When I think about reading, I thought I would forever exclusively listen to audio books because in the recent past I have had trouble keeping focused on sitting and physically reading a book.
What I didn’t take into account was that all of the books I was attempting to read were academic essays or textbooks for college. Even in high school, every book I was assigned for English class I needed an audio version to read along with to keep my attention focused on the content of the novels.
It wasn’t until my senior year of college when I decided to put the first Harry Potter book into my backpack to read in my down time on campus that I realized I did still have the capability of being drawn into and engrossed in a book by just reading it and not listening as well.
Since figuring this out, I have fallen back in love with books and creating the worlds described within them in my head. Rediscovering the feeling of falling head first and escaping into the characters and their journeys has been such a little victory and source of joy in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I still love and frequently listen to audio books, but I also love knowing I have the ability to physically sit with a book as well.
Another thing I noticed is that my reading tastes have shifted. As a kid, I was mostly interested in reading fantasy or magical YA novels that were in completely fictional worlds. Now, I really enjoy mysteries and slice of life books that are grounded in real life places and experiences, and even find myself interested in some non-fiction books that are treated like fiction novels (Devil in the White City would be an example). While I still enjoy books with fantastical elements from time to time, I definitely gravitate towards that type of story less frequently. I have really surprised myself by wanting to expand and diversify the genres and types of books I look to pick up next.
I have loved searching for and compiling a list of books I am excited to read in the future. Seeing all of the amazing stories that are waiting for me to read brings me a little extra joy and something to look forward to. Being able to read about experiences and stories I may or may not have experienced myself, whether they are real or fictional, is something I think can be really beneficial in keeping your mind and thoughts active, evolving and accepting of new perspectives.
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