Hello my lovely bibliomaniacs!!
I apologize for the extremely long absence. This reader has rarely found time to indulge in the written word, let alone share her enthusiasm with you lovely people. That being said, I am back once again, hopefully on a regular basis from now on, (and yes, I know I've said that before), and will be attempting to post on a weekly basis.
With all the craziness going on in my life recently, I'm happy to say that I have found a wonderful human being to share my life with. Jonathan, my boyfriend, was my high school crush whom I reconnected with, and one of the first things I remember about him was that we shared a thirst for knowledge and reading. And who could blame me? Being smart is super attractive.
I apologize for the extremely long absence. This reader has rarely found time to indulge in the written word, let alone share her enthusiasm with you lovely people. That being said, I am back once again, hopefully on a regular basis from now on, (and yes, I know I've said that before), and will be attempting to post on a weekly basis.
With all the craziness going on in my life recently, I'm happy to say that I have found a wonderful human being to share my life with. Jonathan, my boyfriend, was my high school crush whom I reconnected with, and one of the first things I remember about him was that we shared a thirst for knowledge and reading. And who could blame me? Being smart is super attractive.
That awkward moment when you send your crush 32 Facebook notifications . . . .
(And yes, I actually did send him 32 notifications in the span of a few hours). Apparently, he was flattered. But anyway, the point stands that intelligence is one of the traits that I love about him. As we've continued to date, I've been so pleased with the fact that he is an avid reader like me. I've always wanted someone to snuggle up with while enjoying a good book, and this now happens on a regular basis. And while it may seem like I'm bragging about him, (and maybe I am a little), I swear there's a point as to why I brought this up: There are many benefits to having a significant other who loves to read! Not only are there so many positive results of reading on a regular basis by yourself, such as mental stimulation and reducing stress, (which I'll talk about in a future post), but reading together can actually improve your relationship with your partner. Scientific studies have revealed a lot about what literature can do to improve the closeness between you and your S.O.
Trust me, I'm a doctor.
Not only does it bring the two of you closer together, but it actually can give you more interesting things to talk about. Research shows that sharing new thoughts and ideas and discussing the information you find in books can be an entertaining way for couples to continue to get to know each other. I can vouch for that, since many of the best conversations I have had with Jonathan have involved some fascinating tidbit of information that one of us has gleaned from a book. In that respect, we both learn a lot from each other in this fashion. Reading while in each other's presence can also provide an emotional bonding experience. I know that just by being aware of the fact that I'm sharing something I'm passionate about, with a person I love, I feel closer to them.
Another point that has merit is that you can learn about someone's personality by looking at what they choose to read. Let's face it: we all people watch, and have probably at some point made an assumption about an individual based on what we saw them reading. With your boyfriend or girlfriend, instead of having to make an educated guess, it provides a segue into asking them about topics they're interested in. You never know, you could learn something or discover a new hobby because of it.
Another point that has merit is that you can learn about someone's personality by looking at what they choose to read. Let's face it: we all people watch, and have probably at some point made an assumption about an individual based on what we saw them reading. With your boyfriend or girlfriend, instead of having to make an educated guess, it provides a segue into asking them about topics they're interested in. You never know, you could learn something or discover a new hobby because of it.
I never knew military history could be this fascinating . . . .
And even though this one might be obvious, studies have shown that reading is seen as sexy by a large percentage of the population. Blogger Nico Long says that, "Reading allows us to see what's under the surface of someone and realize that this hot guy might be more than what he seems. In a society where we become jaded, as we come to believe everyone is the same, books offer the promise of something different, another world opening up to us". And what is more alluring than a mystery waiting to be revealed? Not much. It's becoming such a cultural trend that even our vocabulary is changing to include terms that describe this phenomenon. A sapiosexual, (a recently developed term), has come to describe a person who finds intelligence to be the most sexually attractive feature. Who says that people still base attraction on looks?
Hey girl, I think it's sexy when you stay up all night in bed to read . . . I do it too.
Finally, perhaps the best thing about being a couple who reads together? It improves your level of physical intimacy. Sociologists have shown that couples who read in bed together initiate spontaneous cuddling more often, which then leads to other forms of physical intimacy. In other words, couples who read together often, get it on waaaay more. Who would have thought?
Even reading the same book together has it's advantages. One of the most mind-opening results of having books in common with your boyfriend or girlfriend is that it can help you discover a new perspective. Jeannette Raymond, a psychologist who is seen as one of the leading relationship experts, has noted that, "sharing a book can help partners understand that there are many ways to look at a situation. It allows for another perspective, highlighting the similarities and differences between people, 'each having their own mind, without feeling like they must be at one in order to survive and feel secure,' she says. Couples who discuss books together 'get to check out and discover how their partners receive the same information, alerting them to the fact that everything is not black and white; it’s the lens through which you look that determines how something is experienced,' -- a lesson with obvious benefits in real-life situations".
Jonathan and I have already seen how reading together has helped our relationship to become stronger. Sharing the books we've read together has allowed us to learn and grow from each other, as well as made us laugh many a time with our ridiculous commentary (I swear, sometimes we're too nerdy and dorky for our own good). He even gave me the idea for this post, which I am super thankful for, (although his ideas for the image captions often had me rolling my eyes at him).
So the last thing before I sign off for the night and head into the sweet oblivion of sleep is that I want to challenge all of you, my readers, to try it. Spend some time with your someone, and read. See what it can do for you. For those of you who can still count yourselves as part of the singles club, never fear, you can still take advantage of the awesome science behind reading with another person. Share a novel with a best friend, your parent, anybody who you want to get to know better. You might be surprised by what you find.
With that, I must bid all of you fellow bookworms a goodnight,
Happy reading!
~Angie~
Even reading the same book together has it's advantages. One of the most mind-opening results of having books in common with your boyfriend or girlfriend is that it can help you discover a new perspective. Jeannette Raymond, a psychologist who is seen as one of the leading relationship experts, has noted that, "sharing a book can help partners understand that there are many ways to look at a situation. It allows for another perspective, highlighting the similarities and differences between people, 'each having their own mind, without feeling like they must be at one in order to survive and feel secure,' she says. Couples who discuss books together 'get to check out and discover how their partners receive the same information, alerting them to the fact that everything is not black and white; it’s the lens through which you look that determines how something is experienced,' -- a lesson with obvious benefits in real-life situations".
Jonathan and I have already seen how reading together has helped our relationship to become stronger. Sharing the books we've read together has allowed us to learn and grow from each other, as well as made us laugh many a time with our ridiculous commentary (I swear, sometimes we're too nerdy and dorky for our own good). He even gave me the idea for this post, which I am super thankful for, (although his ideas for the image captions often had me rolling my eyes at him).
So the last thing before I sign off for the night and head into the sweet oblivion of sleep is that I want to challenge all of you, my readers, to try it. Spend some time with your someone, and read. See what it can do for you. For those of you who can still count yourselves as part of the singles club, never fear, you can still take advantage of the awesome science behind reading with another person. Share a novel with a best friend, your parent, anybody who you want to get to know better. You might be surprised by what you find.
With that, I must bid all of you fellow bookworms a goodnight,
Happy reading!
~Angie~