TRURO, N.S. — Almost no one my age reads unless they absolutely have to and it physically pains me.
I’ve been a voracious reader my whole life and that’s due largely to my mother and grandfather for fostering that love in me. I think that’s where a love of reading starts for a lot people, at home. And those with parents who hate reading and never do it for pleasure grow up feeling the same.
There are so many reasons reading is good for you. First, and foremost, it makes you smarter and you do better in school. Reading novels broadens your vocabulary, and improves your reading comprehension, which is what you call “the ability to understand written texts.” If you read novels, newspaper articles online, or even the magazine articles on Snapchat, you’re furthering your reading comprehension. That makes you more likely to understand all written texts, even the ones you have to read in school which, in turn, helps you do better in school.
On the subject of school, I know for a fact that being a reader will be one of the reasons I succeed when going on to post-secondary education next year. I have read a lot and quite a variety for my entire life, and this has established a good habit for the future. It is not too late for you to pick up this habit, as well, no matter how old you are. From what I know about post-secondary education, there is a ton of reading, no matter your area of study. Even when doing hands-on work there will still be things you have to read and written tests you will have to pass. If you get into the habit of reading often and somewhat quickly now, you will thank yourself later.
If you get into a good reading habit, there is a chance your younger siblings will as well. Having three younger siblings has taught me that, to a certain extent, they will do what I do. Only one of my siblings is as into reading as I am, but the other two do read for fun from time to time, and they’re better off because of it. This also makes our parents happy.
Reading is a great pastime, not just for academic reasons, but because it gives you a break from your phone and social media. As I’ve discussed before, social media can be detrimental towards your mental health, and having a hobby that takes you away from your phone for a little while can be beneficial in that it just gives you a break.
Seriously, the only – and I mean only – drawback of reading novels is that you’re overly critical of movie adaptations. (I still hate the Percy Jackson movies. Sorry Logan Lerman, you were good in the Perks adaptation.)
Now, I’m not just going to go on and on to you about reading for fun and not give you somewhere to go from here. I think most people who have never been into reading before are stuck because they do not know where to start. So, I’m introducing to you this little segment called “If … Try.” (I don’t know how I thought of it either!)
1. If you like video games that have a fantasy element (dwarves, witches, elves, etc.) try picking up Harry Potter. (Yes, it is worth the hype; you will like it. I have never met someone who read the series and did not like it.) I would move from there on to the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, and from there try Lord of The Rings. I’m suggesting you build up to LOTR because it is quite dense.
2. If you like superhero movies, try picking up Renegades by Marissa Meyer. It’s a fast-paced and action-packed novel following an anti-hero you grow to love. And there is a great romance that does not overshadow the superhero action.
3. If you like horror movies I suggest looking at Stephen King. My top recommendation for Stephen King is The Green Mile, but a scarier and almost as good option is Pet Semetary. His short story collection called Full Dark, No Stars is also excellent.
4. If you like NCIS or Criminal Minds, try picking up murder mystery/thriller-type novels. Gillian Flynn is fantastic. I’d start with Gone Girl, but Sharp Objects is my personal favourite. Paula Hawkins’s Into the Water is also great.
5. If you like trashy reality TV, try picking up The Selection series by Kiera Cass. It’s like The Bachelor – but “the bachelor” in question is a prince.
My point here is that reading seems to be a lost art among my peers and I want to bring it back, make it cool again. Is that’s at all possible. Feel free to reach out to me on social media if you need more recommendations. (All usernames are my name). I’ve read a lot over the years.
If you can do one new thing this week, let it be picking up a book. The Colchester Library is a great resource, and so is CEC’s library.
Happy reading!
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Angèle Hatton is a Grade 12 student at Cobequid Educational Centre who hopes to pursue a career in journalism.
