It’s never too late to start reading as a hobby. I like to read because it allows my brain to relax while dealing with school and my personal life. In school I never liked to read until I found books I actually found interesting such as “The Inheritance Games¨ by Jennifer Lynn Barnes which is a series, as well as “Normal people¨ by Sally Rooney. I would get so excited when I finished a new book and would often think about it constantly. Another thing I love about reading is finding relatable characters. It helps me get more of an understanding of the characters as people.
While going to a bookstore is a great way to search for books, what I found most helpful was the app Goodreads. This app offers books, authors, and descriptions of every book in the app with reviews that users leave, as well as reading challenges people can try. These challenges are for users to challenge themselves to create a reading goal and be consistent.
Users create a profile to help them keep track of books they’ve read, books they want to read and are currently reading. There are also people or friends that users can follow, which is a bonus because it’s a community of people who like to read. It can also be a great way to meet people.
Once the app is downloaded, you can start scrolling through popular books and genres to read the descriptions. I suggest avoiding reviews as much as possible as some of them contain spoilers for the book.
Social media platforms like Instagram or Tiktok are another great resource. Two years ago “Booktok,” a reading community on Tik Tok, gained popularity. Creators posted content about books that led interest in the books that they’ve seen on Tiktok. Barnes& Noble recognizes these book trends, and in stores there is a section specifically for the books that are popular on booktok. This resource is part of the joy of social media as I found people with similar reading interests and I choose to follow what they recommend; it’s mostly how I find my books. Do your research. There are a ton of creators and influencers that have so many good recommendations without spoiling the book for you such as quinnthebooks and bigbooklady on tik tok.
One last tip is that if you don’t want to buy a book, go to a library. You might not want to purchase something you don’t know if you’ll like, which is what’s perfect about a library as there are plenty of options to choose from.Libraries are also really good quiet places to study and read, even taking the time to go there for an hour to get the feel of it might be helpful.
What I encourage you to look for when you find a book that interests you is to read the first sentence of the book because ultimately the first page is what is going to draw you in our not. Still you cannot judge by the cover or the front page; give it a chance, it might surprise you. I have had many experiences with a book starting off slow and then having a major plot twist at the end such as “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt.
Starting a new hobby like reading can be a learning experience for everyone at any age. It’s something to do if you have free time and don’t want to be on your phone. Nowadays people, including myself, want to reach for our phones when we are bored, but grabbing something to read instead could be a healthier alternative. I definitely feel happier knowing that I could watch tv or go on my phone but instead I choose to finish that book I still have on my shelf or start a completely new one. This simple decision makes me feel like I have self control when it comes to electronics.
