Brains

So I read a lot. Or I have been reading a lot since I have so much freetime this month and no motivation to do much else. Part of me gets kind of depressed because I wake up and then sit in a chair reading, alone, for two hours or so. The other part of me is very happy about this. We will focus on the happy half. I'm glad that I was raised to find joy in reading. Make fun of me if you would like for sounding like the elementary school librarian but I enjoy getting lost in the pages of a good book. I feel smarter, more exposed to different possibilities of how things work or like I have gained knowledge that will come in handy later or just find fascinating. Books are different than television in that they are more selective and there is a wider variety, I have more choice and a higher ability to pinpoint exactly what I want to read about because the writers write about exactly what they want to write about. In other forms of media what is portrayed is often more influence by what will sell or appeal to the populous . Books allow people to gain the knowledge they want and specialize their intellect. It leads to, if mixed with the other media and done right, a more balanced person. Right now I am on the third book in the Rabbit foursome by John Updike and its basically about the life of the main character, Harry Angstrom, who kind of messed up his life early on and because of it the rest of his life is not controlled by him. The guy lives a mediocre day to day life that is basically controlled by all of the women around him. The book partly shows how this kind of life has a sort of charm but also make me think, God Damn I don't want have to live my life in such a way that I am indebted or stuck to some people just because of some mistake I made as a teenager. See? it's added something to my life, plus I just really enjoy the books. But I also think people should read all sorts of different kinds of books. Some people just read romance novels their entire life, or spend their life trying to consume all the classics. I think people should read for 3 different reasons. (I'm starting to like giving a designated number or reasons so that my thoughts seem more absolute)
1. For Enjoyment. This is partly why I would read Harry Potter or The Rabbit Novels.
2. To gain new information. This is why I am also reading a book by Bill Bryson entitles "A Short History of Nearly Everything" I simply want to learn. It's about scientific developments throughout time in all sorts of different fields. I also enjoy the writing style but the information I get is often very new to me, as in I never ever, without someone suggesting it, would have thought of it. History books, biographies and basic non-fiction would fit into this category.
3.To Expand or Question One's Ideals. This is why I would read the books of Ayn Rand or books on religious theory by John Dominic Crossan. They present not necessarily factual evidence or scientific or historical information but present new ideals and the logic behind them. In a way they both deal with philosophy.
The three different categories can be mixed too, I can read a book for more than one reason. But I think people should read books for all those reasons to truly get the benefit of literature. I am just really enjoying expanding my knowledge and improving myself these days. I'm loving my anti-self destruction. Self-Construction?