Reading with Mandy

Everyone has their own way of choosing what book to read next. Some people have TBR piles. Some have lists. Some read fiction more than nonfiction. Some won’t start a new book until the one they are currently reading is done. Rules about how to pick the next read or how to determine what to read next can take on monstrous proportions. For me, I just read what I feel like reading. I used to say I never DNF books because just because I started and didn’t read all the way through in one sitting didn’t mean I’d never read the book. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller sat in my pile from 2012 until about 2021, but I finished it (I had to understand the origin of the phrase Catch 22 and what it meant). Grapes of Wrath by Joseph Steinbeck I started in 2005 and have yet to finish (I have every intention of finishing, but I’m stuck on the part where he describes the movement of a turtle across the road and I fall asleep every single time when I usually do not fall asleep while reading). I just went to the library and returned all of the books except for two that I’d had out and did not finish any of them. A bunch of books on Libby I’d had on Hold were ready, and I had to finish the latest in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (there’s 31 books in the series now, and I started reading where there were only 9). I was in the mood to read about Stephanie and Lula’s antics and needed it at the time. I don’t question what I seem to need nor do I feel shame about it. Frankly, not reading would be more of a problem to me than what I’m reading. Everyone has their favorite genres that are go to reads. For me it’s a romantic comedy. If I need a funny, light, uplifting book that’s what I want to read. That is often what gets sprinkled throughout my piles and finds its way into my hands. It’s formulaic but that’s the point. I know how it’s going to end, but I don’t know how the author is going to get there. It’s the ultimate sit back and enjoy the journey read. There’s no speculating and no guessing. It’s probably the equivalent to watching a Hallmark movie (with way more laughs and giggles). Romantic comedies help me manage my mental health. When irritability creeps in I know I need to lose myself in a romance novel. Sometimes I feel the need to challenge myself or learn something new. I know I’ll get The Immune Mind by Monty Lyman and Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism by James W. Loewen (who also wrote Lies My Teacher Told Me which I think is a necessary read for anyone interested in history and how history curriculums get formed) back out of the library. I just know right now I need easy reads, and this is completely ok. This is why being a mood reader isn’t something to be ashamed of but rather something to lean into and follow. We can’t spend all of our time reading nonfiction and consuming knowledge without a break. Nor can we consume fiction only and get lost in imaginary worlds. I think blending both blends well together. It also does exactly what reading is supposed to do opens your eyes and your mind. It’s about celebrating what makes us human: mess and beauty all in one package. Reading is best done when you can blend some order with chaos, so if a TBR pile works for you go for it. Just be ok to grab the 4th book in the pile instead of only allowing the top. I find when I allow some structure and flexibility I read more (and as a side benefit I finish books faster). Sometimes you have to focus on one book because it grabs your attention and won’t let it go (Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Tӧrzs comes immediately to mind). Other times it takes multiple attempts to finish. Read what you feel like. There’s no hard or fast rules once you leave school. Don’t let that terrible English teacher you had in high school convince you that reading for fun isn’t for you. Find something that interests you (and I do mean you, not what Booktok, Bookgram, or Booktube finds popular in the moment just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s for you). All I know is that reading makes me happy and hopefully it does for you too. Happy Reading!