Getting lost in the pages

It’s been a while

I originally wrote this post in about November of 2024, but am actually posting this in March of 2025. I started getting a little bit in my own head - who is reading this and why should they care? Do I sound arrogant? Are people going think differently about me after reading this? Similar to the impetus for the first post - there was a blog post the gave me the kick I needed. People aren’t being forced to read this - they can leave anytime they want. I’m doing this for myself.

Introduction

Reading for pleasure has been something I’ve picked up in the past few years, and I wanted to explore in this blog post

  • What got me back into reading?
  • What benefits have I gotten in my life from reading
  • What have been some of the most memorable books I’ve read

When I was a child, I was a voracious reader. My aunt had introduced me to the Harry Potter series when I was about 4 or 5, and I as I got a little older, I became obsessed. I remember dragging my parents to a midnight book release for books 6 and 7, and staying up under my bedsheets with a light to read at night. I was that kid in elementary school who would be reading Lord of the Rings in a chair during recess, and devoured books assigned to us in school ( Hatchet is still a book I remember almost 2 decades later). Somewhere along the way, my passion died out. I suspect this was primarily due to playing video games, and shorter more digestible content like reddit posts.

I didn’t stop reading outright, but it instead became a means to an end. I would cram my assigned reading the night before so I could pass the quiz the next day. After I finished school, I would read books like The Pragmatic Programmer to help me get better at my job, or The Conversation Code to make small talk a little bit easier. Books could still interest me, but I found that I didn’t really enjoy them.

Reigniting the spark

I was on a beach trip one summer after moving back to North Carolina, and was reading The Last Lecture, while a friend was reading The Name of the Wind beside me. We ended up talking about our books, and she mentioned it was recommended to her by a friend when she studied abroad, and was this was actually a reread. My Harry Potter addled brain was intrigued by another Fantasy book, so I took note of the name. A few months later I decided to check it out. It was a little slow to start, but I soon became enthralled.

The most visceral memory I have of reading that book was after coming back to my apartment after work one day. After I put my backpack down, I fished out my Kindle, hopped my couch, and excitedly started reading to see what would happen to the protagonist Kvothe. I had been looking forward to this all day, and couldn’t remember the last time I felt this excited about a book. I soon finished it and the sequel, and would left be cursing Patrick Rothfuss until the end of days as he continuously delays the closing third book (It’s been 13 years).

I love going through a journey with characters, learning and growing alongside them. Looking through the lenses of multiple people, understanding how they view the world and choose to interact with it. The way authors can spin a phrase so you can know exactly how that character is feeling at that moment, or how beautiful the sight they see is. The rewarding feeling of learning a new word, or being exposed to a concept I had never thought of before.

How have I benefited from reading?

Socially

I was at a log cabin in the mountains for my friends bachelor party, and my introverted self took a beat to read my kindle to recharge my social battery. An acquaintance popped in to ask something, and asked “Is that the Stormlight Archive?” This man recognized the book by the layout of chapter beginnings, and soon we started nerding out about different characters and plot points. This would not be the only time I would start conversation with near strangers and quickly build a connection over what we were reading. I occasionally attend a book club at my work where I’m able to talk learn about other peoples opinions and thoughts about particular books. If you know me well, you know I can talk, a lot. So be wary when you are asking me about what I’m reading, as I may not shut up for a while.

Personal Growth

To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions

Our mindset is a product of our own experiences, and we have a pretty narrow world view by default. Reading exposes us to the inner world of many others, and looking at the world from different angles helps our view become just a little bit more objective. From self-help books to fantasy books with not-so-subtle real-world commentary, I’ve been exposed to perspectives of people I would probably never normally encounter in my day-to-day life. Sometimes this can feel uncomfortable (I’ve been putting off reading a book that diminishes the role of free will for a while), but it is often in places of discomfort that we discover the most growth.

One of my favorite Ted Talks posits empathy as a practiced, learnable skill - and reading has a nice side effect of getting in some extra empathy reps.

Notable Books

Here are a couple books that have been particularly impactful in my life

  • Pawn of Prophecy
    • The first of a ten book fantasy series I have probably reread more than any other series in my life. I was introduced to this series by the same Aunt who read me Harry Potter, and was one of the first physical books I bought for myself when I started my first job. A cozy, nostalgic comfort read that throws me back in time.
  • Man’s Search for Meaning
    • One of the most impactful books I have ever read. The first part is the autobiography of Viktor Frankl - a Jewish Psychiatrist that was sent to concentration camps during world war 2. The second part talks more about a form of therapy he founded called Logotherapy - which focuses on finding meaning in your life. It was hard to find meaning in the camps, and Frankl talks about how he managed to do it and what he focused on.
  • The Way of Kings
    • If you asked me what author I’ve read the most of as an adult, the answer would be Brandon Sanderson and it’s not even close. The final book in this series releases in just a couple of weeks, and this is most excited I’ve been for a book in almost 2 decades.
  • Storyworthy
    • I read this book to help me prepare for a wedding speech I was nervous about, and learnings from this book have slowly seeped into all areas of my life. This is a book about storytelling,and talks about how to engage with your audience in most effective way possible. It’s probably worth a reread soon to help with my blogging skills.