“There’s no bond like having read and liked the same book.” — E. Nesbit
True, isn’t it? This quote expresses the unsaid yet strongly felt sentiment by every bibliophile.
Reading is often seen as solitary activity. But it’s anything but that. You’re surrounded by the characters from the book, their emotions and stories stay with you long after the last page.
Sometimes it feels like the characters step out of the pages and sit beside you. It’s definitely not a solo act but a meeting with the universe.
Magic happens when a book enters a conversation as it effortlessly sparks conversations between strangers. One mention of a beloved book or character can turn strangers into kindred spirits. You light up over a favourite character or idea.
It can just as easily bridge gaps between people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Reading can undoubtedly help form deep emotional bonds.
When Books Become Bridges
You’ve to agree that when you meet someone who has read the same book, you instantly resonate, as if you’ve walked the same literary terrain. It’s the shared experiences of going through the same lines.
Strange as it may sound but I’ve a friend I haven’t met for years now but every time either of us reads something, we’ve to share it. An extract or a page or a link to the book. Anything.
Why don’t you text a friend your current favourite read and begin a 2-person mini book club? Sounds fun!
Doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction, once you’ve read a particular book, you become a part of a larger community from all over the world.
Be it Atomic Habits or Harry Potter, it builds bridges between strangers. It provides a common ground.
There are global communities, now that it’s easy to connect online. Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, all of them have huge communities online.
Book Clubs Are More Than Just A Hobby
Reading goes beyond the one-to-one connections. It helps to build entire communities, like the book clubs.
Meeting others at book clubs challenges your thinking, improves articulation, and makes reading a social habit.
They allow you a space to be surrounded by equally passionate readers, a place to discuss deeply, creating new perspectives among people who share your love for the written word.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one such book which shows how books and book clubs have the power to link strangers. In this book, they build such a strong, enviable bonds that I wish my book club could be something like that.
Of course, there are quite a few online digital platforms also, like Goodreads, to find like-minded readers. Join their summer challenge as an incentive to read more.
A Family That Reads Together…
Reading together brings the family together. Those bedtime routines create lasting memories.
Sharing book recommendations is a big part of my family’s conversations. We’ve our own little exclusive book club! With summer vacations just days away, the lists are getting bigger as new titles get added.
Families need to encourage a reading culture to introduce the children to different perspectives, broadening their mind and exposing them to new information.
Passing down books from one generation to the next can also become more meaningful while keeping traditions alive.
CR Rajagopalachari’s Ramayana and Mahabharata are treasures I’ve inherited from my grandfather.
Books Help Us Understand Each Other Better
Sharing books is like sharing bits of yourself while also opening yourself to new ways to see the world.
Reading lays open cultures, experiences, perspectives, and ideas for you to explore and understand.
It builds empathy by enhancing your understanding of emotions beyond your own. The best way for self-improvement.
Have you read The Book Thief? That book shows how books can become the means of survival, even in the most difficult of times.
Bringing About Social Change
Reading can inspire you to bring about social change. They ignite big and small revolutions.
To Kill a Mockingbird or 1984 or I Am Malala, have sparked conversations around justice, ethics and identity. They provide social commentaries that nudge the dormant minds and move people.
Dead Poets Society is about how an English teacher inspires his students to think for themselves.
Whether in the classroom or on the global stage, it’s not possible to read and not think. It provides potent fodder for your brain.
Wrapping Up
Books open portals that train you to become better thinkers.
Reading brings together people sharing similar ideas and perspectives. It enables you to form bonds deeper than what they appear.
Here’s why reading is magical –
- It opens up emotional conversations
- It introduces diverse viewpoints
- It encourages empathy, especially in children
- It creates emotional bookmarks, with memoires tied to pages.
The next time you read a book, share it with someone. You’ll without fail make new connections.
To all those who say that reading is a solitary activity, I say step into this world of stories and discover the powerful tide of readers waiting to carry you along.