The Importance of Reading for Fun

Right now, a lot, if not all, of the reading you may be doing is related to your classes: weekly readings so you know what the instructor’s talking about, researching specific topics for papers, and studying for tests. While that kind of reading is necessary, it’s also important to realize that reading for fun can be an important lifelong behavior. Reading just for pleasure promotes creative thinking, builds vocabulary and language skills, lets you see the world from different perspectives , and helps you gain tools, skills, and knowledge that you may not have developed otherwise. With everything you’re doing just to get through classes, it may not seem like you have a lot of time for entertaining reading, but if you have a few minutes (while on the bus, eating a meal, or just before bed), try reading something just because YOU are interested in it! You may be amazed by how wonderful it can be. For an interesting article on what wonders reading for fun can do, see what author Neil Gaiman has to say about pleasure reading here: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming Some suggestions to get you started: Want to explore a world in which magical creatures like genies are real?

• The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. Call number PS 3623 .E39775 G65 2013

     What it’s like to be an emigrant in Puritan Massachusetts, antebellum Louisiana, or modern Toronto?

• Astray by Emma Donoghue. Call number PR 6054 .O547 A93 2012

What it’s like to be Malcolm X?

• The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X. Call number E 185.97 .L5 A3 1999 (We have a lot more biographies and autobiographies.)

  Enter a magical world in which you have to use magic to defeat your own mother:

• Among Others by Jo Walton. Call number PR 6073 .A448 A825 2012

What it’s like to live in remote parts of the world, exploring tropical rainforests?

• It’s a Jungle up There: more tales from the treetops by Margaret Lowman. Call number QH 31 .L79 A3 2006.

  Experience what it’s like to have to be the daughter of a Brooklyn drug kingpin in:

• The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah. Call number PS 3569 .O7374 C6 2006.

Neil Gaiman’s darkly amusing book about an angel and a demon who aren't too thrilled about an upcoming Armageddon.

• Good Omens. Call number PS 3557 .A3519 G6 1996

  See what it’s like to be a modern Native American:

• Blasphemy: new and selected stories by Sherman Alexie. Call number PS 3551 .L35774 B53 2012

Share the love of reading with a child or through a child’s eyes:

• Boot & Shoe by Marla Frazee. Call number PZ 7 .F866 Bno 2012

    If you are looking for something specific or with a certain keyword (ex. “vampire”), try searching the online catalog or ask a librarian for assistance.