These are just two quotes from an article on NPR's website,  see the full article here.

As well as positively impacting your child's language development books open the door to shared joyous experiences, in the early weeks, months and years providing endless opportunities for fun.

A great thing about books is that they are so practical and portable, they can be taken and enjoyed anywhere and can provide a powerful distraction when needed.

Wonderfully, you don't need to buy a lot of books as they can be obtained free from your local library. Many libraries and some bookshops run 'story-time' sessions which can be scheduled into your weekly routine.

As children grow and language develops the book becomes a fabulous springboard for discussion, don't worry if the story is too long or complex, simplify it and tell you own around the pictures.

Provide a basket or shelf of books so that children from a very young age can also enjoy books by themselves. 

When the child moves from their cot into a bed a basket within reach, containing a few books (a bike basket can work well depending on the design of  the bed) and a simple reading lamp leads to hours of pleasure.