My Passion For Reading - Elise | Guest Week

I am really happy about this amazing opportunity that Lou has given me by allowing me to take over her blog (thank you!), so if there are any of you who are unsure of who I am, my name is Elise and I run the blog I Can't Think Help. Let's get on with the post though, shall we? 

I don't understand people who don't like reading

I don't understand how you cannot like falling into another world, a world which could include anything from demons to the most skilled detectives ever.

Reading, to me, is the best thing I could think of doing. I read every day and honestly I couldn't do it enough. When I read, I leave this world and enter another one. I prefer to read fantasy and sci-fi books, so I honestly do enter a completely different world. A world full or dragons and mermaids and fairies and wizards- you name it it's there.

I once saw an amazing quote, and to this day I live by it. I am not sure who it was who said it, but it was something along the lines of: "a reader lived a thousand lives, but someone who never reads only lives one" and I can't explain just how true that it. One day I am casting spells with Harry, Ron and Hermione; next I am fighting demons with Clary and Jace- who knows where I could go next? Here, I found it:

But it's not just the famous-author written, published books, I think fanfictions and unpublished books are just as amazing. Fanfictions allow new writers (and readers) to expand on the worlds they love, and websites such as Wattpad that allow these works to be "published" are the best thing going. Some of the people on there write better than some professional books I have read! The authors on those websites are so talented and some of the books I have read on there are honestly incredible. As someone who dreams of publishing a book or two one day, I am so grateful websites like this exist.

But that's not the only reason I think reading is so great. I know it sounds silly, and it's really not what you want to hear but reading helps you academically as well. I don't know if you are still at school or if you are working or what you are doing; but whatever you do reading can help you. One of the most important things that reading does- and I know I am going to sound like a teacher here- is it widens your range of vocabulary, and that's great. I mean, who doesn't love to sound really smart by using that big word nobody's heard of before? I know I certainly love it!

But, if you don't think that learning new vocabulary will help you, then there's this: for me, reading is the perfect way to relax. I said earlier that reading takes you out of this word and places you in another one- even if it is scarily similar to this one. That feeling really helps me relax, as I can forget all my current problems, forget all my struggles and just calm down and not think about any of that. 

Here are my top five favourite book series and books that I 100% would recommend you read (if you are into those sorts of books, of course)

1. Harry Potter

I mean, I think it's safe to say that most people will have at least watched the films for this series, but it is actually surprising how little people have read the books who love the films. I don't know why, because- as with every book-to-film adaptation- there is so much more in the books and there are so many little details which are great that aren't at all in the film. Like Peeves. Peeves is great. 

2. Slated

I think I've talked about this series quite a lot on my blog, but it is honestly amazing- it deserves so much more recognition than what it has gotten. It's so so so amazing and I can't praise it enough (they should really make a film already)

3. Shadowhunters

I list this as "Shadowhunters" because I think you should read them all: The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, the Dark Artifices, and even the other series that haven't come out yet but are planned as well as the spin-off books such as The Bane Chronicles and The Shadowhunter Codex. They are all amazing and they provide such an interesting world to get lost in that I love to fall into. 

4. The Hunger Games

I really enjoy these books also. The films are great, yes, but with anything their books are so much better (though the films are amazingly accurate to the books!). This is quite a popular choice, due to the recognition of the films- but I genuinely recommend them as they are just amazing books as they are films. 

5. Gone

This, again, is not actually that popular a book series. As in I haven't heard nearly the same amount of people talk about it as I have Hunger Games, for example. And I'm not going to lie, I haven't actually read all of the books in this series yet- simply because I haven't gotten around to buying them (and I am one of those people who has to have the physical book, as in it has to be mine- not from the library) but the ones that I have read are amazing and I am really excited to read the last ones because I really enjoyed them. 

I really hope you enjoyed this post, and it was so lovely for Lou for letting me borrow her blog for this post- thank you!

Elise xxx