I am an avid reader. Spending time with books is my leisure pursuit. I have never found reading boring. It is my escape from the world.

Sometimes I wonder what life would be without books. How dull the life would be without books. I cannot thank enough the person who thought of the idea of bringing books into existence.

I remember the first book I read. It was years ago. I had not thought then that books would take up such an important space in my life.

It’s noticeable how much I have changed as a person, in my thoughts and actions—only because of books. Well, I think it is true what people say, “If you want to be wise, read!”

Every book you read is a different experience. I read a lot of fiction and tend to act as though I am the protagonist in the story. While doing so, it feels like the book is your story and what happens there is your story.

Public library is a notion that I can never get over. You get to take a book, read it for as long as you want and give it back. It is equivalent to going to a clothing store, checking out an outfit, wearing it for weeks and returning it. In marketing terms, it is the ultimate consumer benefit experience.

Sometimes I wonder how beautiful it would have been had reading been a profession. I would love to become a reader—a full time reader. I would run a company and hire top readers. All of us would read to earn our living. Just a thought! It may sound weird, but at times this too comes to my imagination. Reading while entertains me and keeps me up to date on information, it also works as a great stress buster. Flipping through a few pages every night after a long and hard day just helps me calm my mind.

Reading is a great way of relaxing after a hard day’s work. Reading, it is said, works better and faster than other relaxation methods like listening to music or exercise.

A recent study says reading can reduce stress levels by 68 per cent. According to psychologists, human mind has to concentrate on reading and the distraction of being taken into a literary world eases the tensions in muscles and the heart, hence reading works as a great stress buster.

It’s no surprise that books make life easier. Being with books never make you feel alone. Reading has no harm at all. The more you read, the more you benefit. This is one of the best ways for our personal development as well.