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The books are almost always better than the movies. At least, I can't think of one example where the movie is better. Sure, sometimes the movies are as good as the books, but then watching the movie has (most likely) spoiled the pacing of the book for you. Or it's made you imagine the characters in a way you never would've. Or it's just made you less likely to read the book. 

Well, you will think to yourself, I have watched the movie, which is almost like—nope, no don't even finish the thought. Instead, let's all make the commitment to read those books before we watch their movie adaptions.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, you might be wondering if you and your beau should visit somewhere special. The question is where. Paris? Overrated. Rome? Whatever. Vienna? It’s just okay. We all know the best romantic destinations aren’t an expensive plane ride away—they’re in the pages of our favorite books.

Of course, the romance between a reader and these literary places is a bittersweet one, for we must admire them only from afar. But what if we were able to jump into our favorite books, à la Pagemaster style? Where would be your first pick?

As your literary travel agent, allow me to list a few excellent options:

What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?

Well, maybe you’d keep reliving the same day until you changed something about (dun dun dun) yourself, and something something inspirational. We’ve all seen the movie: Groundhog Day. Soon it will be February 2^nd again, and some kind of creature… badger… thing will predict six more weeks of winter or (hopefully) an early spring.

Charlie Brown had a special for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and even celebrated Arbor Day, but he somehow failed to honor this singularly important day. So as it gets closer, take some time to really appreciate the one movie that does it justice, and respects the importance of oversized rodents—not to mention the increasingly popularized use of time loops in fiction. Yet there are many other examples of this trope from literature that remain largely unrecognized.

In honor of Bill Murray and groundhogs everywhere who find repeating time less suicidally funny and more unnerving, following are a few of the best examples:

January 2nd is unofficial National Science Fiction Day. Ever hear of a guy named Isaac Asimov? He was only one of the most famous science fiction writers of his time, which is why Sci-Fi Day is celebrated on his birthday! He also had some pretty impressive sideburns. Now, no one actually seems to be certain of the exact date he was born, including Asimov himself, but he chose to celebrate it on January 2nd and someone down the line decided to celebrate science fiction on the same day. 

Questionable origins aside, what is one to do on a National Science Fiction Day? Read, of course! What could be better than dedicating a day to reading all those books you got for Christmas? In honor of Mr. Asimov and sci-fi writers and readers everywhere, here’s a list of my favorite sci-fi novels, as well as some sci-fi classics that I plan to pick up and enjoy on January 2nd.

January 2nd is unofficial National Science Fiction Day. Ever hear of a guy named Isaac Asimov? He was only one of the most famous science fiction writers of his time, which is why Sci-Fi Day is celebrated on his birthday! He also had some pretty impressive sideburns. Now, no one actually seems to be certain of the exact date he was born, including Asimov himself, but he chose to celebrate it on January 2nd and someone down the line decided to celebrate science fiction on the same day. 

Questionable origins aside, what is one to do on a National Science Fiction Day? Read, of course! What could be better than dedicating a day to reading all those books you got for Christmas? In honor of Mr. Asimov and sci-fi writers and readers everywhere, here’s a list of my favorite sci-fi novels, as well as some sci-fi classics that I plan to pick up and enjoy on January 2nd.

December 8th is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. (Yes, this is an actual day people celebrate). Essentially, you dress up as someone from the past or the future and go about your day pretending you don’t belong. You know, stare in awe at automatic doors or lament over the lack of hover cars.

Don’t feel bad if you, like the rest of the world, had no idea about this important holiday, because now’s your chance to celebrate—with reading! If you would like to be a part of this magical and Doctor Who-esque celebration, but have no real desire to run around your office or campus garnering a questionable reputation, I have some good news: you can let others do the time-traveling for you and enjoy it all from a safe distance! The literary Delorean awaits!