The downside of being young is often thinking you know it all. Luckily, as we get older, we have the chance to change past behaviors and discover hobbies we once avoided. Reading was one hobby I steered clear of, mainly due to my lack of focus. If only I knew then what I know now. Reading has become one of my greatest escapes from reality, and I’m so grateful for the power of literature.
As an adult dealing with life responsibilities and deadlines, attempting to balance work, school, and a social life can be stressful and exhausting. During these stressful times, my favorite way to unwind is through opening a new book. Whether it be the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas or Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco, I’m able to mentally transport myself from the comfort of my own home to imaginative settings within a few chapters. By immersing myself in stories, I’m able to experience each moment as if I were the main character myself.
Literature has also provided me with moments of insight, where I can pause my reading to put myself in the character’s perspective and wonder how they must feel within the current scene. Through multiple points of views, themes, and symbolism, I’m able to piece together the complex turns of the story and understand character choices or in some scenarios, judge them. For example, in Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, a betrayal is discovered which shocks the main character, Violet, as well as the readers. The betrayal is so deep, it feels like an actual heartbreak. I couldn’t help but sympathize for Violet and sense the lack of trust she must have felt after being so vulnerable and honest about her feelings.
On the other hand, the benefit to sensing a character’s emotions in a story is that it also allows you to relive experiences for the first time through a separate character. From tropes such as enemies to lovers or forbidden love, you can relive experiences such as having your first crush or the feeling of falling in love for the first time. The descriptive themes and plot allow readers to experience the beauty of emotions, loyalty and growth in all forms of relationships.
Literature has expanded my mind to different possibilities in stories as well in life itself. It has given me a better understanding that sometimes situations are not always black and white and there may be more behind a situation to explain certain choices made. I am forever grateful that I began reading as a hobby in my adult years and look forward to the new adventures that await me.
Get the books!
- Check out the novels of Sarah J. Mass at BMCC’s library, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, or the Queens Public Library.
- Check out the novels of Kerri Maniscalco at the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, or the Queens Public Library.
- Check out the novels of Rebecca Yarros at BMCC’s library, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, or the Queens Public Library.
About the author This review is by Maria Arias, devoted fantasy reader.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
