Each October, National Book Month allows us to celebrate and expand our love of reading. As the warm temperatures start to leave us for the winter, it’s the perfect time to put on some cozy slippers, have a cup of tea (or wine) and curl up on the couch with a good book. It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of everyday life and forget to enjoy the little things. Many of us put our relaxing hobbies like reading on the backburner, but this month, pick up a few new books and make time to read them. It’s a great hobby to get into!

Reading to Celebrate

Reading is one of the best things you can do for your mental health, and research shows it also greatly improves vocabulary, spelling, and even memory. Here are a few other reasons you should get your nose buried in a great piece of literature this month.

1. Reading provides mental stimulation. Just like any other muscle in our bodies, our brains need exercise and nourishment to help it stay strong and healthy. Studies have also shown that it can slow, or even prevent altogether, diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
2. It reduces stress. Reading has the power to take you to another place and help you forget about any stress going on in your life in the real world. Take a well-deserved break and sit down with a book. A terrific activity for Self- Care.
3. It provides you with knowledge. Even if you’re reading fiction, everything you take in provides your brain with new knowledge… And that’s something that can never be taken away from you.
4. Reading expands your vocabulary and memory, according to research. The more you read, the more you get exposed to new words and expressions, which strengthens your personal vocabulary more and more each day. It improves your memory because it trains your brain to remember characters, plots, and other things that are happening in your book after you set it down.
5. Last but certainly not least, it’s free entertainment! And if you ask me, it’s entertainment in the best form. When you read a book, your mind creates its own images of each character and setting, meaning the story is just a little bit different for everyone who reads it. It makes it more personal and exciting for you, and it provides entertainment that can last hours.
6. Did you know? Most television and movies are based on books. Comic books like Marvel Avengers or Lucifer just to name a few. Outlander, Narnia, Game of Thrones, Bridgerton…I cannot count how many times I’ve wished that Hollywood would get a Library Card. Seems like someone finally did, judging by the content I’m seeing.

Great book days…

• International Book Giving Day
• Library Shelfie Day
• Library Lovers Day
• National Tolkien Reading Day
• National Tell A Fairytale Day
• World Book Day
• Books to Read
• Read Across America
• National Read A Book Day
• National Library Lovers Month
• Read an Ebook Day
• World Poetry Day
• National Write Your Story Day
• Children’s Book Day
• D.E.A.R. Drop Everything and Read
• National Talk Like Shakespeare Day
• Paperback Book Day
• National Coloring Book Day
• National Library Card Sign Up Month

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalBookMonth

Pick up your favorite books and make some time to read them. Get to any new books you have been meaning to read. Use #NationalBookMonth to post on social media. 

Some of my favorites….Suzanne Brockmann, Sherrilyn McQueen, Patricia Cornwell, Suzanne Enoch, Julia Quinn, Teresa Medeiros, James Patterson, Diana Galbaldon, Karen Marie Moning, David Balducci, and too many more to list.