As the beloved author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling once said, "Words are, in my not-so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."

In thinking about my own life as a reader and my personal journey into becoming active with using my Goodreads account, I know this has been true for me. I can't imagine what life would be like without my books and without Goodreads. They now both have become ingrained in my life so deeply that it's hard for some people to tell where the books stop and I begin.

I would like to think I would be a good example to other people (like my younger brother) to be constantly reading; this is simply not the case. My younger brother won't even touch books unless they are about baseball, and even then it's a gamble with him.

So, in light of all that I've just said, I'd love to tell you about the joys of reading and the benefits of using Goodreads to track your reading habits now and in the future.

1. Using Goodreads to as your main source of reading allows you to use a book to escape to new world.

and it doesn't cost a security pat-down at the airport either. Exploration of planets you've never set foot on becomes a newfound reality for you as you step through the pages of your favorite book about space. Mermaids sing to you, (hopefully not in a way that lures your ship into a watery grave), and you can fly with the aid of pixie dust all throughout a magical land of lost boys and wonder.

Finding love has never been easier! Just pick up a romance novel and you're whisked away into the arms of Prince Charming instantly. I could go on and on about the adventures you could experience, however, I think I've made my point pretty clear. Reading takes you places, and whether or not they're imaginary, it feels good.

2. Reading can be done as a social activity, and with the help of social sites like Goodreads.

It has never been easier to start or join a book club! I love explaining Goodreads to other people. I always say, "It's like Facebook for bookworms. It tells you things you might like to read, allows you to add friends, and holds you accountable for the reading goals you've set for yourself on a regular basis."

I'm really into the social aspects of Goodreads too, like how you can formulate or join a group of readers into a virtual book club, of sorts. Reading can also be done socially in terms of if you're reading silently or out loud. Many libraries have these reading programs where college students can read to younger kids, and if nothing else there's usually a librarian conducting a story time for children.

Reading can also be a conversational piece, and recommending books or discussing them with others is an important part of the bookworm process. Not to mention that going to a bookstore alone can be boring, but if you bring a friend along then you both can enjoy each other's company and browse together through shelves that could have something to get the two of you talking.

3. Goodreads also has cool, interactive features.

once you've read 20 books and rated each of them, then Goodreads actually sends you ideas of what to read next based on what you've already read and liked. Goodreads also allows you to recommend books to other people, based on what they like and what you suggest that fits their desired category. You are also allowed to ask the authors on there questions about their books, more often than not. I remember thinking that was about the coolest thing ever, having the ability to start a dialogue with the actual authors.

4. The site or app offers the opportunity to make reading goals.

One way to do this is to make a reading challenge goal for how many books you want to read that year in particular. I always tend to set my goal pretty low at the start of the year while I gauge what is realistic to have as my goal. (Then I can always change it later, based on my reading pace and how keen I am to keep reading in that certain year.)I've reached my yearly goal, but I've never exceeded it. Perhaps this will be my year of literary personal records! I feel like I've been reading more lately, so it's entirely possible.

Goodreads also does not have a minimum for how high you want to set your goal. Whether you want to read 2 or 200 books in a year, Goodreads does an awesome job of keeping you on pace to meet your goal by prompting you to read more or take your time because you're on point with your pacing. I've had a lot of my motivation for reading come from the pace tracker, actually. When I log into Goodreads and see that I'm 3 books behind schedule, for example, I want to read more to catch up.

Alternatively, it's refreshing to know when I'm on pace to reach my reading goal for the year; it makes me feel accomplished in an important and unique way that I can use for motivation later on down the road.

Since I started using Goodreads to track the books I am reading or have finished, I have definitely noticed an increase in my reading appetite to where I can't go to a library or bookstore and come home empty-handed. I want to surround myself with books constantly; the people I read about in books are the best friends I've ever had.

Together, we make all efforts to survive the trials and travesties of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When people like my brother are not as motivated as I am to read new books and go on adventures, that motivates me even more to delve deeper into the pages of my favorite books all over again. In a world that favors a screen to a page, be not afraid to stand out and prefer the page to the screen.

Next time you go to the library bring home a book like you're bringing home a friend from out of town who is here to visit you. Another way to engage with social media is through Goodreads. (Consider that the next time you update your status on Facebook.) Whatever way you do it, just be sure to do it!

Read on.