With World Book Day coming up on March 7th, a day which I remember celebrating in primary school by dressing up as weird and wacky literary characters for a day (mine included an Oompa Loompa and Little Miss Naughty), now is a good time to reflect on books, and the influence they’ve had on us…
To say I was a bookworm as a child is an understatement. With Sunday mornings often spent demolishing one Rainbow Magic book after another (if you know, you know), I can honestly say I was always at my happiest whilst reading! From fighting dragons with Hiccup in Cressida Cowell’s How to train your dragon to finding a magical wizarding world in the Harry Potter series, reading fuelled and nourished my imagination which characterised my childhood days (and daydreams, as often mentioned in my school reports…).
The books which I adored so much as a child taught me lessons, pointed me in many directions and arguably helped form who I am today – and I was also lucky enough to be surrounded by people who loved reading as much as I did! Who can forget the primary school days with kids clutching copies of Artemis Fowl, or a good old Enid Blyton story? I can remember so badly wanting to live the lives of Rachel and Kirsty, of The Naughtiest Girl in School, and Hermione Granger (obvs!).
However as we get older, books can serve as a guide when you feel most lost and alone – you relate to the characters still, but also their experiences, and they can help you figure out how to navigate your way around some of life’s most difficult curveballs. Unfortunately for many of us students, most of our TBR list consists of books to be found in the back of the Brotherton in battered, dust-covered condition. It becomes so much harder to find the time for reading for pleasure – and for those who do essay-based subjects, the love for reading may well have been sucked out of you…
Recently, however, I’ve been trying my best to dedicate a small portion of my day – half an hour or so – to reading for pleasure. And I would strongly recommend that you try to do the same! Books are a timeless source of entertainment with benefits including improvement of both mental and physical health, and it has definitely helped me with coping with general stress at university. Exposure to literature and gripping books has helped me to write better, both at university and my own personal writing. This World Book Day, its time to add reading for pleasure back into our routine!