I love reading. I’ve loved it since I was a child. I used to read prolifically then and I read prolifically to this day. Books have always had a magical hold on me, just like I’ve often had a magical hold on them… at the library muhaha >:).
It is amazing how words on the page can end up being so adventurous. I like to call it verbal alchemy, the ability to transform thoughts into words. Seriously, think how extraordinary reading and by extension writing are. You have a thought in your head, and you were able to turn it into the written word. That word and all the other ones around it are read by someone, and they’re able to take this thought and let it enter their mind. There’s no visual support, there is no auditory support, you can’t smell or taste the writing. Yet somehow you’re able to create this fantastic visual in your own head about what you’re reading.
I think reading is the most important thing I’ve done in my life. So much of what I’ve learned has come from reading. So much of my personality and my passions come from the things that I read. In fact, I think if I hadn’t read as much as I have, I’d be much more boring person. I definitely wouldn’t be me.
I’ve tried to read widely, from nonfiction to fiction, from autobiographies to business books, from history to self-help, from fantasy to sci-fi. Each book has left a mark on me, something that I will always carry with me. Fiction books have arguably taught me more than my nonfiction books, because they take my mind on an adventure that’s hard to beat. Fiction, especially novels, are the ultimate study in psychology. It’s amazing what you can learn about people from reading such writing.
I’m a big fan of re-reading books, both fiction and nonfiction. I re-read books because some are just that powerful. It feels almost inevitable that if a book had a big impact on me on first read, I’m going to end up picking it up at least one more time. If a book was so good that it taught me something the first time, why not learn something new for a second or third or fourth time? Like I said: it’s inevitable.
One of the other reasons I read is a more recent one. Over the last year, I’ve been doing a lot more writing, including writing that I publish. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and I always suspected that my love of reading was the most important reason for that. I find that there are times recently that I’ll start looking at how the author writes, dissecting prose and tone. I read when I’m looking for the a bit of inspiration, and I end up with a style that’s distinctly mine but integrates all the different influences I’ve had.
I would encourage everyone to read regularly. I know many of us stop reading the second we leave school, but I think those of us who do that are missing out by doing that. You don’t need to become a prolific consumer of autobiographies or business books. There’s no need to treat reading as some chore on some undefined road to “becoming better”. A lot of nonfiction is sloppy self-help in my opinion (and I include autobiographies and business books in that). Don’t torture yourself. Instead, pick up a fiction book and see where it takes your mind. Fiction is really important in my opinion. Even though it’s “made up”, it often teaches us how much about ourselves and our fellow humankind (without the preachiness). 10 minutes a day of reading will take you very far, I promise.
I’m at a point now where I write a lot. I write about my mental health (and illness), I write poetry, and I write essays, both short and long. I try to write as much as I can every single day. I read books on writing and on writing inspiration. I continue to read and hope that I can learn a little bit every day and how to be a better writer myself. However, as much as I love it, I don’t read to write.
I read because it brings me endless jjoy. I read because reading, more than any person or place, has made me who I am. I read because I hope to capture that magic that comes with reading a sentence that fills your soul and leaves you both fulfilled and wanting oh so much more.
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