Reading As Religion

Julia Jackson cherishes her communion with books:

Religion or spirituality (or whatever word you prefer) gives us another way to inhabit a person’s perspective. As much as religion is about connection to God (or whatever word you prefer), it is also about forging a connection to other human beings—how to act in a socially responsible way, how to discuss things that are Real or True, how to feel we are not doomed to die alone—which is why [author Gary Shteyngart] likened reading to a "quasi-spiritual experience." … When I read a real book, I am forcing myself to follow one stream of thought—that which the author committed to paper. In today’s world, this simple act is meditative, even transcendent.