Happy March 1! It’s time to celebrate one of my favorite hobbies — reading.

In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March is designated as National Reading Month — a month to motivate Americans of all ages to read every day — according to charities.org.

Reading is fun and has many benefits, regardless of your age. It’s a key component of education and professional development, but it’s also enjoyable and there’s a book out there for everyone.

Reading can also benefit your health by increasing your cognitive function, memory, vocabulary, empathy, and decreased level of stress. In my case, it’s good for my mind as the fiction books I read tend to give me an escape from the stress and the other chaos in life.

I’ve enjoyed reading for as long as I can remember. Some of my fondest days of elementary school were the Scholastic Book Fair — an event in school celebrating reading by selling books and school supplies to kids. It’s probably one of the reasons I now want to walk around a bookstore for hours on end — and I do — because it gives me that same feeling.

And book buying is just part of the fun of being a reader.

But I’ve been reading since I was young, going to the library with my parents to check out the latest and greatest books for my age group at the time.

However, in high school, reading for enjoyment seemed to slow down for me, and in college, it came to a halt completely.

Being in school, there was always plenty of homework and reading assignments to do, and reading for enjoyment became less and less enjoyable.

Thinking about it now, it makes me sad that all those years I felt too bombarded with other things that something I love so much fell on the back burner.

Nonetheless, it has made me excited to really dive back into reading in the past couple of years. And it’s never too late to start a love for reading.

Since I finished college in the spring of 2023, I’ve read almost 80 books.

Part of me feels like that isn’t a lot, and, for that, I blame social media. I follow lots of accounts and Facebook groups filled with fellow readers who claim to read 200 to 300 books a year.

But the other side of me realizes that it’s actually quite an accomplishment, especially considering my years of hiatus from books and the fact that I’m maintaining a full-time job, social life, and completing plenty of other tasks.

So far this year, I’ve read 10 books, putting me two books ahead of my goal of reading 50 books this year. According to my book tracking app, StoryGraph, I’ve read over 5,200 pages. That’s a good feeling — seeing those numbers and working toward those goals.

Reading is so many things.

It’s something to work toward, making goals and reaching for them.

It’s a community, bringing people together in book clubs, at stores, shopping among those who share that love of reading, making friends at the mention of a certain title, author, genre, or even just being two people who like to read.

It’s educating. Even by reading books — like romance, fantasy, etc. — that don’t necessarily feel like they offer educational value — like history, autobiography, etc. — you’re still adding to your vocabulary, improving reading speed, increasing memory, and more.

It’s fun. There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book.

This month, encourage yourself and others to read more. Whether it’s your local newspaper (wink, wink), books, magazines, or whatever you choose to read, celebrate National Reading Month in any way you can.

Today, being the first day of March, consider setting a reading goal for yourself whether it’s minutes a day, books in a month/year, or a different attainable goal you’d like to achieve.

And there are plenty of ways to work toward achieving those goals.

Set aside time to read. Make it a daily or weekly habit. Put the phone down for a bit and try picking up a book instead. Visit the library or a local bookstore. Track your reading in a journal or app on your phone (there are plenty — I have four).

While reaching toward those goals, celebrate reading month with others.

Share your favorite stories with friends, family, or maybe even complete strangers. Encourage children to pick up a book and enhance their education or foster a love for literature. Start a book club. Buddy read. Donate books.

Whether you’re already an avid reader or you’ve never been able to get into it, try something new this reading month and promote reading as a key feature for learning, social, and professional development as well as a source of pure enjoyment. Who knows where it may take you?

Happy reading!

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.