The Value of Reading for Pleasure
Even though I recognize the importance of reading, I often don’t get a lot of reading done, especially “pleasure” reading. Taking the time to do something for pleasure like that makes me feel guilty because I feel like I’m slacking off when there are so many other more “important” things to be done, like the laundry or getting in a few extra minutes of work.
However, reading is important to me, and I have recognized for some time that there is a disconnect between the value I place on it and the time I allocate for it. I have started making small steps to correct this, giving a bit of time here and there to read and making the mental effort to not feel guilty.
I want my children to see the value of reading and also make it a priority in their lives, but if I’m not willing to set an example and make reading more of a priority for myself, I don’t feel like they will take it very seriously, instead spending their efforts elsewhere.
Reading allows us to put ourselves in situations we may never encounter in reality, to put ourselves in the shoes of people with whom we have nothing in common, to explore new uses of language or engage in language on a level we’re not always accustomed, to learn, and to be entertained. None of those things are trivial. If you want further incentive to pick up a book, reading also changes our brains.
Considering all of these advantages helps me justify spending time reading, spending time on doing something I enjoy. My pleasure reading does run the gamut from silly romance novels like Beauty Dates the Beast to fun fiction like The Albino Album to serious non-fiction like Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo.
So regardless of whether I’m reading something completely ridiculous at the moment, like a silly werewolf novel, or something more “worthwhile” like serious non-fiction, there is value in it, even if it’s just spending some time escaping from everyday stresses and clearing my head.
Beauty Dates the Beast by Jessica Sims
Yes, it’s silly, but it’s also entertaining.
The Albino Album by Chavisa Woods
I highly recommend this novel! It reminds me of writing by Flannery O’Connor, Ralph Ellison, and Andrew Davidson, other authors whose works I’ve appreciated. It is sexually graphic, so be aware of that.
I really appreciate how the authors have a clear format (it becomes clear after a bit, though it may not be immediately obvious) for presenting the problem, solutions that have been tried, and issues that complicate the situation. Even though it was a bit disheartening that there’s no magic bullet to fix poverty, I gained a better understanding of a lot of the issues involved, and I think I’m a more knowledgeable citizen as a result. Well worth reading, but take your time to consider the issues rather than racing through it.
