National Book Month is celebrated every year in October.
Perhaps you’re not a fan of books, or think that books, particularly those in old-fashioned print form, are passe. Well, here are a few benefits to reading books that hopefully might help

• A March 2025 article by Abigail Wise in the magazine Real Simple argues that there are many science-backed benefits to reading print books, including that it helps with memory and brain function, it increases comprehension and empathy, it improves your sleep and it can even increase your lifespan.
• A 2024 Psychology Today blog post by Heather Artushin (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/well-read/202402/the-case-for-paper-books-vs-e-readers) argues that reading old-fashioned paper books is better for your mental health overall than reading a screen. Artushin argues comprehension is better with physical books than e-readers and reading physical books before bed instead of e-readers is better for quality sleep.
• A Yale University School of Public Health study in 2016 found a link between reading and increased lifespan.

Type in benefits of reading a book in a Google search and you’ll come up with a myriad of other results as well.
The National Book Foundation (https://www.nationalbook.org) is the main force behind the National Book Month celebration, and they also release the nominations for the annual National Book Awards in October as well. The Madison College Libraries consistently have added those award winners, as well as other book award winners, to our collection. For example, the 2024 National Book Award winner, James by Percival Everett, which is also this year’s University of Wisconsin Big Read selection, can be found in a couple of our campus libraries.
Also, from Oct. 23-26 in Madison is the annual Wisconsin Book Festival (https://www.wisconsinbookfestival.org/about) featuring local and national authors, and it also sponsors other events throughout the year. Many of the books featured at that festival also are in or will make their way into our collection.
We still have stacks of physical books in our libraries, and if you’re looking for a suggestion on a print book to read, just ask any of the Madison College librarians who would be happy to suggest a title or genre based on your interests. You might even find that the librarians are excited to talk about book suggestions. Don’t want to talk to a librarian, but still want some reading suggestions? – Check out the reader advisory sites at https://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/fictionandliterature.
In addition to books you can check out from our libraries, you can also buy some books from the ongoing Truax Library Book Sale for a dollar or less.