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| There is a book to suit all of us! |
It occurred to me this morning as I sat book in hand, coffee beside me, the snow thawing (yes, in March, I know!), that one of the nicest things about
reading is that it really is a hobby for all seasons. Curling up under the shade
of a tree in summer is, for me, equally as nice as tucking myself up in a big
comfy seat in a quiet corner of a coffee shop in winter...preferably by the
window. This got me to thinking that reading tends to be overlooked as a hobby.
It’s the one that everyone sort of mumbles or writes down by default without
much thought at all. I feel this is a bit of a disservice. Humour me if you
will, and I shall make a case for reading as the perfect hobby.
1. You can tailor this hobby to suit your personality and interests.
As a general rule, detective novels or
crime are just not really my thing. This is fine because I simply don’t opt
for them when adding to the book stack. That’s right, I can be as picky as I
like because it’s my personal hobby. From cooking to theatre to fashion to sport, there is most certainly a book out there to suit all of us.
2. It can be relaxing
or a bit of an - albeit mental – workout.
There are the lighter
reads; the holiday books, the bedtime books, the I-don’t-want-to-have-to-think
books. These are great if it’s a light pastime you’re after. And then there are
the others. Those books - Joyce’s Ulysses is mine – the one you are determined
to get through and keep returning to. You know the type I’m talking about,
where you find yourself looking up every other word in a bid for comprehension,
or you have to run around (mentally of course!) following a wildly meandering
plot, even searching for it when it seems to have veered off course altogether.
And then the magic, that wonderful moment of clarity as everything slots into
place at the end. You close these books mentally exhausted but with a
considerable sense of satisfaction…much the same (I imagine!) as finishing a
gruelling session at the gym…
3. It can be social as
well as solitary.
Points 1 and 2
highlight the benefits of reading as a solitary hobby, but there is a social
element on offer as well! Popping along to a local book group can be a great
way to meet new people. These groups are great for sparking discussion and for approaching
titles you might not otherwise have picked up. This can also be a really fun
thing to do with a friend who lives far away since it adds something novel to
chat about across the distance.
4. You can learn a
lot.
While lots of other
hobbies are enjoyed in and of themselves, reading offers an extra benefit in
the form of knowledge. Indeed you are just a book away from knowing something
you didn’t before starting. From the very beginning many of life’s lessons are
straight off the book pile. My good old friend ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ taught
me the perils of gluttony while ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ would reaffirm that
there really was no place like home. It’s a long road to wisdom and my general
philosophy is to travel along it one book at a time.
With such versatility,
here’s to one big show of recognition and appreciation for reading as the perfect hobby!
PS. I thought this was
worth a share – why not pop on over to the lovely people at Penguin and enter
their big giveaway competition - good luck!
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