Lesson 71. Read a book.

A few days ago I wrote my final English121 essay on the perils of internet and how it has spoiled us for literature. Now before I list various reasons why you should read a book instead, let me state that I am very much in favour of the internet. However, like all good things- moderation is key and when it comes to reading, it is crucial that we seek sustenance from books. Get your literature triangle out and refer to it when in doubt.

I am only a young lass and I am potentially sounding a little weathered. I'm willing to, simply to encourage you to pick up a book. Don't let your eyes grow weary by the blaring light of your laptop unless you are reading this blog, in which case I give hearty consent. Why should you read a book? Well, let's start with the physicality's of a hard cover text. The smell. Oh the sweet smell of paper fine pressed into pages of magic. The musky lure of well loved literature is one I cannot resist. Second of all, the feel. You can tell if it'll be good by the way it feels in your hand. The way your thumb flicks the righthand corner. The weight. The grip. It's great.

Now let's get to the nitty gritty, cue strings and fade background. The emotional benefits of reading:
It's the best way to wind down. No technology, no loud noises, no lights, no complications, no restarts or shutdowns or putting to sleeps. Just changes of pages and familiar places. Relax. Let your heat untangle itself and sink your teeth into a book.

Some books create a sense of familiarity, of comfort. I'm currently re-reading "Mrs Harris Goes to New York"- a fabulous English novel in which an old british woman ventures across the ocean. And although I know the cover as well as I know certain faces in my life, when I read it I feel home. I feel safe. I feel cuddled up in everything that used to make me happy. It's warm

It will remain timeless. Nothing can shake a book. It won't break on you halfway through or let you down. We need to be a little more like books and a little less like the internet. Instead of skimming through life and moving on we need to take time to breathe it in. To invest ourselves.

It will do you good. Read a book.