Christmas was always the highlight of the year for me and the most memorable experience that drew me into reading.
It started back in Year 3, it was my first Christmas Holiday at a new primary school and to my surprise I was touched to receive a wrapped Christmas gift. I did not know that this was something schools could do for students and I was happy to be gifted it – regardless of it being a book. I was given The Rescue Princesses: The Shimmering Stone by Paula Harrison; it was so stunning and intriguing to younger me and I couldn’t wait to read it – especially because books about girls saving animals was the hot topic at the time and I was glad to have been included in this trend. I became dedicated to reading more books with the theme of female friendships and saving animals. Elated to discover it was part of a collection of books, I begged my dad to purchase the whole collection, to fill this new burning desire in my heart.
These unforgettable moments made me enjoy reading, viewing it as an interest and not a chore. From then on, I anticipated Christmas every year during primary school.
Year 5 was also pivotal in heightening my interest in reading, as I developed a phase… an obsession with horses!
Gifted The Pony Club Secrets: Mystic and the Midnight Ride by Stacy Gregg I had learned everything to do with horses just by reading this book series, such as: breeds, different types of activities: dressage, show-jumping, cross-country, what a canter and gallop is, equipment: saddle, bridle, a bit, reins, girth. My favourite book from the series is Stardust and The Daredevil Ponies. I was even inspired to produce my own mini book back in Year 6, which was selected to be read to children in reception for World Book Day.
Therefore, these two reading experiences are very special and key to my interest in reading as a hobby, because it expanded my attitude towards reading, viewing it now as an exciting adventure. To me reading is an escape, a chance to use my imagination and visualise anything – even picture my favourite book or film characters in a different universe or scenario.
Alongside these two special memories, there are other fun ways to build a passion for reading and stimulate a vast imagination creating your own stories of your enjoyed genres or characters.
Fiction Hybrid Books
An extremely popular form of literature that I have seen engage young people to enjoy reading and become addicted to it, are diary style books. They are a fun and comedic read with cartoon illustrations that requires little to no effort to get into. They are also often relatable for most young readers, as we follow the protagonist who typically has just entered teenage-hood and is excited to see if it lives up to their expectations and dreams of what growing up is like – whether that is popularity, forming new friendships or experiencing ‘adult things’ like puberty and relationships.
I would say that diary style books are one of the quickest and easiest ways to get hooked into reading, because of how easy-going the storyline is, the format makes readers want to keep on reading. I used to read diary style books when I was younger and wanted to have a humorous and nostalgic read. I too could sometimes relate to the feelings of the protagonists or to their hopes and expectations about how something would be like – such as the high school experience.
I used to worry that reading these types of books is ‘not really reading’ because my old secondary school teacher used to disapprove. However, I believe that they are wonderful books to read and make you feel carefree. I still hold a fondness for these types of books, because they bring joy to me whenever I read them and I feel like a child again, when my teenage-hood was thrilling and felt so grown up. I have found that after reading a series of these books, I look forward to reading other books again and even fantasise about being part of the world of stories I am currently reading.
My Recommendations:
Classics:
- Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
- Dork Diary by Rachel R. Russel
- Dear Dumb Diaries by Jim Benton
Others:
- Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
- Tom Gates by Liz Pichon
- The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby
- Diary of An Accidental Witch by Honor Cargill
Book series
Themed books that are a series are another great way to stay consistent with reading. It is my favourite way to read books because I like completing the entire universe of a story and witnessing how multiple storylines connect to each other. I feel more invested and closely connected to the characters like I experienced all their adventures together or feel maternal over their character and relationship growths. After finishing a book series I love being part of a fandom, fantasising about their journey now or of them in alternate universes and feel bittersweet that their story has ended as I miss the escapism and whimsicalness I experienced.
Book series tend to have a universe of their own and further stories exploring other characters or storylines which is a comforting and nice way to get invested in an author’s work or book genre. They are a frequent form in genres such as: romance, fantasy, dystopian, mystery and science fiction typically because the writer establishes a universe which is the bubble world for their stories either fictional or inspired by real life past lifestyles and separate from contemporary life. These often include an illustrated two page map highlighting the beautifully crafted and detailed world which transports the reader and helps to establish name to picture understanding for a more immersed and intense experience. They can have recurring characters and standalone or sequential reading within the same universe creating a feeling of familiarity and intrigue; this interests me because I love diving into the character development and lore of each character and find it thrilling reading how subplots unweave, always leading back to the main one.
My Recommendations:
Classics:
- Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan
- Pony Club Secrets by Stacy Gregg
- Six of Crows & Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Others:
- The Medusa Project by Sophie McKenzie
- The Empyrean Series: Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- The Legendborn Cycle: Legendborn, Bloodmarked and Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
Books based on dreams, hobbies and interests
Another great way to interest yourself in reading is by finding books based or inspired by any hobbies, interests and dreams you have. This is a unique way to find reading intriguing, because reading about a character performing a hobby or interest you too share, not only might motivate you to spend more time pursuing your self-interests but also inspire you to take that skill to another level.
Books based on hobbies, interests and dreams could be about a sport, playing an instrument, gaming, creating something or polishing a skill; there are many forms you can read about this, whether that is: an autobiography, fiction book, non-fiction books, graphic novels. I prefer to read fiction books of characters sharing the same interest or dream as me, because they tend to achieve their hopes for this and the detail of their journey makes me feel passionate and hopeful for what I could have, reminding me that nothing is too unrealistic. Fictional books about hobbies and interests also help to make reading feel like a form of escapism, just daydreaming and putting yourself in the protagonist’s shoes. I always find it astonishing and appreciate the extent of detail and precision writers include to be as accurate as possible while still holding a fictional element that does not feel too contemporary.
Autobiographies and non-fiction books about hobbies and interests such as a sport, form of art and hobby, can also be engaging because they can tell us the inside lives of professionals in the fields. Reading about their transformation might also be relatable and comforting seeing that others too shared similar obstacles.
My Recommendations:
- Courage to Soar by Simone Biles
- From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata
- The Knockout by S.A. Patel
- The Other Side of Perfect by Mariko Turk
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- After The Shot Drops by Randy Ribay
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- Big City Reads books
Books associated with a mood or period
One of my other favourite ways to get in the mood to read is to romanticise life and brief transitional experiences. What I mean by this, is crafting a list of books I will read based on the current period of the year, such as books that relate to the season of autumn, new school beginnings and dystopian fiction for comfort during the gloomy weather. I find this to rejuvenate my enthusiasm for the changing seasons and new academic year as a student.
Another way I romanticise life by reading, is associating long periods of waiting as the perfect atmosphere to read. I always look forward to car rides because I find it peaceful and comforting.
The feeling of the journey excites me more than the destination because it feels like the best time to read and escape into another world. I also love to make more of a spectacle of it by having a playlist ready on the go that matches the vibes and theme of the story I dive into. I always suggest to other people that car rides are the best setting to delve into the fictional world.
Victoria N’douba is an International Media and Communications student at the University of Nottingham, her favourite book genres are romance and science fiction – especially the found family trope.