When I was younger, reading was an academic achievement rather than a hobby. When the incentive to read was reaching a certain number of Accelerated Reading [AR] points, my criteria for a book was that it had to be worth a significant amount of progress toward the academic goal set by my school.
Once I entered middle school, the academic validation that came with reading disappeared. Eventually, when I got to high school, where completing assigned readings felt like torture, picking up a book was the last thing I wanted to do in my free time.
Then, COVID-19 happened, and I found myself looking for entertainment beyond my temporarily halted social interactions. Looking through my closet, I stumbled upon the first two Harry Potter books, which I never read because I had no real motivation until that moment. The boredom caught up with me, and there I was: opening up the book and flipping through each page.
Immediately after reading the two physical copies, I went onto the internet to search for free digital copies of the remaining books in the series. The books gave me a small reminder of the joy I used to get from entering a new world through words.
One book after another, I eventually read over 100 books during quarantine. Through trying out new recommendations from influencers on social media, my journey of falling in love with reading has come a long way!
While I now read as often as possible (which sometimes proves difficult when assigned readings are due first), I’ve reached a dilemma about what I enjoy reading. I pride myself on being unapologetic about the genre of books I enjoy (mainly romance and contemporary fiction); I also felt the urge to prove that I dabble in what others might call “intellectual books.” As much as I love classical literature, after reading Pride and Prejudice for one class and Ovid’s Metamorphoses for another, the last thing I want to do is read Crime and Punishment.
That’s not to say that I don’t have a list of classics that I’d like to read one day. I simply read whatever sounds appealing and what I know I’d have a good time reading. From avoiding books to itching to get home and finish a chapter, I’ve come to appreciate any book, regardless of its genre or potential “intellectual value.”
At the end of the day, I’ll continue doing what I love even if it’s different from what others enjoy — that doesn’t make it any less valuable.