Nancy Pearl says it better than I can:

"Reading has always brought me pure joy. I read to encounter new worlds and new ways of looking at our own world. I read to enlarge my horizons, to gain knowledge of others and myself, and to experience beauty and sadness. I read to find myself and lose myself. I read for company and for escape. I read to meet other people and enter their lives—for me, a way of vanquishing the “otherness” we all experience."

If you enjoy reading, you will love her books and website:
http://nancypearlbooks.wordpress.com/about/