Rediscovering My Love of Reading

I had the startling realization last week that this is my sixth year studying literature in the world of academia. Before entering this world, I faithfully read classics all throughout high school— The Great Gatsby (and really anything by F. Scott Fitzgerald), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, poems by Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, and more. My love of the classics led me to want to study English, and I eventually earned a degree in English literature. Since I am now getting my master’s in English, I, of course, always get the question “So you must like to read, right?” And while this is true, academia actually made me lose interest in reading for a while. It’s only been in the last few months that I have made an effort to rediscover my love of reading. 

Reading used to be a cozy activity for me. It used to be extremely common for me to sit down with a book and finish it in one sitting. If, however, I wasn’t jiving with a book, I would take a break from it and come back to it at another time. Looking back on this time, I realize that my love of reading was fueled by the feeling of being transported to another world, and meeting interesting and dynamic characters. A large part of my love of reading was getting to choose what I read and the pace at which I read it. 

Upon entering college, however, I discovered that reading as an English major isn’t necessarily “cozy.” You don’t get to just sit back and enjoy a book, but rather you have to critically examine the text. While it is important to expose yourself to authors, stories, and genres that you might not normally gravitate towards, it’s hard to sit down and read a book in a week that you are simply not interested in. Don’t get me wrong, there were books and poems that I read during college that I enjoyed, but all in all, my love of reading for pleasure and for myself dwindled. 

When my first year of graduate school ended this past spring, I made the decision that I wanted to read for myself over the summer. After getting a library card and making a new Goodreads account, I found myself excited to read. Most of what I’ve been reading has been fantasy and romance, with a bit of historical fiction and Young Adult books mixed in, and I’m loving it. I love carrying books around in my purse in case I get a few minutes to read. I love that reading a couple of chapters is now part of my nightly wind-down routine before bed. I love being able to sit down and read the majority of a book in one sitting. 

There is great value in literature and analyzing that literature; however, I’m having to remind myself that just because someone says a book is “great” or a “classic,” does not mean that I have to enjoy it. It’s okay to enjoy books that perhaps others in academia would consider “silly” or “worthless.” And it’s okay because I finally feel like I’m reading for myself again, rediscovering my love of books, and remembering why I have dedicated my studies and life to literature.

Follow along to see what I'm reading and how I'm getting back into my favorite hobby!