Reading - What to look for.

How do you read? Speed read for need? Cozy couch snuggle up book for fun? Reading to your kids because they won't stop asking? Whatever you're reading don't zone out - or give up. Look for these things in whatever you are reading.

1) Expand your vocabulary. Whether you already have a large vocabulary or just know the basic slang, you can learn new words. Keep an eye out for words you've never heard, or words you've never quite understood, or even words that you know, but see them used differently. (maybe in a different era of history)

2) History. Speaking of history, we all know that history repeats itself. So anytime you are reading something with history in it, you can learn from what others have learned (or NOT learned) before you. Biographies are a favorite of mine and a great way to watch history cycles and compare them to things I am dealing with today.

3) Life Lessons. Whether you are reading fiction or non-fiction they are all written by real people who have to use real situations. Some can get pretty radical (sci-fi, fantasy) but they still have to pull ideas from somewhere. Ask yourself - what would I do in this situation. What would my attitude and actions be like? Examine yourself and learn.

4) Character Traits. Along the same lines as life lessons, are analyzing character traits of book characters. Learning to place yourself in comparison to them, judging character (good or bad), learning to not make quick judgement of others, asking yourself if you have any of these traits.

5) Take it with you. Write down quotes that inspire you, or help you remember a book or situation. Share them, read them, post them on your walls. Be a book nerd!

What is your favorite genre to read? What is something you learned or a quote you jotted down?

Sarah

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