Recently I have been spending my free time hunkering down in bed with a good book. If you would have asked me in middle school what I would do in my free time, reading a book would have never crossed my mind. In fact, even now, I am surprised at how much I enjoy reading. Considering I am a humanities major, a majority of my work consists of reading pdfs, book excerpts, and a dozen textbooks. I thought there was no way I would be able to bear reading another page, but upon coming across the “book” side of TikTok, I was inspired to pick up a few titles that seemed interesting to me.
Over time, I found myself looking forward to the next chapter, the next book, the next series I would indulge in. I even went as far as downloading an app to keep track of books I’ve read, and books that I have yet to read.
I think what makes books so enjoyable for me is the ability for a book with a great plot to suck me in, and lead me to completely fall into their world. The characters, whether in a fantastical dystopian landscape or in a real city, have become a doorway for me to live a life in their shoes. I feel like I am transported into a different dimension, where my imagination can paint the picture, with the words of the author a map directing my imagination. If you haven’t experienced something like this, that probably means you just haven’t found the book that will really pull you in.
But that is the thing about books that makes me both excited and overwhelmed. The sheer amount of books out in the market: you can find a book about just about anything. This means there has to be a book out there that fits your taste. There have been a handful of books I’ve read that failed to captivate me. On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve found books that had me extremely emotionally invested, even after finishing them.
So where to start? Walking into even a small bookstore is overwhelming with the rows and rows of bookshelves full of books waiting to be pulled off the shelf. When I started getting into buying books to build my own personal library, I decided to start off with the classics that everyone knows: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I even tried reading Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, but failed miserably as the text was dense. By this time I came across a handful of TikTok book recommendations.
Over time, I came to better understand what kinds of books I enjoy. The lessons I learned from fictional characters, and the many quotes I have tabbed in my books have made me appreciate books and their power to both inspire and encourage. The satisfaction of cracking the spine of a brand new book and digging in will always be my favorite part. So if you haven’t opened a book in a while, or the next time you’re bored, consider picking up that book that you’ve been meaning to read. You never know if you might learn something, or find enjoyment in reading if you don’t give it a try!