If you think you’ve seen everything that could possibly hit the road, you’re probably wrong. Mobile libraries are now going the extra mile in reaching underserved areas from all over the world, including Argentina, Mexico, and Kenya, along with some US territories. Read more about this advocacy for the importance of reading and education from Wathira Nganga’s article.

A handful of book titles from anticipated authors have already graced the bookshelves this fall. As it turns out, this was only a preview, a warm-up of sorts. Bookworms need to prepare their cravings for something bigger coming their way – October 2. Even more titles, fiction and non-fiction, are expected to be published on the said date. Publishers are already calling the day an exclusive holiday for book lovers. Get the titles and authors to watch out for from Carolyn Kellogg’s post fort he LA Times.

Avid readers know that there are books out there that can change your life; not just non-fiction but fiction as well. However, people who don’t read not only have no idea what they are missing, but show the steady decline of society as we know it. This week we talked about a number of topics including the fact that America has let reading become less important than TV and cell phones.

• Our first topic was “The 75 BooksEveryManShouldRead,” and these books ranged from funny to downright serious.
• Teenagers that are serious about heading to college will benefit from reading “100 Books Every High Schoo lStudent Should Read,” these should help themto get a head start on the classics before their freshman year begins.
• Books whether they are classics or modern fiction can have an impact on the readers lives. In “Five Books That Changed My Life,” Remy tells us what his five books are and the reasons they are important to him.
• In “25 Things I Learned From Opening A Bookstore,” we took a lighthearted look at the trials a bookstore owner went through and found that used bookstores are not as popular as they used to be.
• Books have fallen to the wayside in America and it is never more evident than in Ransom Riggs “Who Reads Books?”. Statistics for reading after college are appalling.
• We wrapped things up this week with “Tips For Getting Your Teenager To Read.” With the advent of cell phones, video games, and computers it’s hard to pin your teen down enough to open a good book; hopefully these tips will help.

Face it, in today’s world of advanced technology, reading has all but become extinct. Sure, your teenager will read a book if it is “required” that they do so, but when was the last time you actually saw your teen pick up a book and read for entertainment?
With all of the electronics available today it’s no wonder that good old-fashioned reading has fallen by the wayside. In “25 Things I Learned From Opening A Bookstore”, the art of lost reading is looked at in a lighthearted manner by the author, but shows just how far our society has fallen when it comes to reading a good book.

If we as parents and educators want our teenagers to read then there are a few tips to make it interesting that need to be followed:
Make the reading material interesting to your teen. There are many authors such as J.K Rowling and Stephanie Meyers, who have made an impression on the young adult scene, and many adult writers have moved into the young adult genre as well. The key is to choose books that your teen will be interested in, not books that you would like. Teenagers are their own people; they may not want to read the same things that you do.

I cannot stress the importance of letting them see you read. It’s not enough to tell your teen how important it is to read; you need to lead by example. Try setting a time everyday for family reading; just one hour will make more of a difference than you think. You don’t have to read the same book or read aloud; just sit and read as a family. Reading is great for quiet time and for getting your teen interested in something besides TV and computers.

Teenagers love to interact with other kids their own age; sign your teen up for a teen book club. Chances are that the kids in these book clubs are avid readers and positive role models as well. Every now and then ask your kid about the book they are reading, discuss it with them, and discuss a book you are reading as well. You’ll be surprised at how excited you can both get about a good book.
There are many tips out there to help you get your teenager to develop a love for books. The statistics in Ransom Riggs “Who Reads Books?” are sad. Don’t let your teenager become one of these statistics; encourage them to read!

It almost seems that recent generations have not been taught the value of a good book. Statistics show that over half of the population doesn’t buy books after college, much less finish one. In Ransom Riggs “Who Reads Books?”, he examines a few of these statistics and ask some pretty serious questions. My question is, is society too lazy to read anymore or just too dumb to realize what they are missing?

If you have always wanted to open a bookstore, or even if you already have, there are a few things that you can learn from “25 Things I Learned From Opening A Bookstore.” The blog is a light-hearted look at the things that happen when you own your own bookstore with an underlying concern that maybe, just maybe, avid reading is becoming a thing of the past. Some of the points are comical, but a few will strike a chord in serious readers everywhere.

Everyone who loves the written word has books that have inspired them and changed their lives. Whether they are classics such as “Where the Wild Things Are,” or a book from the horror genre such as “Salem’s Lot,” everyone has at least one book that has made them think. In Remy’s “Five Books That Changed My Life,” he shares with us what those five books are, and the reasons behind them.

The best way that a student can prepare for college is to get a head start on their reading. Literary classics will always have a place in learning, so why not get started on reading them before that first day in class? In “100 Books Every High School Student Should Read,” you will find many of the famous, and not-so-famous authors, but all of them are worth reading and interesting as well. From George Orwell’s “1984,” to Johnathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels,” high school students will be educated, as well as entertained, with these classics.

There are many books that men should read, but these 75 are at the top of the list. In “The 75 Books Every Man Should Read,” you will find books by authors such as Raymond Carver, John Steinbeck, and Phillip Roth. The authors share meaningful stories about men, women, war, peace, jobs, and everything else under the sun. Okay, maybe they are not all meaningful, but they are must-reads for men anyway.