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I'm compiling a list of reasons why people read books. What is it about a book that compels you to choose reading over watching a movie, say, or playing a game?
I'd love to hear from you.
Why do you read?

For pleasure and for self-education

It's difficult to say. I read comics a lot more than regular books and that's a visual medium like movies. I do like reading true crime and some classic literature. I suppose I'll go with entertainment. Sometimes to learn things I'm interested in knowing.

Books take me away to a different world. I can fully involve myself in my imagination. Books are like movies that are so personal and private. I also love learning. I'll often go on the internet as I read and look up places mentioned in the book. I really love all kinds of books. There's not a genre I don't enjoy, except maybe romance novels. Some of those I find very enjoyable if they have other elements besides sexual attraction. Believe me I have nothing against a well played mating dance, but after awhile it can often feel very repetitive.

I am extremely introvert and have a hard time relaxing among other people (even my family). Books have always offered me a sanctuary. Somewhere I can relax and stay.

Jason wrote: "It's difficult to say. I read comics a lot more than regular books and that's a visual medium like movies. I do like reading true crime and some classic literature. I suppose I'll go with entertain..."

I bet you'd like graphic novels too. Thanks for commenting!

Sherry wrote: "Books take me away to a different world. I can fully involve myself in my imagination. Books are like movies that are so personal and private. I also love learning. I'll often go on the internet as..."

"Well-played mating dance"! Well put!
Thanks for posting.

Kressel wrote: "For pleasure and for self-education"

Me too. Thanks for commenting!

Henriette wrote: "I am extremely introvert and have a hard time relaxing among other people (even my family). Books have always offered me a sanctuary. Somewhere I can relax and stay."

A sanctuary. What a beautiful image.
Thank you.

Sanctuary, new friends, other worlds, alone time, education. What's not to love about reading?!

Henriette wrote: "I am extremely introvert and have a hard time relaxing among other people (even my family). Books have always offered me a sanctuary. Somewhere I can relax and stay."

Me too! I'm going to go with the same explanation.

I read for many reasons, but mostly to see through other people's eyes and to remind myself we're not alone.

Great replies.

I like both fiction and non-fiction.
Stepping into minds of others, viewing life from new angles.
Escapism.
Sofa travelling.
Learning.
Therapy (I do self-therapy at this point in life).
All the feels.

I read for the same reason I breathe: because I need it to live.

I have always loved to read. When I misbehaved as a kid, my punishment was to lose my library card for a week! I read for pleasure, for education, for socialization (book clubs!) I read to expand my mind, and to keep up with current events. At this point in my life, I read for distraction. I have some chronic pain issues, and serious fatigue problems. A book helps me ignore the fact that I don't feel well, and that I can't do much. Reading is an escape. As Emily Dickinson said, "there is no frigate like a book....." Books take me away from my problems.

I find reading to be relaxing. Reading takes me away from the troubles and helps me to calm down. I really love anything that gets my mind going. Word puzzles, jigsaws, video games, and books. Books can be taken anywhere, and are normally easily accessible.

I honestly don't even remember what is it that prompted me to grab a book for he first time and read. I guess it's sort of always been there, like just another trait of mine coded on my DNA. However, since I may be coming across rather pretentious and also since you wanted a concrete reason, I would say that it was curiosity. The first feeling there was, most definitely, curiosity. Then the rest of them came along and now it's like breathing,

I find now, due to chronic ill health, that I read for many reasons. It helps me focus on something other than pain, I'm transported to where ever the book takes me and for a time I feel more alert and renewed. Mostly I read on my kindle, it's lighter and easier to read for me personally, books are also cheaper if you wait for them to drop improve but I do miss real books. I just find something enchanting about reading. It's a very personal experience, no two people feel exactly the same reading the same paragraph in a book. There's a sense of accomplishment when you've finished a book too, if the book has really drawn you in you can feel lost without it. One of the best things for myself is that you can read alone, I spend quite a lot of time on my own due to health so anything I can do to make my day better I'm all for it. I think there is so much to learn from books, whether it be about feminism like in this club or about strength, positivity, love, despair, hope etc. The possibilities are endless, there are so many books in the world and I love that most of all.

J.E. wrote: "Sanctuary, new friends, other worlds, alone time, education. What's not to love about reading?!"

All true!

Lynn wrote: "I read for many reasons, but mostly to see through other people's eyes and to remind myself we're not alone."

Isabella wrote: "Henriette wrote: "I am extremely introvert and have a hard time relaxing among other people (even my family). Books have always offered me a sanctuary. Somewhere I can relax and stay."

Thank you for replying!
Me too! I'm..."

Donna wrote: "I have always loved to read. When I misbehaved as a kid, my punishment was to lose my library card for a week! I read for pleasure, for education, for socialization (book clubs!) I read to expand m..."

My parents never thought of that punishment, but it would have been dire for me if they had!

Anna wrote: "I find now, due to chronic ill health, that I read for many reasons. It helps me focus on something other than pain, I'm transported to where ever the book takes me and for a time I feel more alert..."

Thank you so much for weighing in!

Books have always been 'safe' for me, and I will always choose to pick up a book because the way language can be structured, and the way words can influence mood, emotions and imagination has always been inherently fascinating to me, even more now I am a student with a basic understanding of linguistics. Books are still, and always will be my 'safe bet'. Books help you to learn more about the limits (or lack of) your own imagination and I have always loved being transported to another words. Books are my magic!

way to forget about my very dull life :D despite the fact how cliche it sounds, book is really another world-in short,it sometimes helps to forget your reality,and sometimes it helps to REMEMBER your reality,to look things as they are. Every book is someone's experience,right? every author writes something,it's coming from their souls and experiences and pains and dreams,so i can say,that every book is real-because there are real feelings. It's about humanity,really. you feel,you hurt - these feelings in books are real.
And it gives us strength and experience-we may not be suffering like main characters-but feeling their pains and hurts or their loves,gives us opportunity to feel every of these emotions. So yeah,despite the fact that i have never loved someone so strongly or been hurt by someone , i know what these feel like.
So,reading,books is virtual helping friends.
love ya booooooks <3

Bea wrote: "Books have always been 'safe' for me, and I will always choose to pick up a book because the way language can be structured, and the way words can influence mood, emotions and imagination has alway..."
totally agree about "safe bet" :)

Hañs wrote: "way to forget about my very dull life :D despite the fact how cliche it sounds, book is really another world-in short,it sometimes helps to forget your reality,and sometimes it helps to REMEMBER yo..."

Yes. It's all about those shifts in perspective that books can prompt. Thanks for replying!

Bea wrote: "Books have always been 'safe' for me, and I will always choose to pick up a book because the way language can be structured, and the way words can influence mood, emotions and imagination has alway..."

I know what you mean about the way words on a page can influence your mood--positively as well as negatively. Thanks!

As a stay at home/ ex-career mom. I read to calm my mind. Sometimes I need to find a special place to relax and refocus myself. This is most often done during naptime. I love reading all genres however lately I've been reading mystery and adventure novels. Most recently The Shadow of the Wind and The Cuckoos Calling. I read my first book without pictures in 3rd grade and it stuck. I was entranced with the detail and way I could use my mind to escape from the real world for just a little while. I hope my love for reading passes on to my daughter. I see her looking at little board books and using her Leapfrog reader and it makes my heart soar to think she may need reading as much as I do.

I've been reading since the start of primary school. (fun fact: My teacher actually thought I could already when I started school, which is not true. I learnt it within just a month or so.)
I don't really know why I read, I just like it. Thinking about it though, I guess I like discovering new things (such as worlds in books) and it's also really relaxing. And as I like writing myself, it inspires me and helps me with my language (which is also great for school) and writing style.

i find my sanity in reading :)

Kimberly wrote: "Donna wrote: "I have always loved to read. When I misbehaved as a kid, my punishment was to lose my library card for a week! I read for pleasure, for education, for socialization (book clubs!) I re..."

I didn't actually lose the library card often-- just the threat was enough. ;0)

by the way, anyone here knows where can i get epub versions for free? :D

I love reading. I have got education short. So I am learning by Internet . I love stories books and writing as well. Mostly on women's life. And our culture what is so different from other cultures. So I'll be felicity to discussion with you.

Reading is my escape. I can escape from the stress of my college life by reading. I can travel the whole world without ever leaving my house. I can be a detective with Sherlock, I can bring down the capital with Katniss, or I can help the Lorax teach people about the planet. I have always loved reading, and I hope I will always love reading.

I have many reasons to read: pleassure, entertainment, to open my mind, to investigate, to learn, to take a break...

Hey, Hañs! I'm afraid the epub thing is out of the question around here. :) We encourage our members to look for the books at libraries, second-hand shops and stuff like that, which is why we created the 'Pay It Forward' thread.

Ana wrote: "Hey, Hañs! I'm afraid the epub thing is out of the question around here. :) We encourage our members to look for the books at libraries, second-hand shops and stuff like that, which is why we creat..."
yeah,but in my country i have not luxury to buy goodread author's books in second-hand shops-because there are not such shops or if one or two exist,these authors are not here . i don't mean classical literature or worldwide authors.

I can only itinerate the reasons:
to calm myself down; to explore new issues, as well as worlds; to enjoy being alone without being lonely; to meet new friends, or old one's; to socialize; to educate myself; to look into other's people's minds; to not go crazy...

For a deeper understanding of the past and the present issues that created our current culture. Also to vicariously experience great adventures via historical fiction or science fiction.

I read narratives (fiction or non-fiction) to escape from reality, and temporarily live a virtual life through its characters. Its a rewarding, soothing and occasionally necessary experience.
I read non-fiction (non-narratives) , on the other hand, to expand my thinking or educate myself about topics that I find interesting (history, philosophy, psychology).

Henriette wrote: "I am extremely introvert and have a hard time relaxing among other people (even my family). Books have always offered me a sanctuary. Somewhere I can relax and stay."

OMG! I can so relate. I'm introvert too and books keep me out of stressful social situations I'm so not willing to deal with.

I don't have much in the way of natural empathy, so I read not just for pleasure, but because it's the only way I've learned to understand people, their feelings and their motivations.

Reading is like traveling, it opens the mind, it makes imagination stronger. It allows us see the world with someone else's eyes, even if the book is just fiction. Opening a book is like an adventure, it's when I'm reading that I feel the more alive, when I have the strongest feelings. All my readings had contributed to make me the woman I am now and still change me. Life would be so more boring without books.

Taylor wrote: "reading a good book completely captivates me and makes me feel so many different emotions all at the same time.
the experince of reading a book is amazing. there are usually no visual elements to a..."

Beautiful.

To learn more about the world and to discover new ideas, opinions, cultures and great literary works.