hit the books vs read

hit the books is not a noun while read is a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
hit the books	No	No	Yes	No
read	Yes	No	Yes	No

hit the books (noun)	read (noun)
	something that is read

hit the books (verb)	read (verb)
learn by reading books	interpret something that is written or printed
	look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed
	interpret the significance of, as of palms, tea leaves, intestines, the sky; also of human behavior
	make sense of a language
	be a student of a certain subject
	obtain data from magnetic tapes or other digital sources
	to hear and understand
	interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression
	indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments
	audition for a stage role by reading parts of a role
	have or contain a certain wording or form