With the emphasis on electronics, the tradition of giving books has gone out of vogue, at least in some parts of the world. Not so in Iceland. Books are considered a precious present for the holidays. How can you make this sweet tradition a part of your family's holiday season?

If we are readers, we read books constantly. Even if we are not readers, we read, constantly. Directions, signs, pamphlets, work product, labels, textbooks, novels, and reviews all count as reading. Why should you read? What are the benefits of reading? Here are 25 of them, in no particular order.

BookBub alerts readers to offers that are deep discounts on books. Their daily member emails offer me about a dozen deals on books. Some are free. The others are usually $2.99 and under. It's easy to sign up. Just go to the website and follow the prompts. I love my daily BookBub emails!

Cooking with your kids is a fun way to encourage them to get in some reading practice. Cooking allows children to read, work with fractions, and follow directions. It give families a chance to have special time together to do meaningful work as they are using reading for life's activities.

Recently, I saw a meme on Facebook that horrified me. It claimed that 42% of college graduates never read a book after they graduate. Once their formal education is over, college graduates don't see why reading books is relevant to their lives. Why it important for adults to read books?

Do you have a young friend who likes to read, color, trace letters, and work paper puzzles? What do I mean by paper puzzles? Those would include mazes, word searches, and crossword puzzles. The "Harry the Happy Mouse Activity Book" has all of these activities, and it would be a perfect present.

Ella Autie by Catlaina Vrana is an informational picture book about autism that is written and illustrated by a young autistic woman. With charming illustrations and forthright text, it tells the story of a 4th grade girl with autism. The book shows how understanding autism can lead to friendship.

Too often the media portrays minority families as sad and broken. This book shows a loving, vibrant African-American family that is joyously spending time together. Trish Cooke's book has simple sentence structure with easy-reader words, positive messages, and Paul Howard's glorious illustrations.

The Gifting, The Awakening, and The Gathering are books in a series written by K. E. Ganshert for the Young Adult market, but they can be enjoyed by adults, too. This series is a page turning adventure in reading. The series has action, a sweet romance, and is filled with the supernatural. WOW!

A baby comes attached to a parent's hopes and dreams of what they wish that baby's life could be. Whether the parent thinks about it, or not, the success of most of those dreams hinges on whether that little baby grows up to be an effective reader. What makes a baby love reading?