Throughout the past few weeks, the news has been filled with violence and injustice — the attacks in Bangladesh and at the Orlando night club, the shootings between police officers and civilians, and the lynching in Atlanta. This violence in the news portrays the world as seemingly scary, one that we want to escape. Physically, we cannot escape the world we live in, but mentally, we can try everything possible to escape this world.

I’m not saying we should feign ignorance or naivety. But divulging our minds and our hearts into books and stories and poetry is a good way to distract ourselves from the pain that is reality. Reading allows us to dive into a world different than our own, along with numerous other benefits.

You meet new people.

There is nothing like going to a coffee shop and seeing someone enjoying one of your favorite books. Or standing in line at Barnes & Noble and seeing the person in front of you holding the same book you have.

You find a way to bond with people you already know.

One of my favorite things in the world is getting a text that reads, “Hey, I want to get into reading. Is there anything you’d recommend for me?” or, “I loved that book you lent me! Is there another one I can borrow?” When I give someone a book of mine, they aren’t just getting a book, they’re getting the all-nighters I pulled while reading it and the annotations that seem to be on every page. By loaning and borrowing books, you are bonding with these people and preparing yourself for hours of theme-debating.

You learn new words.

Every book that I’ve read has had a plethora of words that were unfamiliar to me. Even if I didn’t have a dictionary available to me at the time, I was often able to use context clues to decipher the meaning of the word.

You have an easy way to pass the time.

A book is one of the most portable items you can own. Almost all of my books, with the exception of longer, hardcover ones (aka: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"), can fit into either my purse or my small backpack that I usually take with me. And on the rare occasion that I don’t have room to bring a book with me, it is very easy to download library books onto your phone with apps like Overdrive.

You gain perspective.

Whether you’re reading nonfiction or short stories, you can always gain a new perspective of life through stories. Reading gives insights into other cultures, new ways of thinking, and fantasies we could never have imagined on our own. Whether your protagonist is from a different century, culture, or country, seeing the world through their eyes will help you gain a better understanding of people throughout the world.

You have a reduced chance of getting Alzheimer’s.

Studies have shown that reading helps to keep you mentally stimulated, which can help to slow the progress of, or even prevent, formation of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Keeping your brain active keeps it healthy, just as exercise keeps your muscles healthy.

You become more compassionate.

Through reading, you gain insights and understanding into the character’s lives and feelings, which helps you relate more easily with others in real life. This ability to relate allows you to be more compassionate and empathetic towards people in your life.

You find a safe way to escape.

We live in a depressing world, where many people use alcohol, drugs or other people to escape from reality. In the escape through stories, you find a safe way to flee from the world. You mentally bond with the characters you grow and take on adventures with, and you find that you have a family. Through books, you always have a different adventure to take on and different people to escape with.

“I live in two worlds. One is a world of books. I’ve been a resident of Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale aboard the Pequod, fought alongside Napoleon, sailed a raft with Huck and Jim, committed absurdities with Ignatius J. Reilly, rode a sad train with Anna Karenina, and strolled down Swann’s Way.” — Rory Gilmore, "Gilmore Girls"