Cozying Up With New Books

Growing up, I was an avid reader. I would tear through a book in a day, maybe two. And series? Done in a week. But when reading became a chore, a homework assignment, somewhere around high school, it stopped being fun for me. Even books we were assigned that I wanted to read—1982, Farenheit 451, even Beowulf (sorry, Alby)—I’d flip to the first page and find absolutely no interest in going any further, ultimately putting the book down and never coming back to it.

This is going to change.

A few years ago, I read an excerpt of Atomic Habits for a psychology class. I was in awe. I bought the book and read the rest over the course of the following month and was so excited to feel I had found my love for reading again. I tore through a few more books, mostly self-help and biographies, within a matter of weeks. I was ecstatic. It wasn’t long before I found myself diving head first into fiction again.

I made an account on Good Reads, searched around for new recommendations for novels, bought five of them, and read one. Slowly. Over the course of two months. Then picked up the next book and finished it about six months later.

What was wrong with me?

The fictitious worlds weren’t exciting me in the way they used to, not even in the way personal essays were currently exciting me. I felt like a fraud. What kind of writer can’t even get up the balls to read a book?

For the first time in my life, I understood everyone who ever said, “I don’t like reading.” It’s hard. It’s challenging. And I want that to change. I want to fall in love with stories again. I want to be able to cozy up with a new book. I don’t want my first instinct when I wake up in the mornings to be grab your coffee, go play video games.

I think for me, finding/having/creating a cozy place to read is important. I want to feel like I can curl up with a book rather than just reading on the train to pass the time. I’ve created a little nook in my bedroom, tossed in some extra pillows and blankets, hung twinlky lights and stars, and adorned it with a couple crochet dinosaurs I made.

Cute, right?

Walking into the room makes me excited to hop up onto the bed and snuggle in. Placing the books right next to me and any electronic devices away from me gives me incentive to read. I’m excited to come in here. I want to spend time in here reading.

My goal is to read at least one book a month until the end of the year. I have 8 books and 6 months to go.

Let’s f----ing do this.