Reading Vs Studying....

What are the fundamental things that form the basis of the distinguishing factor between "reading" and "studying"? I'll tell you what i think. They are the inexorable pressure, then the environmentally cutivated need to excel in your STUDies and a relentless pursuit to reach the pinnacle of the oft-used elusive word- "success". Another thing is the base level interest derived from both. Reading is something ones does purely out of self derived intrinsic pleasure- something that doesn't quite find it ally in it's close cousin- STUDIES . When you study, you do it invariably because you are forced to- because you are caught in that straighjacket of examination and competition from where it is well-nigh impossible to come out... When you study, you do it over and over again for that stuff to get etched in your mind till the time it needs to be blurted out in the white papers given in the examinations! You study and study till you get frazzled and then you give a self satisfied momentary smug grin when you get your marks. And then you derive the much needed fillip to study again and get into that vicious circle YET again. On the contrary, when you read,you do it because you want to, because it relaxes your mind, takes it away from the humdrum existence and gives you a sense of euphoria. It is as if you are in Shanri-la, wherein you are idylically happy with your life and get everything you want on a platter. When you read and you like reading, you look forward to the time you can go back to your books and start from where you have last left! You re-read your favorite books not out of compulsion, but out of sheer pleasure - the desire to go back to that state of blissful idyll...
I know that this comparison serves no purpose, really..For, as long as i am alive and kicking, i need to study..and study hard, for that matter. But then, the best part about my daily existence is when i go back to my favorite books and read them for some time, albeit they may be as small as 10 mins...Reading is fun, it really is..
This whole topic of reading makes me go into a state of deep nostalgic retrospection- back to those school days when i first started this habit- when i devoured those hardy boys, famous fives and the likes like anything...The choice has undergone a drastic change for sure, but then, i would always be thankful to my Dad who always encouraged me to read and the wonderful school library which provided me with an avalanche of books...They have given me the best gift of this life...:-)