For me, a warm comfortable chair, a mug of coffee, sunlight slowly cascading through the closed curtains and a book in my hands is a small piece of heaven. Books have always been my go-to companions, friends and partners. I have been reading for as long as I can remember and it was my first hobby.

I remember how my parents would take me to Urdu Bazaar to buy for me dozens of books that fascinated me with their colourful covers and exciting titles. I began to fall in love the scent of new books.

It was exciting to read fiction and imagine it as real. As I read stories, moving pictures formed in my mind and I would imagine that I was one of the characters. Sometimes I would be Tom Sawyer on an adventure, or one of the Famous Five children who were always up to mischief. It was a beautiful escape from the monotonous, normal life. When I was young, we didn’t have Wi-Fi in our house, but reading helped me kill long hours of boring days and nights.

Reading countless books also helped with my English speaking and writing skills. Every week, I would go to the bookstalls on the sides of the roads and buy at least two or three books. I wanted to make a big library. Every hot summer afternoon, when I would come back from school tired and hungry, I would curl up in a chair with a snack and a book, and read until I fell asleep.

So my friends, if reading is not a habit with you, if you find it boring or if it seems like too much work, please take my word for it — just pick up any book you want, any book that looks interesting to you and read some pages, you will get hooked for sure.

I would recommend some of my favourite books for you all. For starters, read fiction. I loved the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The books spin an elaborate, adventurous and fun-filled tale of magic, school, friends and enemies, making it a lovely read. There are seven books in total and it is better to read them in the following order: The Philosopher’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows.

These books will completely transport you to a magical world and a school you will dream about going to. These books will surely keep you hooked and teach you a lot.

If you’re someone who loves a good cry, and like stories that touch your heart, then Khaled Hosseni is the man for you. He is my favourite writer and two of his books are my absolute favourites. The Kite Runner is the most beautiful and heart-touching book you will read. It will make you laugh, make you weep and make your hair stand on edge. Another of this great writer’s books is A Thousand Splendid Suns and it will break your heart, it is so good. However, this particular one is meant for a slightly older age group.

For those who love adventures and thrills, Suzzane Collins’ The Hunger Games Trilogy is recommended for you. With three books already published and a fourth one on the way, these books will change the way you think and teach you to stand up for yourself. Books are always so much better than the movie. The books are as follows: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay.

The Divergent Trilogy is also a wonderful series of books set in a dystopian society. Veronica Roth’s writing is simply mind-blowing and enchanting. The four books in this series are Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant and Four.

More books for younger children are the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl books,such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, Matilda (this one will definitely make you read more books) and James and the Giant Peach. More recommendations, for young adults, would be The Book Thief by Mark Zusack, Dan Brown books and Elif Shafak books.

Reading is a wonderful hobby which helps you grow mentally, emotionally and psychologically. Every book gives you an opportunity to learn new things and explore new ideas. Reading books increases your knowledge and makes you smarter. It not only helps you learn new things but widens your perspective and broadens your vision. You should all start taking small steps, buy a book, read a page or two, a whole chapter and gradually, with time, you will acquire and learn to love these pages penned by great, imaginative minds.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 11th, 2020