully weird thing, huh?

NOW MAKE THIS PART LOUD!
SCREAM IT IN YOUR MIND!
DROWN EVERYTHING OUT.
Now, hear a whisper. A tiny whisper.

Now, read this next line in your best crotchety old man voice:
“Hello there sonny, does this town have a post office?”
Awesome! Who was that? Whose voice was that?
Certainly not yours.

How do you do that? How!?
Must be magic.

Shel Silverstein

My mother had me read Shel Silverstein's poem when I was a little girl and I had never been more amazed in my life. I read it again and again and it brought me a thirst for books that's never settled. And I hope it never does.

Growing up, I used to read every single book I could get my hands on. I would gladly refuse to go out to play just to sit there and read. When we moved to England a few years later, things got a bit more complicated. Reading in english was frustrating and I had to guess most of the plot. But it helped me learn the language quicker than I ever thought I could.

Books were my best friends for most of my life, not because I was lonely, but I actually preferred their company over other people (as weird as that sounds). I found no other way to escape my often messy and confusing life than to sit in a comfy chair and fight a different battle along another hero. Witnessing the characters go through their struggles taught me so much about life and about myself and it helped me develop into the woman I am today. I am grateful to every single author that took me a few steps forward on this journey.

Why you should start reading today

1. There's nothing quite like it

However many films you might have seen, you were no more than a mere witness sat outside the story, watching it develop just like everyone else. But open a book and you start owning the story. You receive a share in it creation. The voices are yours, and the faces; you get to be in people's heads, to hear their thoughts and know their feelings, to share their mental struggles. A film can never give you that. A film would have been complete when you press play, but a book is never whole until it goes through your mind and you make it yours. You realize the capacity of your imagination when you sit in a chair looking peaceful as ever, even though you're mentally fighting along in someone's greatest battle. It's truly amazing.

2. Best way to expand your vocabulary and knowledge

Did you ever try the 'learn 5 new words a day' excercise? Well, it doesn't work. Try reading 1 book a month and you'll notice the change pretty quickly. Words you didn't think you knew will start coming our of your mouth unexpectedly. Most of us use the phrase 'I read somewhere..' quite often, and that somewhere it probably the internet. Yes, there is an actual infinity of things you can learn from the internet, but only when you search for them. Books will often teach you things you didn't think you need to know that can change your life.

3. Improve your writing

You have a great idea and you're trying to write your best Steemit post so far, but it isn't going so well; writer's block, can't find the right words, phrases don't seem to end up the way you wanted to and you simply can't turn that genius mind into writing. You just need to read more. No need to focus on what other writers are doing and how they're using words in their favor, your brain will accumulate all that naturally and you'll simply get better at writing. Easy, isn't it?

How to discover your preferences

There's no way to automatically know what you like. You may not like romance films, but you'd be surprised by how much you might enjoy a romantic book. There are so many writers and styles out there, so many genres that you simply just have to start somewhere. Read anything. You'll find out pretty soon if it grasped you or not, and if it doesn't, figure out why. You may not like the plot, or the writing style is unpleasant for you; maybe the genre is not your cup of tea. Figure out the reason and pick another book. After a few trials you'll get a vague idea about what you really enjoy reading. But it is really important to avoid sticking exclusively to that genre or style. Never stop exploring different things. Books change and so do people; what you don't like now could become your favorite in a few years. I used to hate reading thrillers a few years ago and now I have a huge collection and I can't get enough, so you get the point.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope I convinced you to start a new book today and join the magic :)