Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of reading challenges since it’s early January and people are setting resolutions. While setting a goal to read a certain number of books can be great if you’re a kid who is still learning, or an adult who wants to get back in the habit or limit their time on social media, I think some avid readers use it as bragging rights and to me that’s not what reading is about.
There is a lot of pressure to read as many books as possible in a year. Some people are reading 100+. I’m not talking about critics here, I’m talking about the average person. I write book reviews on Goodreads and the site itself is pressuring me to start the Reading Challenge and set a numerical goal for myself.
I don’t see reading as a means to an end or a competition. I see it as an activity. A great, worthwhile activity, and one with many physical and mental health benefits, but not on a higher level than going for a walk or working on a creative project. It’s something one does because one enjoys it. Of course this does not apply to required reading, but reading in one’s spare time.
In my opinion, unless you’re doing it for the reasons mentioned above, you run the risk of rushing through books and not taking time to fully absorb what you are reading. I’m a fast reader – I have hyperlexia – so I know all too well the feeling of disappointment when I read a book too quickly and can hardly remember what it is I just read.
The French have a policy of eating slowly and savoring every bite during mealtime, and I think that same policy can be applied to reading. Of course, one’s natural reading speed cannot be slowed down without breaking one’s immersion, but you can take a break between chapters and write out your feelings or discuss them with someone who has read the same book. Just be careful to choose someone who won’t spoil the book for you.
Along with this argument is a discourse about what is a “real” or “good” book that actually “counts” as reading. A lot has been said about this but I feel like I should address this issue as well. Yes, there are objectively good books. Just because it’s good doesn’t mean everybody will like it. The reverse is true as well. Just because it’s bad doesn’t mean everybody will or should hate it.
I enjoy Warrior Cats to this day despite the glaringly obvious flaws in the writing: the lack of a series bible means that continuity goes out the window quite often, and one character has changed eye color three times in the same book. However, the characters and their relationships with each other feel genuine and human, like people I would actually want to spend time with, and that’s why I keep reading.
Conversely, I can’t stand Twilight because to me character is what makes a story interesting. However, to people who enjoy scenarios more than characters, I can understand why it would be fun and immersive. As has been mentioned in previous reviews, the series is written in a way that allows the reader to insert themselves into the story. There is nothing wrong with enjoying stories like that in my opinion.
However, a literary diet is also important. Read as many books as you want, but if you can, I would suggest mixing up what you read. Mashed potatoes are amazing but you wouldn’t eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between. You can think of books as brain food.
Reading a variety of things gives you a wide range of benefits. Again, I’m not telling anyone what to do. As I’ve said, reading is a pastime and shouldn’t feel like homework. But if you’re looking for a reading challenge, you could consider reading books outside of your comfort zone rather than trying to read a certain number of books.
In fact, that’s what I’m going to do this year. On top of my other New Years resolutions, I’m going to try to read books I wouldn’t normally read: romance, politics, religion, contemporary. What about you? What kinds of books are you going to try to read in the new year, if you plan on making this a resolution?
