What Made Me Fall In Love With Reading?

I’d like to say I’ve always been a reader, but that would be a big lie. Remember those reading logs in elementary school that teachers would have your parents sign for reading 2-3 hours a day? Yeah, I forged my parents’ signatures on ALL of them. I despised the idea of sitting all day reading words on paper, but then I discovered an exception: Percy Jackson.

The Moment My Obsession Began

I recall the exact moment my obsession with Percy Jackson began. My two older siblings both read the entire series and couldn’t stop talking about how amazing it was. Of course, as the youngest child, I felt a little left out, which gave me the opportunity to discover the wonderful world of Greek Mythology and literary indulgence.

I don’t think there’s a number for how many books I’ve read in my 19 years of life, but it’s a lot. I have definitely experienced my fair share of crazy plots, settings, and adventures in fiction, ranging from historical fiction to romance and fantasy to thrillers- and I thank this journey to my 12 year old self who decided to pick up Percy Jackson.

What Reading Means To Me Now

I quit reading for a while, not because I lost interest, but rather because I was too busy. It was a pretty long break. But, I definitely caught up with my years of slacking.

Since 2021, I’ve roughly read 5-6 books per month. The ability of books to take me to new worlds, locations and points of view offers an escape from the difficulties of everyday life. Reading opens doors to other realities where the ordinary gives way to the mythical and the mundane to the magical. I’m able to escape the constraints of reality and lose myself in the beauty of fiction while I am wrapped up in a beautifully crafted book.

Truly- reading an exceptional book is an unexplainable experience that should be exposed to everyone at least once in a lifetime. Here’s a video I crafted that takes on that sort of feeling of reading a breathtaking story:

https://www.veed.io/embed/4d8a888f-a6bc-4d95-9a07-69ded4a96c82

So… What Now?

I don’t think I’ll ever get bored with reading. There are a ton of new books published each year, which means there are a ton of diverse plots and memories to cling to. Additionally, the books I have already indulged in will definitely hold an everlasting connection to me that I hope I will never forget.

Check out my top 10 reads of 2023 here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0532uuuiCJ/