Why I Love to Read- the beginning

My daughter challenged me to write a blog on this topic.
I will begin with a quote:

"Language is fundamental to being human. 

 Language is stored in usable and reusable models called stories, poems and essays."

This quote came from a book called "Read For Your Life" by Joseph Gold.

And so, I have taken on the project of trying to describe why I read.  And I do read a lot, so perhaps I should be able to verbalize why I read.
But first let's hear it from the professional:

"The act of reading, and especially of reading narrative fiction, does two things for the reader which are crucial to personal development. The first is the activation of the pre-frontal cortex of the brain and the temporal lobes where some of the major language control centers are located. These sites are connected to many others to form a web activity that creates thought. The second important function of reading literature is to assist in building personal identity in narrative form."

  Once again, these are Professor Gold's words.  I don't really think about developing my pre-frontal cortex, or building a personal identity.  But I do have other reasons and I will post a blog each Monday, giving the reasons why I love to read.  Let me know if I miss a good reason.

My retirement quilt made by my daughter