Just before New Years Day, I was sitting with my friends when the conversation suddenly shifted — they started talking about the recent books they had read. In a desperate attempt to join the conversation, I chimed in with, “I’ve seen that book on TikTok” and “I’ve always wanted to read that book.”
It wasn’t long until I just sat there awkwardly while they bonded and laughed about their favorite genres or how the sequel was better than the first book in that one series.
Vowing to never find myself left out of a conversation like that again, I made it my New Year’s resolution to finally put down my phone and pick up a book.
I know, that’s dramatic, but it’s true. I was jealous of all the readers out there and I wanted to know what all the hype was about. With a “new year new me” attitude, I sought out advice from my literary lover friend. Soon after that, I had a book in my hands.
The novel “Normal People” by Sally Rooney was my first victim.
Since I had already seen (and cried over) the TV show, I thought this book would allow me to ease into reading. I knew what to expect, therefore, it would be an easy read. Right?
Wrong.
Not only are the words on paper more heartbreaking than on the scenes on-screen, but I also did not have Paul Mescal to keep me company.
All jokes aside, if you haven’t seen or read “Normal People,” I highly recommend it.
A few words of advice from a wannabe bookworm: start small. Whether that be with an adapted book in which you already know the ending (like in my case), a short story or just reading for 30 minutes a day. It is important to remember that, as a beginner, you can’t expect to knock out a whole series in just a week.
One habit I was hoping to break with reading was scrolling through TikTok right before bed. It was always hard to go from Jacob Elordi edits to lights out (the sweet dreams were there, of course). When I decided to dedicate that time to reading, I found it much easier to fall asleep quickly.
Well, that and my “sleepy girl cocktail” of cherry juice, which I also highly recommend.
It hasn’t taken long for me to get into reading. Once you get past that initial, boring first chapter where you don’t really know what’s going on, you get into it quickly.
Giving myself time to get into the book has helped as well. As someone with a rather short attention span, this was not an easy feat.
I have yet to choose my next book. As of now, I think romance is my best bet — it’s easy to get into and relatively easy to read.
I might be getting ahead of myself, but I’m hoping to branch out a little bit and explore some different genres. Staying consistent is the best method to forming a habit.
All in all, I’m excited about my newfound interest and am looking forward to my next book!