reading for pleasure

Whatever happened to reading for pleasure?

You know, the good old days when we could pick up a book with anticipation, intending to savor it at a later time. Or the excitement of grabbing a book and devouring it in one sitting. A time when we wandered through bookstores and libraries, scanning the shelves, seeking new authors and undiscovered titles.

Reading today seems to be so goal-focused. Must learn to… (fill in the blank). Need to know…(fill in the blank). Are required to… (you know the drill).

When did it become wrong to read for pleasure? When did reading, one of the greatest enjoyments in life, become a chore? I’m not even talking about kids, although I cringe when I see required–not recommended, mind you–reading lists for kids. They have no choice. They read what they are told. There is nothing that kills the joy of reading faster than being told you HAVE to. Adults also fall into this trap.

As adults we seem to have so little time for pleasures such as reading. We now read in spurts to glean a fact or learn something quickly. For it must be quick or we simply believe we don’t have time to do it.

Nowadays, we make book lists with a purpose. How To lists, Learn More About lists, What You Need to Know lists. I have a friend who has a list that is divided into sub-lists. I asked her which one is her pleasure reading list. I got a blank look.

I could post links to articles that tell you how reading is good for your physical and mental health. I could cite studies that detail the benefits of reading for pleasure and how important reading is to your emotional well-being. However, I think there are only a few things we all really need to know.

Read what you love because you love it.

Read without justification or explanation.

Read without guilt.

There are no recommended lists in this post, just a link to the library’s catalog. Browse for your favorite author or search by subject. Find something you want to read and then read it. Simple as that.

(If you really are at a loss for what to read, check out our Reading Resources page on our website. Platforms like our Online Book Club and NoveList can give you some great suggestions!)

I’ve always been an avid reader, but sometimes I stall out for weeks at a time. It could be that a book just isn’t clicking with me, and so I never make the time to finish it. Or maybe I finish a particularly challenging or emotional book, and I’m hesitant to jump into a new story right away. Or maybe I’m just busy. Or maybe I’m watching too much Netflix!

If this sounds like you, I can help. Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to keep myself always reading.

Keep track of the books you want to read so you never have to wonder “What’s Next?” I love www.goodreads.com for keep tracking of what I’ve read and what I plan to read.
Don’t waste time on a book that isn’t for you. If you’re not enjoying something, allow yourself to read another book instead. Reading for pleasure should never be a chore! You can always come back to that other book later.
If life seems to get in the way of making time for reading, grab something that you can’t put down. It’s OK to indulge in fluffier stories if that’s what keeps your momentum going. You’ll be surprised by the time you suddenly “find” when a book is too good to ignore.
Make reading a part of your routine. Whether it’s with your morning coffee, on your lunch break, or before you go to sleep, try to make a set time to read every single day.
And my favorite tip: When you finish a book, immediately start reading another one, if only just the first page. This remedies the problem of letting a book “sink in” for a day, or two days, before picking up another.

I recently stalled after reading The Nightingale. It was such an emotionally intense book that I couldn’t bring myself to open another after I’d finished it, and soon a week, and then two went by. Luckily, a friend let me borrow a real page-turner, The Headmaster’s Wife, and I got my momentum back. If you like ivy-covered boarding schools, mystery, and intrigue, check it out!