5 Dirt Simple Reasons Why You Should Read (At Least) 1 Fiction Book A Month

But please don’t stop there…

A friend of mine told me the other day: “ I never read fiction. Shit, I barely have the time to read the news.” And I get that. She’s got a young family and only sleeps for a few hours at night.

But I laughed at her comment, thinking — I’d rather finish a couple of books before attempting to read the headlines.

The truth is that books are part of my daily life and I’d feel lost without them. And being part of “Bookstagram” — the booklover corner of Instagram- it really doesn’t help.

You get inspired every damn time you scroll and keep adding yet more books to your increasing size of “ to be read” list at an alarming rate.

So what’s my fascination with fiction?

And why do I think that reading 1 fiction book a month will benefit you in any way?

Let’s dive in.

Fiction Teaches You Empathy

Books teach us many things and empathy is one of them. This is not to say that you’re insensitive unless you read a lot, but having a peek into other people’s struggles (even if fictional) can put things into a different perspective.

Just think about criminals for a second. Who doesn’t judge a killer?

Or want them to pay for whatever crime they had committed? Books can help you get into the villain’s mind and shed some light on their own battles.

But what if the murderer is not a bad guy? Just a teenager, trying to protect her sister from being raped. Would you judge them the same?

Soledad pulls the trigger, and Rebeca watches without any reaction at all. She doesn’t wince or jump or gasp. She doesn’t look away. Soledad would like to shoot him again and again. She imagines bullet holes in todos los agentes in Sinaloa, imagines Ivan’s brains splattered on the ceiling above her, and she’d like to keep shooting Lorenzo forever.

She doesn’t even need to leave the desert now because the satisfaction of standing here shooting is all she needs for the rest of her life.

(American Dirt: Jeanine Cummins)

She’s not a cold-blooded criminal. Only a child abused enough times to finally stand up for herself and her sister while escaping a country that only caused them suffering.

Books prepare us to meet our real-life “heroes”. People who are fighting their demons every day. And guess what happens?

You no longer look at them disapprovingly but with empathy and curiosity. Fully knowing that they have a story to tell.

Expands Your Vocabulary

English is not my first language, so the benefit I get from reading in English is immense. I find that often I use words in my writing that I’d never even pronounced out loud before.

They suddenly appear in my head because my subconscious had already registered them earlier. And when they fit in the context bum! my brain offers them on a silver plate.

But reading is useful whether you’re a native or not. Adding new words to the 20,000 you use on average will help you find the right ones in moments of need.

Your communication is only effective when you’re a pro at organizing your thoughts.

And more importantly when you have a knack for putting them into words.

You Can Travel For Free

When you read a lot you get to travel to cool places. No plane tickets. No hotels. No extra payment for a large cabin bag.

You easily get to experience foreign cultures.

In “The House In The Olive Grove” ( by Emma Cowell) I could feel the taste of “kleftiko”, lamb cooked with potato. I don’t even like lamb, but sprinkled with Greek seasoning it made me dribble with hunger.

I walked along the Greek village promenade with Maria, feeling the breeze on my own skin. Hearing the rustle of the olive trees. While sitting in my bedroom in England listening to the pouring rain outside.

Because that’s what books can do to you. Transport you anywhere in the world, giving you a glimpse of exotic places you might never visit otherwise.

You Become A Better Thinker

When you read you also think. You try to guess where the story is going. What the characters will do next.

But sometimes you just reflect on why the protagonist made the decision she did. And how she could’ve done things differently.

And I haven’t mentioned the elements that may mirror fragments of your own life, making you go: WTF! I did that too.

It happened to me many times finding myself in situations I’d read about before. And it instantly reminded me of the outcome in the book.

For example:

• Do what the character did in the book. Shout at her spouse, storm out of the house, and break up a marriage
• Or avoid what the character did in the book. Talk calmly with my spouse and try to save our marriage

I realize that this might sound over the top. And maybe it is. But when you consume as many books as you can fit in your time they truly become your companion. Even your advisers.

Improves Brain Function

Studies show that reading fiction improves brain function. This is because while we read we undoubtedly put ourselves in the character’s shoes.

Surprisingly, this produces the same results as when you develop muscle memory while doing sports. Or learning to draw.

But let’s not go to scientific territories. That’s boring.

Instead let’s welcome the terrific fact, that while you enjoy the latest book from Stephen King, truly beneficial changes happen in the left temporal cortex of your brain.

Doesn’t that sound great? Whatever those chemical reactions are.

In simple words, your mind is tricked into believing that you’re doing something you’re not.

In your head, you’re in a fascinating, fictional world while seeing the events unfold from someone else’s perspective.

What’s not to love?

You get to live not one but hundreds and thousands of lives. Depending on how much you read.

Final Thoughts

So why should you read at least 1 fiction book a month?

I could summarize it in half a sentence: Because it’s so much fun.

But that wouldn’t do justice to the experience of reading a good book. There’s so much more to it.

Fiction doesn’t only allow you to escape today’s harsh world and give your brain a much-needed rest but, also teaches you to be human.

An empath. Which we need today more than ever before.

And you know who else we need?

People who can talk. Who finally stop scrolling on social media and write messages filled with abbreviations that others are unable to decipher.

Fiction can help you with that too.

It levels up your word bank and you become a champ at talking.

I could go on, but I won’t. I said it all before.

Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.