Aside from improving your reading ability, reading modern French books can also help improve your French in other ways. Reading, in general, will help improve your vocabulary as it will introduce you to many new words and phrases. Also, it’s sometimes easier to learn the meaning of words through context, which reading can help you with. Reading modern French books will help you better understand modern French slang and expressions. It’s easier to pick up the meaning of a French idiom if you see it used in a sentence or a paragraph. French authors use a lot of idioms in their work, so you’re sure to be able to see examples of common French idioms while reading. If you want to get a glimpse into modern French life and the way French speakers think and feel about certain topics, reading about their lives and the opinions they have is also a great way to learn. Modern French books can provide you with glimpses into these topics and more.