I love books.
This is usually fairly obvious when someone first meets me. I almost always have a book in my bag, or I mention that I am an English major. Generally, a typical conversation with me goes like this:
Them: Hi! I’m (insert name here)
Me: Hi, I’m Megan!
Them: So what are you studying in school?
Me: I’m studying English at the College of Wooster. My twin is studying biology at Beloit College.
One of the first questions I am asked after, “so do you and your twin look exactly alike?” is, “What’s your favorite book?” The first question is always easy. I laugh and say, “no, actually we’re fraternal twins. We don’t look anything alike.” The second question is more difficult. I always hesitate. I gage my audience. I think about the response they are expecting and if I will have to explain my answer. I think about if this person is really interested in having a conversation about books with me, or if they are simply attempting to make light conversation. Then, finally, I shrug and list of a title and an author.
I do not know if it is because I am an English Major, but I always feel an inexplicable pressure when I am sharing my favorite book with another person. I am a firm believer that books and stories communicate a great deal about a person, and I do not want someone to hear the title of my favorite novel and cringe. I take pride in the books that I read and the stories I love, and I want to share that with the world. However, I feel that there is a certain pressure to enjoy only specific kinds of books. I’m an English Major, after all. Shouldn’t I immediately jump to Shakespeare or Dickens or Austen when I’m asked about my favorite book? Shouldn’t I be reading sophisticated novels about our place in the world, and stories of great passion and drama?
That idea, of course, is ridiculous. I am an adult. I can read whatever kind of book I want to read. The book I am reading right now is Magnus Chase and The Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan. It is a book that is generally marketed for young children. It is the second book in a series and one in a list of many books that Riordan has written about ancient gods and mythology. I have been reading Rick Riordan’s books since 4th or 5th grade. They are a huge part of my childhood and I absolutely love them. Still, this is not the kind of book someone expects a sophomore English Major to be reading. I am 20 years old, surely I should move on?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently. I’ve been thinking how ridiculous it was that I felt almost embarrassed when I saw the book on the shelf in the children’s section of the bookstore and ran to grab it. Why should my major dictate what I read? Why should other people’s opinions of me dictate what I read? I enjoy this book. I love this series. I love this author’s writing, and have since I was ten or eleven years old. I can read this book.
This inner dilemma I face whenever someone asks me about the books that I read is unnecessary. As a culture, we should be moving in a positive direction. We should not judge others for the stories they enjoy. I am a 20 year old who loves reading what some consider “children’s books.” That does not make me childish or uneducated or unsophisticated. In fact, I argue that it might even make me more sophisticated. I read diverse books.
Children’s books should not be written off as bad because they are simple. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor is hilarious, intense, and full of incredibly diverse characters. As a child, I learned so much about mythology and what makes a good story from reading Rick Riordan’s writing. I continue to learn about Norse myths from this book, in a new and entertaining way. The characters are diverse and completely realized. I have read some more sophisticated novels that struggle with flat characters. This “children’s book” makes its characters flawed and complex from the start.
So, in the future, I will embrace the books that I am reading and the lessons I learn from them. The books I read may be a glimpse into my soul, but why does it matter if someone sees that I like silly books or books written for children? It does not matter what anyone thinks about the books I read. I read them because I enjoy them, and isn’t that the point?
Don't be ashamed of what you read.
Read what you love. Read diversely.
In the end, the only thing that matters is what the story meant to you.
