Growing up, reading was always one of my favourite pastimes. From the Harry Potter series and Maze Runner series to the Divergent and Hunger Games trilogies (as you can see, I loved a good teen dystopian/fantasy novel), I loved being able to pour into a good book. With all the world-building, captivating plot lines and diverse characters to discover between the pages, reading was a great way to escape from the stressors of reality.
However, once I entered university, I found myself reading less and less to the point where I eventually just stopped completely. From having to keep up with the many mandatory academic readings to spending the majority of my time and energy in lectures and completing assignments, I tricked myself into believing that I was too busy to enjoy reading for fun. My love for reading, what was once a favourite pastime of mine, waned into nothing.
I recently made an effort to try and rekindle my love for reading, but I would be lying if I said I found it easy. I didn’t know where to start. There’s so many kinds of books, genres, tropes, styles of writing and so on—and an in-flood of opinions about them all. For me, I’ve learned to stay away from the TikTok recommendations. Don’t get me wrong, finding book recommendations on TikTok (or any social media platform) can still be an easy, effective way to see all the trending books that fellow readers have been loving. However, especially when I was trying to find two feet to stand in the reading world again, I found ‘BookTok,’ the corner of TikTok where users passionately discuss books, a bit overwhelming. Because of TikTok, I was either opting to purchase books that are the latest trend (and often overhyped) instead of picking up ones I’m genuinely drawn to and interested in. Otherwise, I would finish a book that was receiving a lot of buzz and absolutely love it only to see videos from others that shred it—and my love for it—to pieces. This was a disastrous cycle that always sent me right into a reading slump.
To actually find joy in reading again, I needed to not get so hung up on the opinions of others. No more guilt and second-guessing for not liking a book others did. No more shame or embarrassment for liking a book others didn’t. After reading a book, I could hold the reviews of others without it dictating my own. In embracing this mindset, I’ve been able to rediscover my love for reading because I’m focusing on my own enjoyment of a story, regardless of its reception by others.
It’s such a blessing to be able to get lost in a good book. And when it comes to reading, you’re the one that gets to define what’s “good.”