When I started this year out, I was not a reader. 😬 I was taking a reading hiatus. Everything going on in the world, and my life had so much negative energy coming my way that I was completely incapable of sitting down to read a book. What about audiobooks you ask? Well, that wasn't a thing for me either. My sister loves audiobooks. Lives and breathes them. I'm lucky if I can handle 5 minutes of one. There's just something about someone else's voice being in my head telling the story. Anyway, I digress. I was not a reader at the start of 2021. As a matter of fact I didn't read my first book of the year until April 11th.
Why am I talking about the beginning of 2021 when it's already ended? Well, I've come to a realization that most of you have probably all come to at some point in time, but I wanted to share in case someone out there hadn't. It's okay to not finish a book. It's okay to switch to something else. It's okay to not pick up a book at all. We as readers are doing authors and their works a disservice by forcing ourselves to complete a book when it just isn't working for us. We are ruining books that we might actually enjoy by making it about the numbers. If you have read 400 books this year, or 4, the number doesn't matter as long as the books mattered to YOU. Just because you aren't in the mood for the book now, doesn't mean you won't be in the future. Put that book down and try a new one!
One of the hardest things I have had to come to terms with when it came to book blogging is reading what I like. I felt this needless pressure to always be reading books that suited my age. 🙄 What does that even mean? I felt guilty when I would read something YA because "I'm a grown ass woman!" But you know what? Reading is something that I do for escape. I read because sometimes reality gets to be too much, and what better way to escape than a fictional world of fairies and elves, younger than me, just getting started on the fun bits of life.
Basically, the point I am trying to get across here; Read what you enjoy. Read what you are in the mood for. Forgive yourself for not being able to finish the latest Reese's Book Club book. Not every book out there will be the right fit for you or your mood. If you put too much pressure on yourself to make every book work for you, you will lose what you love about reading. Read what you love and you will always have a love of reading.