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As much as I love reading, I seldom do enough of it. I often find myself going months at a time without even touching a book. When I say that I don’t make time for ‘reading’, I don’t mean that I don’t read, but that I never read for myself or for leisure. I mostly find myself absorbed into daily news articles and academic essay readings that I have to have finished by the end of the week.

Why don’t I read as much?

''Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift''.Kate DiCamilo

When I was younger, I would always read. Growing up I would rarely have a Christmas or birthday without a book from my family. As I entered the end of high school and the start of university, I found less and less books in my hands and more and more unread on the shelf. Funnily enough it wasn’t just because I found myself busier and busier, but also that I found myself struggling to make time to read. I would always feel there was something else that I should be doing and other priorities that had to come first.

Finishing a book

''Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are''.Mason Cooley

Reading can often take me to another place. Somewhere new and exciting. It can be a welcome distraction from my everyday world. As my reading habits changed and I forgot about how a good book could engage me, I also found myself struggling to finish a book. I would read every night becoming increasingly engaged in a book. After a few nights of diligent scheduled reading, I would have something I needed to do and the reading pattern I had established would fall apart. Finishing a book can sometimes be challenging, but I always find it is even harder to come back to a book that is only half finished.

Too much academic reading

''Reading is an exercise in empathy, an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while''.Malorie Blackman

Whilst the research, intelligence and expertise of academic’s work is often interesting and stimulating, it also neglects the power that reading for leisure can have on your intelligence and learning. A good book can make me appreciate how others view the world and offers a glimpse into what the experience of others is. When I actively imagine and think about this, I reflect about my life, opinions, and values. So, perhaps this week I will give my eyes a break from the academic essay on my computer screen and look for something beyond my course reading list.