Reading Makes You Hot

Finding joy in reading again because can't all naturally be Rory Gilmore

Back in kindergarten when I first learned to read, there was nothing more thrilling or satisfying than to read a book front to back. Reading was a treat, and the more words and concepts I learned the sweeter reading got. And then suddenly because I had this power to read, I was faced with reading logs, competency tests, and DIBELS tests. The satisfaction from reading became replaced with anxiety and boredom. As time went on, the reading work became even more grueling. Although I always excelled in my English classes, I had lost any feeling of enjoyment from the pastime I adored as a kid. A couple assignments piqued my interest in high school (The Great Gatsby comes to mind first), but with my course load and disinterest, I was barely reading.

Then, on an early day in June of 2021 after just recently graduating high school, I was on an Amtrak on the way to New York City as a graduation trip with my closest friends. However, before the trip I neglected to bring any form of entertainment. I had my Airpods, Spotify, and 4 hours and 35 minutes ahead of me. Usually, this can keep me busy throughout a car ride, however 4 hours of music while all my friends were sleeping was difficult to say the least. To avoid that torture on the train ride home, I stopped in a darling little bookstore and picked up the super underground novel, Normal People by Sally Rooney. I was hooked. None of my friends could pry that book out of my hands that whole ride home. I had never been so engrossed in a book since those first few days when I learned to read. It was a perfect storm of realization. I realized that when I wasn’t forced to read to a certain page on a certain day, reading suddenly didn’t feel like a chore. And when I was reading books that told stories that actually interested me, my spark for this hobby was reignited. That summer, I went on to read three more books, which really wasn’t a lot. However, that was more books that I had read consecutively in years. And every summer since, I have dedicated a portion of my downtime to feeding this hobby. As the semesters start to come to a close, I now look forward to the time when I can unwind with a good book in my hands. If you are on Substack, I assume you enjoy reading so this is probably not the best audience for this advice. However, for the one person on here who isn’t an avid reader, I wanted to share some tips that helped me find the joy in reading again. It might just make you really hot :)

1. Read without time constraints

   The biggest thing that brought me back to reading (and consistently still does) is reading during times when I am on a break from school. I don’t force myself to read during the school year to safe guard reading from feeling like a chore. To be completely honest, I will only ever pick up a book to read during the school year if I am really yearning to read something.

2. Read 1 BookTok book and then 1 recommended by someone close to you

   Although I myself have found incredible books off of BookTok, great books can be found outside of TikTok. That first summer back to reading, I read Normal People which I found on TikTok followed by The Secret Life of Addie Larue. I found that this helped introduce me to a larger genre of books, because often the books found on BookTok are just romance novels. And while I love a romance novel, dipping into other genres can help reading feel exciting with every new book you pick up.

3. Don’t force yourself to read anything to make yourself feel smart

   I myself am still a victim of this. About a month ago, I picked up Jane Austen’s Emma. However, I quickly came to find out that the book put me to sleep. Sorry Jane, I just don’t enjoy reading books written in old english. I tried for so long to continue reading the book, but found no success. I initially wanted to read Emma so I could feel smart, but instead it made me feel incredibly dumb. I gave up and returned the book the library with just about twenty-five pages under my belt. I was disappointed, but also kind of relieved because it gave me the opportunity to find a new book that would actually interest me. I had wasted about a month trying to force myself to read this book I didn’t find enjoyment from. Since then, I have allowed myself to “quit” reading when a book doesn’t feel quite right to me, and it has worked out well so far.

3. It’s ok to judge a book by it’s cover

   Some of the best books I have randomly picked up from my library have been a result of judging a book based on its cover art. Controversial I know. A book should be as vibrant and exciting to you on the inside as it is on the outside. And if you need to feel better about yourself when you do this, just think that a lot of talented artists and authors make a living because you might pick up a book at random.

4. Read because YOU want to

   Reading will always feel like a chore if you make it a chore. Find books that make you excited, whether it be because of the author, the plot, or even just the cover art. Read because your brain tells you you want to, you might just enjoy it more.

If all else fails, just know that you and your brain will look beautiful after picking up a book.