October kicks off an observance dear to the heart of any writer–National Book Month.

Our house is crowded with spaces that look like this:

Our shelves are filled with classics, self-help manuals, and keeper fiction, and we love to browse bookstores for new additions. A trip to the library is like a visit to one of those “Taste of” food fests, except that admission is free. I love books, and fortunately, so does my husband.

Growing up, reading a book was more than entertainment, more than a glorious escape from the mundane.  Books took me to places I’d never been and allowed me to see the world through the eyes of other people. Books gave me a greater understanding of my interests, my needs, and my dreams.  As an adult working in a high-stress job, grabbing a book by a familiar author was a far more reliable means of escape than a Hollywood movie.  And as I wrote about in a post earlier this year, books keep my brain healthy!

We all have the gift of imagination, and I’d lay odds that almost every person who enjoys shaping thoughts into written words has a book in him or her. If that’s you, put your thoughts together this October, sign up at NaNoWriMo.org and spend November getting those words on paper. If you’re using a computer to read this, you have all the tools you need—and if not, paper and pen still work!

What’s that you say, all the stories have been told? Imagine if J.K. Rowling had said that. Imagine the world without Harry Potter!

Happy National Book Month, and if you have no interest in writing a book, please pick one up and let it transport you .