If you read the above statement and wondered why the town of Reading is so important, you may well be in need of some light reading far more than you realise. In an age where entire conversations can be had without the use of vowels and where acronyms rule supreme, many people are struggling to have a full grasp of the English language.

On top of this, the vast array of television channels now on offer means that we have far more choice of what we can watch but that we find far less quality in the majority of programmes that are aired. Therefore, being garnished with genuinely edifying and enlightening information is becoming less and less likely.

Reading gives us access to a wealth of information and ideas that may be otherwise unavailable to us. Unlike the simplicity and frivolity of the online world, reading a book will often challenge our way of thinking and offer up interesting or subversive ideas for us to consider and in turn allow us to break free from limited thinking.

Yet, these are not the only reasons that everything from crime books to non-fiction tomes are now more important than ever. In this expeditious age of multi-tasking, immersing oneself in a book is often the one chance for people to truly let themselves go and give focus to one thing above everything else. It promotes peace and lets the body and mind actually relax as opposed to being constantly pulled in numerous directions.

It is also easier to get books than ever before, and whilst e-books may seem like a great idea, they don’t promote the same retreat from the brouhaha around us that real books do. Finding new or second hand books online is easy and gives people the chance to really expand their horizons whilst genuinely pulling themselves away from the constant need to do as many things as possible simultaneously.