Sometimes, I feel like I'm a fraud. Of course, I loved reading as a child. I read the typical books: Junie B. Jones, Goosebumps, even some Nancy Drew and The Magic Tree House! But, then social media came into play and I felt my time was spent looking at my screens. Obviously, I'm still doing this now (owning a business and being unemployed will do that to you), but something in me sparked. It could be my hyper-fixation kicking in forcing me to go to Barnes and Noble every other week and buying books just to make my bookshelf look nice. It also could be that my joining of #booktok and #booktwt (our generation is wonderful, truly) and constantly being shown new books and everyone explains why their fictional prince who was born into a harsh family and is forced to marry a princess that he hates, but they eventually realize that they're soulmates, is the best trope world and no one else's opinion matters. I find myself spending more time and money making a list of books I want to buy, just for them to sit on my bookshelf for months and repeating the cycle over again all year.
Then, there's the infinite TBR list! The ever growing, ever changing list of books I want to read in a certain amount of time that seems to never get marked off the list. Oh, and THEN there's the time where you go and buy a 800 page book that's full of sadness that you can't even get 200 pages into before swearing it off, burning each page slowly and passionately in your mind, and deciding that maybe cheesy audiobooks are better for you.
I think most people put a sort of hierarchy on the term "book reader". From the large number of books they've read in a month (seriously, I know I'm a slow reader, but how is everyone reading 10 books in 30 days?) to showcasing their bookshelves that take up an entire room. I think the comparison is what makes me think that I'm not doing enough when it comes to making a dent in all these books on my shelf (I have 64 books so I guess that's not too bad). Ultimately I will say this: if you read books, you're a reader. It doesn't matter how many pages or books you can read in a week. It doesn't matter how many Tiktok challenges you may see of people reading 1,000 page books in one sitting, if you even think about reading a book and get maybe 20 pages in... you're a reader and I am proud of you! Make your reading goal personal. Reading should not become a competition, it should simply be an escape, or for relaxation.
My name is Tyeler and I am 24 years old (almost 25 to be exact). I am an aspiring writer, avid reader when my brain allows, and a small business owner. I can't wait to share my journey with anyone who is willing to listen! Stay safe, dream about your comfort characters, and be great.
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