This worthy holiday is celebrated on August 9th of each year. While most days reading can feel like a guilty pleasure, today you have permission to read to your heart’s content without any culpability whatsoever. Here are some ways to consider observing this special day (or week, if you want the joy to last longer).

• Set aside an hour (or several!) to read in your favorite spot.
• Make or buy a sinful treat to devour along with your book.
• Write a list of the titles you’ve been wanting to read.
• Try reading a different genre than you typically do.
• Dust off your shelves and books.
• Read to someone: a child, a senior, or an animal.
• Visit a library or bookstore.
• Read a book simultaneously with your best friend. Discuss your reactions after each chapter.
• Write a kind book review.
• Read your favorite scriptural story.
• Donate or regift the books you are done reading.
• Write down your child’s reading wish list, then request the books at the library.
• See how many different formats you can read in one day: paper or hardback, audiobook, eBook, a foreign film with subtitles, etc.

These are just a few of my ideas. I’m positive there are many more you can think of on your own or find in a quick search. The point is that reading can be a fun and flexible activity; it does not have to be done in a certain place or in a particular way each time. But one thing is for sure: on Book Lover’s Day, we should all be grateful for the many ways reading can enhance our lives, especially when it strengthens our relationship with our children.

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