At AbeBooks we believe there is something undeniably special about reading. And we don’t just love to read books. We love to talk about them. We’ve asked our Facebook followers to answer a few questions: When did they fall in love with reading? Why? What is their favorite thing about books?
The responses we received were a treat to read. Some, like me, have loved reading since before they even knew how. Others came to appreciate the hobby later in life. I could relate to many of the memories shared. The adventure of having my first library card. The frustration of being continually told by my parents to “take a break” from reading and “go outside.” The wonderful feeling of refreshment that I continue to experience each day that I spend reading a book (most recently C.S. Lewis’s The Last Battle and Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford).
Whether we came to love reading at five or at fifty, the experience has become a significant and treasured part of many people’s lives. Here are seven of the most common reasons why.