I have seen this quote all across social media for years now. Many girls love sticking on a cute outfit, grabbing an iced coffee, and browsing their local second-hand bookshop. Personally, I love doing this. Buying secondhand is much cheaper, and it lets me experiment by buying books I wouldn't normally read at a much lower price, so it feels like less of a waste if I don't end up liking it. Reading these books, however, is a much different ballgame. This entry will explore all things books! From reading to recording to the psychology of buying. So why do we often avoid reading half the books we buy? Like I said before, when we buy books, we often get swept up in the excitement of who we could be. Buying a copy of Shakespearean literature puts us one step closer to becoming the kind of person who reads Shakespearean literature. The purchase is a small price for the esteem it provides when we walk out of the shop with a stack of Shakespearean plays. There is an argument...
I have seen this quote all across social media for years now. Many girls love sticking on a cute outfit, grabbing an iced coffee, and browsing their local second-hand bookshop. Personally, I love doing this. Buying secondhand is much cheaper, and it lets me experiment by buying books I wouldn't normally read at a much lower price, so it feels like less of a waste if I don't end up liking it. Reading these books, however, is a much different ballgame. This entry will explore all things books! From reading to recording to the psychology of buying.
So why do we often avoid reading half the books we buy? Like I said before, when we buy books, we often get swept up in the excitement of who we could be. Buying a copy of Shakespearean literature puts us one step closer to becoming the kind of person who reads Shakespearean literature. The purchase is a small price for the esteem it provides when we walk out of the shop with a stack of Shakespearean plays. There is an argument for this practice, however. According to an article by Big Think, surrounding ourselves with books (even if they go unread), is beneficial in reminding us of our values, and interests and reminds us of all the knowledge we don't yet know.
"The value of an unread book is its power to get you to read it." -Kevin Dickson.
Reading for educational purposes is drilled into us from a young age. This is true, yet can be dangerous, as we start to see reading as a tool for education... something which requires full engagement of the brain. The transition from school-level reading as a teenager, to reading for pleasure as a young woman is something that doesn't come naturally to everyone. I can remember being a teenager, and easily spending hours reading young adult novels. That was until a friend so unkindly said to me, 'You really shouldn't be reading that crap. It's not helping your reading level- I only read the classics.' As a 16-year-old girl, this completely rewired how I viewed reading, and I began to take on this toxic belief that books should shape my life and knowledge in some way. Whilst it can be important for some people to constantly try to improve their lives, the value of reading for enjoyment should not be underplayed.
So how do we find our way back to reading?
Some people like to follow the Rory Gilmore reading chart (available online). Gilmore Girls is the perfect cosy, autumn watch. Following the protagonist's reading journey and ticking off what you've read can be an excellent slide out of a reading slump. However, if you're like me, you may want to start with some lighter reading material. If you want to create your very own Rory Gilmore reading challenge, you can use digital and physical bullet journals to create an artistic view of progress.
Audiobooks: Books for the busy.
But Let's Address the Bigger Issue...
Women in their 20s have a tendency to begin replacing their hobbies with shop. We can become influenced by cult classic films like Mean Girls, Clueless, and Sex and The City, which predominately show female friendship surrounded by malls and dressing rooms. Young women who are just moving out of home for the first time can fall particularly victim to this because they continuously have to buy things to contribute to their new living arrangements. It's important to structure actual hobbies to prevent this from happening, and spiarling into a 'Shop-a-holic.'
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