The Importance of Reading What You Want (Not Just What Books are Buzzing)
There are as many reasons to read as there are books in the world. Bestseller pushes, book club picks, marketing displays, and magazine blurbs all try to get us to read (or simply buy) certain books. Reading the hottest books and discussing them online or in groups has its perks and enjoyments, but what books do you want to read? Japanese author Haruki Murakami once said, “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” It’s important to pursue some reading as pure self-indulgence. I’m not talking about reading the self-help genre as a means of self-care. I mean reading anything, anything , just for the sake that it interests you. All genres are welcome and none are trash. Forget the phrase “guilty pleasure” when it comes to reading — if you enjoy it, enjoy it guilt-free. A book doesn’t have to be high-brow literature or ripe for discussion to have value. Reading time may be the only alone...