Have you ever stopped and asked yourself what is it about books that you love? I recently saw this question somewhere and it made me think about my answer to that question.

The first thing is probably a common one for any bookworm: reading takes you places. I love that when I open a book I’m taken out of my own life and plunked down into someone else’s. While that’s a great thing when I’m going to Hogwarts for seven books (okay, six and a half)… it’s not so great when I open up the Hunger Games. You get my point though.

Because of books I’ve been to places that I’ve never visited before, yet I feel as though I’ve been there. Some of those places include:

• France (Anna and the French Kiss, Love á la Mode)
• Italy (Love & Gelato)
• Ireland (Love & Luck)
• England (The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Last of August)
• Scotland (The Bookshop on the Corner)
• Outer space (Aliens From Arapholanx)

And of course various states around the USA that I haven’t been to yet, as well as Canada (though I have been to Montréal for real). My point though is that thanks to books I’ve been to many places across the globe without leaving my couch, including fictional ones.

Now that’s magic!

Another thing I love about books is how they connect people. As a librarian I get to do this with many patrons – connect over favorite books and authors, as well as refer people to books that they might have never known about before. Then of course we have the book blogger/twitter/instagram community that is just plain awesome! The love and respect everyone has for each other is refreshing. I think we’re probably the realest community on social media.

Of course there’s plenty more I love about books – how they take on on adventures, the book boyfriends, how they’re a cure for boredom, and the stories themselves. However, the two reason I elaborated on are the main reasons. Books are just magic because of their ability to transport you and connect you with people across the globe.

What are some reasons you really love books?