Currently I'm in the middle of 5 books. There are 2 in my gym bag. One on my night stand. Another on the coffee table, and I'm not sure, but I think the other is lurking somewhere in the back of the van next to a frozen travel mug of coffee and some pistachio shells. The point is not that I'm a slobby pig, though I do have my moments. What I'm saying is that I'm a reader, and you should be too. Why?

Top 5 Scientific Reasons to Read

#1. Reading enhances your brain capacity.
No matter how many brain cells you killed as a rebellious teen, when you read something new, your brain creates space to store it. Then you can access that information should the need arise.

#2. Reading expands your vocabulary.
Tired of sounding like you're a fourth-grade drop-out? The more you read, the more words you will discover. The more words you discover, the more they become your own and you'll use them in your own writing and speaking.

#3. Reading fiction makes you a real human.
Don't settle for being a puppet made of wood. The University of Buffalo concluded in a study that fictional story lines open you up to new emotions and feelings, enabling you to empathize with others.

#4. Reading is cheaper than therapy.
Is your life stuck on the crazy spin cycle? Behavioral researcher Cristel Russell states that reading can help with stress or turmoil occurring in your life and actually relaxes you. Sheesh. They needed a study to figure this out?

#5. Reading makes you smarter.
Not only does sticking your nose in a fat book make you look intelligent, it actually makes you a smarty-pants. A research paper by education professor Anne E. Cunningham cites that reading frequently not only helps you learn, but helps you to remember that knowledge later on in life.

So go ahead, read. It's not just a guilty pleasure. It's brain exercise.