When was the last time you read a book…for fun? Not for school or an assignment, but solely for your own enjoyment. Our guess is that it’s probably been a while. What many people fail to realize is that reading is very beneficial to so many areas of our lives. From performance in school to coping with the stresses of life, there are so many reasons to rekindle your love for reading. Dust off that Sally Rooney novel you saw on TikTok or make a trip to the library to find your new favorite book!
Although we’re encouraging you to read outside of school, the benefits can manifest themselves in school. The number one thing that reading can do for you is expand your vocabulary. This helps you become a better writer and improve your grades on English papers and even scores on the writing and language section of the SAT. According to the Vermont Agency of Education, “Many recent studies have proven that standardized test scores in students who read for pleasure are much higher than those who do not. Studies have seen increased scores in vocabulary, reading comprehension, spelling, and world understanding among readers.”
Another aspect of life that reading can improve is your mental health and well-being. Incorporating reading into your daily routine is truly an act of self-care, as it is satisfying to finish a book, and it passes the time in a fun and productive way. While social media is not entirely bad, it is dangerously easy to get sucked in and start comparing yourself and your life to the people on your feed. We spend hours of our lives looking for entertainment on social media and often forget that there are much more fulfilling ways to get that. Completely disconnecting from it is not realistic for most teenagers, but dedicating a small portion of the time you would usually be on your phone to reading could lessen the dependency we have on it over time.
For lots of us, reading can feel very intimidating and seem like a daunting task. English teacher Matthew Parker recognizes this common struggle and points out that moderation is key. “Saying you’re going to read an entire book over the weekend might be a little ambitious, but saying, ‘Every other day I just want to set aside 30 minutes to read on my own,’ is much more realistic,” he said. Parker also adds that creating a comfortable space with tea or coffee can make the experience much more comforting, and can be a great motivator.
Reading for pleasure should be fun and it shouldn’t cause you any stress. Your books of choice should be about topics that captivate you and there should be no expectation to challenge yourself with every book you choose. In the same way we resort back to Disney Channel and cartoons to give us comfort, there’s nothing wrong with reading your favorite childhood books, or even picture books! You should look forward to it and see it as a way to wind down after a long day of monotonous work at school. So start small in your goals and work from there. The benefits of reading for fun are endless, and we encourage you to keep this wonderful form of media alive!
Fretting about where you should start? Here’s a short quiz to tell you what your next read should be!
QUIZ
Favorite season
Fall
Spring
Winter
Summer
Starbucks order
Seasonal drink
Cold brew
Chai latte
Refresher
Ideal Friday night
Attend a rager
Family game night
Staying in alone (watching movies, taking a bath, self-care night)
Go out with a few close friends
The first store you stop at in the mall
Journey’s
Anthropologie
Food court
Bath & Body Works
The current state of your room
Food mess
A little frazzled, not too bad
Clothes mess
Squeaky clean
Favorite Sitcom
The Office
Parks and Rec
Friends
Modern Family
Dessert you would make to impress your significant other’s family
Snickerdoodle cookies
Cheesecake
Apple crumble
Lemon tart
What would you spend $100 on
V-bucks
Skincare
Food
Clothes
KEY:
Mostly A’s: It sounds like you might be in a reading slump. Here are some of our favorite books to help you get out of that!
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
There, There by Tommy Orange
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Mostly B’s: Non-Fiction/Autobiographies
Guatánamo Voices by Sarah Mirk and Omar El Akkad
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
In The Country We Love by Diane Guerrero
In Order To Live by Yeonmi Park and Maryanne Vollers
Mostly C’s: Cozy books/emotional reads
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
Mostly D’s: Books that will make you think
The Girls by Emma Cline
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
All About Love by Bell Hooks
My Year of Rest And Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
