The Great American Read may have ended on Tuesday, but we hope the passion for reading that has been promoted through this initiative doesn’t stop there.

Sponsored by PBS, the series, which was encouraged by Albert Lea Public Library and area schools, explored and celebrated the power of reading, told through America’s 100 best-loved novels.

According to the PBS website, The Great American Read investigated “how and why writers create their fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories and what these 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience.”

If you didn’t have a chance to take part in this initiative, we encourage you to take time out of your schedule to read and gain this love for yourselves.

Reading has many benefits, including stress reduction, stronger analytical thinking skills and even memory improvement — not to mention it can help you gain knowledge.

Reading can expand your vocabulary and improve your focus. Just like it is important to take part in exercises such as walking and running to keep our bodies strong, reading can help keep our brains strong.

Don’t think you have time to read? We encourage you to schedule it into your day. We think you’ll be interested to see how much you enjoy it and how much you look forward to that time each day.

We leave you with a quote from the famous American children’s author known as Dr. Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”