Ok so dad forced me to write this to try to encourage my little sister to read more and to stay away from the tele. Personally, I think it isn't going to work but just in case it does, I hope more of my friends would actually put aside some more time to do some casual reading. It really is a genuine, ground-breaking, mind-boggling experience.
My Reading Experience
From Harry Potter to Lord of The Rings, David Eddings to John Grisham, even Enid Blyton to Roald Dahl, these are the books which I grew up with since I was a toddler. I still remember the Peter and Jane, the Peter Rabbit story books and the Hardy Boys series which I spent hours and hours re-reading and re-reading again and again.
Every book is a new reading experience, and no two books are the same. Sure, they might have the same author, or even share the same plot, but each book is different in many ways. I’m lucky to have read some of the most amazing books by some of the most incredible authors and almost each book I’ve read have been a real page-turner. Yes, even the autobiographies! The important thing to always remember is that you choose what you read carefully. Amidst all the good books there will always be some horrendously boring ones which even the great authors write, and there will sometimes be a gem hiding between all those junk. You have to be smart enough to know which from what. In my opinion, a good book should always be intellectually stimulating, but not too dull as to hypnotise you to sleep each time you go through the first few pages. The writing should always be witty to keep you awake and if you’re reading a novel, it should always have some unexpected plot twists and immense character development. For an autobiography and non-fiction books, it’s harder to capture a reader’s attention so the writer needs to be really good with humour or expressive language which won’t bore you quickly. I won’t suggest people start reading non-fiction until your minds mature a bit. This is the genre which is the most intellectually stimulating but can be the uttermost nightmare if you don’t understand a thing it’s talking about. A good book to start with would be Iacoca’s autobiography.
So, why is it important to keep up on our reading? Yes there is always the cliché of improving the standard of our writing abilities, but it IS the gospel truth. There’s just no other way to get about it. And no, reading magazines and food labels don’t help. To really gain something out of reading you need to read works by real masters, professionals who are experts at the language whose style and prose you can integrate into your own writing. Newspapers help sometimes, but the standard of writing isn’t as high as the real authors. They offer a range of view points on current and past issues though, especially the critics and editors, which bring me to my second advantage of reading, point of view. As you read more, you will discover that authors are much like artists, who like to integrate their own thoughts and political viewpoints into their works. A communist writer would never sound the same as a capitalist one; neither will a liberal critic agree with a conservative editor. In the writing world, everybody is free to express their viewpoints and most of the time, get away with it. The people also love reading from different perspectives as it gives them the story in its entirety, with both sides able to tell their own version of a story. With the power of the internet and the accessibility to mass media, reading these different articles will expand both your knowledge and perspective of the world we live in today. These information are a real boon to your essay writing skills, as it helps you look also from the opposite perspective while arguing a topic in an essay. If you’re like me and love argumentative essays, the advantage you gain from reading is really a shot in the arm.
Now that you know what it can do for you, go ahead and give it a try. Look up the best-sellers list or just randomly pick a timeless classic and crack open that book. More often than not, you’ll find yourself immersed in a fantastic journey whether in the author’s imagination or a trip back down memory lane. No movie or video can ever give you the depth and scope of an author’s writing, and I can tell you, it’s definitely addictive. Once you experience the real grand scale of words and literature (READ: LORD OF THE RINGS) I guarantee that you’ll stay hooked for the rest of your life. So don’t be put off by the big tome, the endless pages and the lines and lines of words with no illustrations, soon you’ll be hanging on to every word and wishing for more. Everybody’s reading experience is different, when will yours take off?~Zhongy~
P/S I know its pretty short, but bear in mind its written for my little sis who's only 10. Anybody with any good books to recommend or need a book to start reading, please do PM me and I'll be happy to help out!
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