I have a multitude of reasons to be thankful for books. Here are ten.

What is one reason you’re thankful for books?

I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Reasons Why I’m Thankful For Books.

Reading is a simple pleasure that promotes an enormous amount of gratitude, pleasure, and entertainment! We can never show enough appreciation for the authors who write our favorite books. (meet my auto-buy authors in this post)

*This post contains links to my reviews which contain Amazon affiliate links.

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Books Allow ( Armchair) Travel!

One year I need to keep a comprehensive list of all the locations I’ve visited through my reading experiences! For example, this year I’ve been to India (Covenant of Water) and ancient China (Lady Tan’s Circle of Women) in addition to spending time in Europe during WWI

Books Boast an Amazing Cost to Pleasure Ratio!

When you consider the cost of a day at a theme park or a flight across the country, the cost of a book can offer a week’s pleasure (more or less)! The cost of one book gives us access to at least a year’s worth of an author’s devoted writing, brilliant thoughts, and research. Rereading can extend the pleasure of one beloved book for years!

Books Allow Me a Vicarious Lived Experience

There seems to be no limit to the different lives that can be experienced through reading. (Last Summer on State Street, for example.)

Books Build Empathy and Deepen Understanding

As we see through different eyes, we are changed. (The First Ladies deepened my understanding of interracial friendship and the sacrifices of early civil rights leaders.)

Books Connect Us With Other Readers and Facilitate Discussions About Things That Really Matter

I hope you’ve experienced the joy of connecting to another reader through a book discussion! Sharing thoughts about books can help you get to know another person meaningfully. Bookish people are the best people!

Books Eliminate Boredom

I can honestly report that I’m never, ever bored! Two-year pandemic? No problem! LOL! I relish long waits at the doctor’s office (how do people simply sit there and not read?!). Sitting in traffic or enduring a long car ride? Audiobooks to the rescue! A ten-person-deep line at Target checkout? Pull out my phone that syncs with my Kindle at home. I’m ALWAYS prepared to read!

Books Fill My Knowledge Gaps

Who knew that I didn’t know about the flooding of Iola, Colorado? Go as a River gives me that information (plus a Google search) Who knows how the first giraffes came to the San Diego Zoo? I do now that I’ve read West With Giraffes. I didn’t know of Frances Perkins until I read about her in Becoming Madam Secretary (review coming soon). The amount of knowledge I’ve gained this year would take me pages and pages to document.

Books Make Me a Better Conversationalist

I’m amazed at the topics I can discuss and the discussions I can enter into based on my reading. In fact, asking a book-related question is a wonderful discussion starter. What’s the best book you’ve read lately? Do you have a favorite book? Have you seen the Netflix adaptation of All the Light You Cannot See? When you were young, what was your favorite book? Do you think a book is always better than the movie adaptation? Have you ever met an author? Have you read [the lastest celebrity memoir]? I should also note here that turning a conversation into a book discussion is my superpower!

Books Make Me Smarter

This is why I love historical fiction. I’m always learning about events and people that somehow were not a part of my formal education. I remember that James Holzhauer (“Jeopardy James”…. IYKYK) reported that he prepared to be a Jeopardy champion by going to the library and reading children’s nonfiction books. And speaking of Jeopardy, does a jolt of excitement go through you when there’s a literature category?! When I know a Jeopardy answer, I frequently turn to my husband and remark, “I read a book about that!”

Books Offer One-Stop Gift Buying

At this time of year, I imagine you can find a book for every person on your gift list! My recs coming soon!

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QOTD:

Why are you thankful for books?

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