The Art of Reading

Is it a reading slump, or is a pattern emerging with books that you thought were your vibe but now seem like a chore to get through? I’ve found this recently when reading books, specifically those aimed at different age groups.

Middle grade used to be my thing, and I prided myself in still being able to enjoy and relate to them as I got older, but lately I’ve found that even the ones with harder hitting themes that I used to enjoy have been tough to stick out. I’ve only read a few this year but in looking back on them they just aren’t landing for me like they used to. It’s hard to connect with the characters and it’s become increasingly more difficult to separate the adult author’s voice from the child narrator. Trying to reconcile that maybe this ship has sailed for me is hard, but what I’ve come to terms with is it’s so much better to be reading things that I enjoy instead of returning again and again to a genre which doesn’t appeal to me as much anymore. And it’s okay! I don’t have anything to prove by being the special reader who can enjoy any type of book.

Nearing the end of my teenage years, the world of adult fiction is opening its doors to me and I’m excited to follow my current interests and see where this next season of reading will take me! This doesn’t mean I will never read a middle grade book again, but I don’t have to limit myself to what used to be my go-to reads when its time to broaden my horizons a bit. At the end of the day what I choose to read is for me and me alone and it’s one of the reasons I most love books, because I have total control over what I pick to invest my time in. So here’s to a continued love of reading the things that inspire us!

I hope that this gives you something to think about and do let me know if you have ever experienced something like this before and what that transition was like for you! Happy Reading 😊