Six Reasons I'm Thankful for Books

 

I love this week's topic! I could have gone on a lot longer on why I'm thankful for books, but I decided to keep it short and succinct. 🙂

1. Books taught me the wonder of imagination. I've loved reading since before I can remember, because I had parents and grandparents who read to me. From a young age I learned the value and wonder of story, and how to use my imagination to come up with tales of my own.

2. Books teach me about interesting people, places, events, and facts about the world. I love learning. I especially love learning through story. That's one of the main reasons I write inspirational historical romance—learning new things and sharing those new things are some of my favorite activities! I've learned about fascinating historical figures, I've visited places I'll never be able to travel to in person, and I've experienced events from hundreds or even thousands of years ago through the pages of a book. There's so much that can be learned through reading!

3. Books help me grow in empathy by helping me understand different personalities and points of view. Every person and culture is unique, and books can teach me about how different people or people groups think, make choices, and approach life. 

4. Books open doors to friendships with people in the real world. Fellow readers make excellent friends! There's something special about bonding over the shared love of story and then finding out your interests match up in other areas too.

5. Books are written by authors, who are incredibly cool people. Authors love to hear from readers, and I've enjoyed building friendships with favorite authors as I support their work. If you enjoy an author's stories, reach out to them and let them know!

6. Books that include God can bolster my faith and draw me closer to Him. I love reading stories with a strong faith element. Sometimes they contain just the right encouragement for something I'm struggling with. They can remind me of truths and lift my heart to the one whose Story is greater than every other.

Find more Top Ten Tuesday posts at That Artsy Reader Girl.