Lessons Learned from Reading 50+ Books in 2020
Because finding a coping mechanism that works for you is essential — this was mine
People flocked in masses to buy books, back in March when the pandemic first hit. As a bookseller, working my final shift before the UK entered lockdown, I noticed swathes of people stockpiling books, fearful of the prospect of being stuck inside for the next few months.
It was a wonderful spectacle but little did I know — that books for me personally — would become a lifeline for the next 10 months. If you had told me at the beginning of 2020, that I would have so much time off work I would have laughed.
Books became my form of solace, comfort and escape from the chaos that the world was inflicting, coupled with the deep uncertainty I felt through sleepless nights. When I had empty days to fill, books were there, patiently waiting for me.
I’ve always been a reader — but my relationship with reading has ebbed and flowed over the years — but now, I can confidently say, this habit will never be broken.
Here are the lessons I learned from reading 50+ books this year.
It’s Important to Read Beyond Your Comfort Zone
There are so many books out there — more than we can ever read in our lifetimes. So sometimes, it pays to be selective. However, as readers, we should never be afraid to go beyond our comfort zones once in a while.
The great thing about reading a book you might not initially feel sure about — is that you can always put it down. No one will know and hey, at least you will have tried.
At the start of the year, before the pandemic hit, I started a book blog and soon discovered that you could get books for free on Netgalley if you wrote a short review. It seemed like a book lovers dream, and a great way to spend my free time. So I signed up, and throughout the year, I’ve reviewed seven advanced copies, and also received personal requests from authors who have stumbled across my blog.
And what was the result of all this?
At times, when reading proofs such as The Stone in My Pocket or Knight in Paper Armor, I have been taken out of my comfort zone. Upon starting these two novels, I wasn’t sure what to make of them and if I would finish them. But on both occasions, I was pleasantly surprised and ended up thoroughly enjoying them.
Throughout this year, because of reading books via request, my genre comfort zone has been shattered. I’m a devout literary fiction lover through and through — but reading beyond my comfort zone has been essential for me as a writer and a reader. It has challenged what I thought I loved from a good book and solidified other things — like my belief in having a strong, character-driven story.
All in all, it’s taught me that a book (regardless of genre) can always take me by surprise — if I let it.
Sometimes it Pays to Slow Down
Fourteen year old me, who tried to cram in as many books as she could into a week, always wanted to read as quickly as possible. As soon as I was finished with one book, I was immediately on to the next. I never paused to reflect on what I had just read. It was almost as if I was addicted to reading and had to get the next hit as soon as possible.
Nowadays, I try and approach reading as a form of mindfulness. Naturally, it’s more of a slow process. Despite reading more than 50 books this year, each one has been read at a moderate pace and involved a certain amount of reflection. I haven’t reviewed or wrote about every book I’ve read — but this approach has encouraged me to pause and think — regardless.
This year I’ve also been sporadically keeping a commonplace book — which has acted as a record of my thoughts, ideas and favourite quotes from the things I’ve read. It has also acted as a form of inspiration for articles like these.
In essence, I’m lightyears away from my teenage self. I approach reading as a form of escapism, time to switch off, and time to be in the present — thus, it’s consciously a more drawn-out process with reflection involved. It doesn’t have to be like this if you don’t want it to be — but for me personally — it definitely helps.
Reading Multiple Books at Once Is a Good Idea
Like everybody, I’m only human, and there have been several books I have given up with reading this year. And during this process of acceptance, I’ve realised how it is important to have more than one book on the go at once. If I only ever stuck to one book, I would probably read far less.
Having more choice on a daily basis when it comes to reading material means I’m more likely to stick to a ritual of reading every day. If I don’t fancy reading one book, I can change to another one that I fancy reading more. The possibilities are endless.
If I didn’t read multiple books at once, chances are, I’d probably just turn to scrolling on my phone, or watching something on Netflix I’m not entirely into.
However, it must be stressed that the books I choose to read at the same time are usefully purposefully different. Sometimes they are opposing genres, or formats, and I find that this form of separation is good for my concentration and being able to switch between the two.
Fiction is a Form of Education
Non-fiction is most commonly known as the pathway to expanding your knowledge. And indeed, reading non-fiction does inevitably achieve this. However, fiction is wonderful because it doubles as a form of education and escapism, all rolled into one.
When reading a good fiction book, you are taken away from the present, but learn about an alternative world, unlike the one you are currently apart of.
Virginia Woolf once wrote that reading had unique importance arguing it is the reason why,
“we have grown from apes to men, and left our caves and dropped our bows and arrows and sat around the fire and talked and given to the poor and helped the sick — the reason why we have made shelter and society out of the wastes of the desert and the tangle of the jungle is simply this — we have loved reading.”
Reading then, and fiction, in particular, gives us a level of social understanding that is beyond our own bubbles. This education teaches us to think beyond our own standing and empathise with people we may not even encounter in real life.
You could even go as far as to say reading fiction is a way to understand the human struggle and purpose — throughout the ages.
This year — through reading fiction — I have learnt about the casual racism experienced in everyday life by a twenty-year-old woman trying to find her feet (Such a Fun Age), how divisive certain communities in America are (How I Learned to Hate in Ohio), how racism is deeply embedded within the American criminal justice system (An American Marriage), how it is sometimes important to pursue something you love, rather than be entrapped in something you hate (Keep the Aspidistra flying) and finally — how a cycle of loneliness and self-depreciation can be really hard to get out of (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.) These are to name but a few examples.
Fiction teaches us how to think and how to feel — and for that alone — we should all be singing its educational praises.
Books are an Essential form of Comfort and Escapism in Uncertain Times
For many, the experience of the pandemic has changed the way we think and even, our way of life. If you’re anything like me, maybe you’ve realised that it’s the small things in life that make you happy — like a perfect sunrise, or a hot cup of coffee on a chilly morning — or the true wonder that comes with a gripping work of fiction.
Reading in all shapes and forms has multiple benefits which have become more paramount this year. Whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or graphic novels, I think it’s safe to say a lot of us have found comfort in picking up a book, to escape for a short moment. For me, it’s acted as a way to understand the world in new ways, but escape from what is immediately going on around me too.
Reading has always been a huge part of my life but the experience of the pandemic and the empty days that littered my calendar, make me realise just how much I gain from books. And further, how much I love to write about them and start conversations with strangers on the internet.
Everyone has their own form of escapism — whether that’s watching a TV series, a good film, or playing a game — but reading is definitely mine.
Arguably, our means of escapism and comfort have become more pertinent this year, as we’ve had more empty days than ones that are jam-packed full. Often, it has felt like the news changes at the rate of the hour. All in all, it has been a lot to deal with.
Throughout all of this — I’ve been a firm believer in finding what form of comfort works for you. For me, that was reading.
This year I can take away one thing — I’ve read widely, beyond my comfort zone, and mindfully. I’ve established that connection and will now go into 2021 knowing more than ever, how important reading is to me.
