Have you ever said or heard that someone who enjoyed reading is boring? That is not true. Someone who loves to read can have the best imagination out of everyone out there. They can imagine themselves as the main character and manage to put themselves into the story. This could be an escape from the world around them or be a way to dream of what they wish their life could have been. Loving to read does not mean you are willing to read everything out there. It might be that someone only likes reading books of their choice instead of school stuff.
After reading so many books about different topics can help you with having a bigger imagination. Reading about other people stories, whether they are fiction or non-fiction, can help you imagine the characters looking the way you want them to. Even though the author usually gives a description of the characters, the readers can still have their own imagination of exactly how they wish to imagine the characters. However, it isn't only the characters, it can also be places they are at and many other things. Authors want people to know how they imagine things in their story, but they make sure you are still able to picture things the way you want to. Having this imagination can help give you an escape from reality.
There are some people who have a difficult life and need to escape to a place where they can be who they want. Reading a book can help you do that. You can be in your room away from everyone and letting the story take over your mind. I have been in this situation before. I used to never enjoy being around people, so I would pick up a book a get lost in a whole other universe. I usually read sci-fi and fantasy books. These genres give me the most opportunities to use my imagination by involving magic and anything else that is fiction, but we all love it. When I was younger, I would always dream of having the same magical powers as the characters in the books had. I always knew it was impossible, but I still dreamed it and put myself in the story as the main character so that I could "have" these powers. Even though people love to read books, this does not mean they enjoy reading assigned reading for school.
People are always telling me, "if you love reading so much, then getting the assigned readings done for school should be a breeze." That isn't true. I hate reading textbooks or even normal books when I am forced to read them. Textbooks are usually so boring, and you can't use your imagination while reading. When there are regular books assigned for us to read each week, it is also difficult. The teachers usually make us answer questions and take notes on each chapter of the story. This takes away from the experience because you don't get the chance to put yourself in the story if you must keep stopping to answer questions or take notes. Not everyone who loves reading in their free time loves to read the assigned material for classes.
While I was in middle and high school, I was always reading. I constantly had a book with me, either a hard copy or on my kindle, and would immerse myself in the book any possible second I could. Those were the good old days. Since I started college, I have not had enough time to start and finish a book. I have so much work that I need to do before I can do my casual reading. Being an avid reader does not mean you enjoy every kind of reading, like me.