Are You a Reader?

who is a reader? so, go on, tell me. who is a reader? some one who reads. hmmmm. lets see, a reader is some one who READS. define read. aha... that's where our opinions (or point of views )come in. reading something can be reading anything. the newspaper, magazines, newsletters. there are book-orientated reads too; fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, sci-fi, thriller. what makes someone who reads a reader?

well, i am a bit confused too. when i started this post, i was thinking to write HOW TO BE A GOOD READER, but then again, i got mixed up and ended up with this topic. it intrigues me too. what makes one a reader? is that by merely reading the sentences, paragraphs, short stories or novels that you become a reader. isn't there so much more to be a reader?

a reader is one that understands the writer, connects with the book, appreciates the style, admires the prose, and most importantly, loves reading. just reading a book does not make you a reader. (my teacher, would not agree on this, but what the heck) i mean seriously, if that is the case, then everyone can be a reader.

this lack of acknowledgement to the real readers make them one of the communities that are facing extinction. this reminds me of a post by Sharon bakar. here it is. according to the national literacy thrust which recently did a survey of 30000 pupils in UK, it proves that :

... children's reading habits slump dramatically after they start at
secondary school. The typical eight-year-old reads nearly 16 books a year but,
by the time they reach 15 or 16, this has dwindled to just over three books per
year. The big drop-off starts after the first year of secondary school, when the
number of books read falls from nearly 12 a year to just
six.

so people, don't just stand there watch readers extinct. go and grab a book (of a genre you like, of course) and start reading. a wise man (i forgot his name) once said, reading is the only tool that unlocks the world.