Laura McNeill | Six Reasons to Embrace Your Inner Book Nerd

Ever since I was a young girl, I’ve been a card-carrying, tiara-wearing,
zealous fan
of the written word. Though fiction is my favorite, I grew up reading
anything and
everything I could get my hands on. As an adult, I’m a member of two book
clubs, own
a full-to-capacity Kindle, and can’t find an inch to slip the slimmest of
paperbacks
on my bookshelves.

I’m guilty of staying up too late devouring final chapters. I’ve been known
to sit in
my driveway finishing the last few minutes of an audiobook. In the fall, my
favorite
accessory is an Alice in Wonderland scarf, setting off the bright red “I
read banned
books” pin on my briefcase.

Yes. I’m a book nerd, and proud of it.

Not so long ago, though, the term nerd was degrading and derogatory. Picture the thick glasses, pocket protectors, and high-water pants. Then, enter Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. Cue the unlikely, awkward, but adorable novel heroes like Augustus Waters in THE FAULT IN OUR STARSThe Fault in Our Stars, Park Sheridan in ELEANOR & PARK, and Kent McFuller in BEFORE I FALL.

We’ve come a long way, baby. And as we find ourselves mid-2015, can it be
that the
universe is finally blessing the brainy? Are we, as a human race, moving
toward
collective agreement that nerds are cool? I’ll answer with a resounding yes.
Long
live nerds.

So, whether you secretly read novels every night on your iPhone or you
haven’t been
to the library since 6th grade, it’s time to join the movement. Here’s why
embracing
your inner book nerd can make you happier, smarter, and more creative.

1. You’ll meet other people

Join a bookclub. Or three. Join one in your neighborhood, across town, or
online.
(Goodreads has a plethora, there are lists on MeetUp, or ask your local
librarian).
It’s like getting a new, awesome family, of your own choosing, made up of
literary
addicts and bibliophiles.

Not only will you meet new people, you’ll be gently forced out of your
comfort zone.
Maybe you’ll try dystopian fiction, fantasy, or sci fi. Maybe you’ll realize
there
was no good reason why you shunned Ayn Rand since high school. Maybe this
time,
you’ll actually finish Great Expectations.

The best part? The recommendations will start rolling in. You’ll hear, “You
have to
read this book,” or “This new author is amazing.” And your new reading
family will
tell you why. Listen closely. They know what’s they’re talking about.

2. You’ll have an instant escape

If you’ve been dreaming of Bali and want to visit Africa or the Greek Isles,
dig out
your library card. Just as Dr. Seuss promises, “Oh, the places you’ll go.”
Reading
gives you an escape anytime, anywhere.

Pick up a new book and allow the pages to whisk you away to a Tibetan
monastery, take
you up the winding steps of Machu Picchu, and give you a close up look at
Great
Barrier Reef sea life.

Books, like mini-time machines, can also vault you back to Colonial America,
Medieval
England, and Stalin’s Russia. Or fast-forward, and you’ll find yourself in
Veronica
Roth’s post-apocalyptic Chicago, Wayward Pines, Idaho, or Aldus Huxley’s
Brave New
World in London.

3. You’ll become open to new ideas.

Something wonderful happens when you lose yourself in the pages of a book.
Your mind comes alive, creativity flows, and your brain will generate fresh
ideas.
You might begin to look at life, and all of the situations you’ve lived
through, in
different ways. You’ll understand people, their emotions, and behavior, a
bit more.

At its best, reading engenders more empathy toward the human race. Books
help labels
and stigma fall away. After all, there’s so much more going on in the world
than
what’s outside our own windows. If we all read, maybe more people will start
joining
hands instead of drawing lines in the sand.

4. You’ll improve your intellectual IQ

Yes, reading can make you smarter. Researchers studying readers using MRI
technology
came to quite a few interesting conclusions. Not only does reading expand
your
vocabulary and improve your communication skills, it’s also an effective
memory
booster and enhances your ability to focus.

Dr. Anne Cunningham, a University of Berkeley professor of psychology,
discovered
that readers have a greater general knowledge and spot patterns more quickly
than
non-readers, an analytical skill that keeps your mind sharp. Comic books and
children’s picture books don’t count, however, the books must be complex
enough to
challenge your brain.

5. You’ll learn

If you’re an avid reader, you can absorb quite a bit in novels about
psychology,
relationships, behavior, culture, and of course, my favorite, how to fight
super
villains! All of that knowledge comes with a caveat—despite popular themes
(the good
guys always win, teams of misfits can outwit hardened criminals, etc.), the
stories
are fiction.

If you like focusing on facts, research, and experimentation, you’ll find
books on
psychology, sociology, and philosophy. Interested in politics and
government? Check
books written about current events, as well as out autobiographies and
memoirs.

I’ve recently discovered a love of historical fiction, and have learned more
than I
ever did in my high school history class about Hitler’s Germany, Mao’s
China, and the
French Revolution.

6. You’ll set a good example

If you have children, nieces or nephews, you probably know that their little
eyes see
everything. They memorize what you say and mimic what you do. This is your
chance to
set a great example.

I grew up in a household where reading was important and libraries were fun
places to
visit on weekends. We didn’t watch television, and as a consequence, neither
do my
children. We don’t subscribe to cable, and although Netflix and YouTube are
available, my boys rarely reach for the remote.

Convinced yet?

Let me put it this way. If being a book nerd is wrong, I don’t want to be
right. Go
ahead; tell Bill Gates you don’t want to be happier, smarter, and more
creative.

Now, grab your tiara and meet me at the library.

GIVEAWAY

Time to sound off; are you a book nerd? Leave a comment below and be entered for a chance to win a copy of CENTER OF GRAVITY.

About Laura McNeill

After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura McNeill moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to write full-time.

Her novels, known for their endearingly flawed characters, illuminate the
real life
struggles that touch us all.

A native of Upstate New York, she now lives in Mobile, Alabama, with her two
growing
boys.

Her debut novel, CENTER OF GRAVITY, will be published by
HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson
July 14, 2015.

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About CENTER OF GRAVITY

The truth could cost her everything.

Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure
up to her
mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his
adorable
son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true. In the blink of an
eye,
she’s married, has a new baby, and life is wonderful.

Or is it?

When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava
convinces
herself she can fix it. It's temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s
tragic
history of loss.

If only Ava could believe her own excuses.

Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows
more
controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is
recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at
something
far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces
together,
Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.

Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new
attorney in
town —Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But
will
finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?

CENTER OF GRAVITY weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem.