Confessions of a Culture Vulture: 
How Reading Everyday Changed my Life

Written by AllDolledUp

Books are the reason I gained fluency in English, as well as boosting my self-confidence in a time, when I was introduced to a different culture. Reading became the vehicle of which I improved my vocabulary, concentration and critical thinking skills. Also, I am able to recall and remember things I've read over a decade ago. Reading books gave me a window to multiple universes, the ultimate escape to other realms of possibility and even time travel itself! 

My voracious reading habits gave me the fuel I needed to understand the cuture I live in better. During my first library visit as a child, I was first overwhelmed by all the possibilities, but then I caught the bug, and read any dystopian science fiction I could put my hands on. Reading every day changed my life, and it made me realize that my mind was made for this: when I was nine years old I decided I wanted to be a storyteller, an author, and that in order to be knowledgelable, I must read every book ever published. Of course, I've done a lot of self-actualizing and growing up since then, and my goals are a bit more realistic now (ha-ha).

At one point, I checked out so many different books, I won several reading comprehension contests and became a library regular. My (re)addiction turned into 'several-books-read-a-week' kind of situation. (My mom had to have an intervention!) Years later, I still benefit from the impact reading books has given me.

Storytelling is programmed into our DNA; we are creatures of habit and we tend to learn best with stories. Currently, I am interested in reading Margaret Atwood's works. I recommend to start with your favorite adapted live-action series if you're interested in stories. (The book is ALWAYS better.) Besides my decade-long, unhealthy obsession with dystopias, I love to read biographies. People's lives have the most interesting stories! 

Reading is a powerful skill and books are such an important cultural resource. Reading books also teach how to think. If you don't want to read a book, then take some time to read online everyday. The point is, don't rob yourself of the oppurtunity to learn something new, to think differently and broaden your horizons. Here are some quotes by some of my favorite authors:

“I read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most.” 
― Margaret Atwood

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” – J.K. Rowling

“You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” 
– Ray Bradbury

...and these are just too good to leave out:

“Despite the enormous quantity of books, how few people read --How much stupid stuff the vulgar herd is content to swallow every day.” 
– Voltaire

“One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time.” – Carl Sagan

“Think before you speak. Read before you think.” – Fran Lebowitz

~*~

Tell me, what is your favorite book, and what was the last book read?