How reading changed my life

I am twenty-one and a serial-reader. My paycheck is spent on KindleUnlimited subscriptions and increasingly expensive hardbacks. But six months ago, the idea of reading for fun was laughable; I would scoff at my mum for the books she’d haul from the library and be dragged into bookshops to wonder aimlessly and be perpetually unimpressed.

Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash

I read in high-school and sixth form, of course. Classic works of literature such as The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath and Animal Farm. But assignments, demands and deadlines drew the weight of words away from paper, and placed meaning elsewhere. Though these works have changed customs and culture, and are important historical creations (and should be acknowledged as such), I never connected with them. At least, not in the way I connect to books now.

Six months ago, I bought a book on a whim - recommended to me by the glorious algorithm. It wasn’t particularly brilliant, nor was it comparable to classics or other great works. But rather, it was filled with magic, escape, trials and bad decisions, which resonated with and intrigued me more than anything had before. Before this point, my free time between studies was divided between video games and procrastinating food-shops and chores. It is no exaggeration to say that finding something away from screens and social media challenged my imagination indescribably and altered my brain chemistry (in the loosest sense, I am not a neuroscientist by any means). Reading had gone from dull to depthless, and I am drowning in stories of other worlds.

However, I am still a student, and while every penny is fleeting and finite, I do not hesitate to pick up the next book in a series. All I can say is, thank goodness for KindleUnlimited and Vinted (and Waterstones loyalty points). Since starting my ever-expanding library, I have reduced my time scrolling through social media by roughly 60%, and rarely feel compelled to experience the sheer brainrot of opening Instagram or Snapchat to look at repetitive timelines or unachievable expectations. If there is one thing to take away from reading, it is the ability to shut out the consistent babbling of the world and retreat to your own head - consider it almost like mental yoga.

Now I’m sure if you’re reading this then you must have some interest in books otherwise you wouldn’t have a SubStack. So you and I have two things in common: one, you’re interested in what people have to say about a subject; two, you got all the way to the end of the article and are thinking “so why am I still reading this?” Let me tell you. Encourage people you know, particularly young-adults, to read something - anything - an article, magazine, novel. TikTok has made a community from reading, encouraging people to read outside of school or classes, away from compulsory materials and find what they are actually interested in.

Happy reading x