For as long as I can remember, I have hated reading. I am talking maybe as far back as third or fourth grade. Now, when I say reading, I am implying the idea of reading for pleasure. I, along with kids across the country, were reading class books like “The Outsiders” and “To Kill A Mockingbird.” I read the required ones along with some other books to meet my individual reading requirement. However, I never really enjoyed it. Every book I read felt like a chore. So, at around 10 years old, I got the idea in my head that I hated reading, and I carried that idea with me up until recently.
The one thing I could never wrap my head around was the idea of reading for fun. I simply could not grasp why someone would read in their down time when there are so many other things to do. By other things to do I mean watching TV shows and movies. I always told people I prefer watching something as opposed to reading. This is mainly because a movie can be a quicker form of escapism than a book, or so I thought. What I loved and still love about a good show or movie is that it lets us experience a story that is not our own. It allows us to broaden ourselves as we our exposed to new periods, cultures, characters and so on. I thought that reading could not give me these experiences, so I gave up on reading for pleasure.
The truth is, I accepted defeat far too easily. I did not try hard enough to find a genre or author that I really appreciated. However, that changed around the beginning of 2021. I started to re-evaluate my relationship with reading. I started to find genres I loved and authors I adored; this made a world of difference for me. I owe a great deal of thanks to Tik-Tok – more specifically, Book Tok, which are videos that focus on books. I kept seeing certain books being recommended repeatedly. I decided that I would buy a couple and see where it went.
The first book I read that spurred my love of reading was “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller. This book changed my entire perspective on reading, and I am not being dramatic when I say that. It is basically a retelling of the Greek hero Achilles and his most beloved companion Patroclus. I won’t give you a whole plot summary, but I strongly recommend you look one up because this book is extraordinary. Miller’s storytelling is unmatched, and I simply could not put this book down (I finished it in two days). “The Song of Achilles” was my catalyst into the world of reading for pleasure. It also helped me discover one of my favorite genres, Greek mythology. Now, I have read many Greek myth retellings and have many more lined up to read.
All it took for me to discover my love of reading was one good book. One good book led me to a genre I love, and that one genre has turned into many genres. One book helped me discover how reading can give me that escapism I loved in movies. Each book I read takes me on a new journey and tells me a new story. I can be transported by a good book like how I was when I watched one of my favorite movies, and I never thought I would say that. I know that third grade me would be shocked to hear it, but I have fallen in love with reading.