The pros and cons of reading.

So I posted a couple days ago that I'd been sick and while I'm still sick, I just wanted say that I'm much better (big shout out to my green tea and honey!). For any book-lovers out there, we know that there are pros and cons of reading. I want to share with you some of my ideas about this and I'd love for you guys to comment and tell me your ideas!

First we'll start with the pros. Reading, for me, is a way to escape the real world. It's more than just a distraction though - it's like living another life. The places you see, the people you meet, the lessons you learn, the hard goodbyes. It's all real. Even if it's just in your own mind, it felt real; you actually laughed and you cried and you got scared and you felt your heart racing when the protagonist fell in love.

There are those times when you're so deep into the story and then you hear someone calling your name. Boy, those moments can be pretty frustrating. This isn't a con though! What I'm trying to make a point of is the beauty of being so caught up in the story that when you look up, it's like walking out of a theater and realizing that it's still daylight and the world is exactly as you left it. You can't deny that you've met people and made friends more interesting than the ones you really have, or been places you never dreamed of seeing, doing things you never thought you'd get to do. Maybe, just occasionally, you find a few quotes to call your own that describe you perfectly, or made you think about something you'd never thought before, or maybe said something you'd been trying to say. You can live a thousand lives and see a thousand places. That's the beauty of reading. Plus, if you're lucky, you get to read and sit on your bed or on a comfy chair and wear baggy clothes and drink tea (or coffee if you prefer that).

The cons of reading are few, but unfortunately they do exist. Sometimes you have to decide if you're going to read a book or take part in a family activity or some other activity. If you're like me, you may sometimes take part out of guilt. Another con is what we like to call a "book-hangover". This is definitely one of the worst things about reading. When a book is so good, and you're so in love with the characters, and then it's over, what then? Finishing a book is like saying goodbye to those people. It can be quite emotional. What do you do with yourself? It's like, what were you doing with your life before you began reading that book? It takes getting used to, living in the real world again.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. If you guys have other pros and cons that I missed, I'd love to hear them! ;)