Reading for Fun
Over the holidays, a lot of my habits hit the reset button.
The holidays are great, but they’re also a time when habits get thrown out the window. Sometimes, I don’t even know what day it is.
One of those lost habits was reading. I was working on reading some heavier literature like Tolstoy. I made some progress, but I didn’t want to lug those books around with me as I traveled. I had given up my Kindle reading streak too (something I determined to leave behind in 2025). I was trying to be less hard on myself to read.
With 2026 underway, I figured it was time to get back into my reading routine. Except, after a couple weeks off, I felt that picking an author like Tolstoy was a bit hefty. I didn’t want to pick up his books, and reading became a chore, which wasn’t a good sign. Instead, I returned to a fantasy series I started last year: Dungeon Crawler Carl.
The series is nothing like Tolstoy, but I found that I enjoyed reading them. I wanted to pick them up and read. That’s the flame I wanted to stoke.
I noticed a new feeling crop up as I read Dungeon Crawler Carl, though. I sometimes felt guilty for reading something that might be considered shallow literature. Shouldn’t I be spending this time reading books that will better my soul? Yes, and no.
We should read fun literature (whether that’s fantasy, romance, etc.) because those books also help you grow much like classic literature.
Why Even Pick Up a Book?
Why should we read any books in the first place?
Some Benefits
If you search around, you’ll find a whole slew of benefits that come from reading. Some are more believable than others. One source reports that you’re likely to earn more money professionally if you’re a reader.
Reading can also reduce stress, which might help us live longer.
Strengthening Our Imagination
An important benefit of reading is that it forces us to create images in our head, strengthening our imaginations. I’m all for a good TV show or movie, but this is one area where reading is better. TV shows and movies create an image (and sound and all accompanying sensory information) for us. When you’re watching Game of Thrones, you see what the dragon looks like. If you read Game of Thrones, you have to decide what the dragon looks like in your head based on the description provided to you.
You also have to move yourself forward in a book. If you start passively watching a movie, it still progresses. If you stop reading a book, you go nowhere. This is also an area where books have a slight leg up on audiobooks. While you have to imagine while listening to an audiobook much like a physical book, the audio version will keep you moving forward. I think this can actually be helpful at times, but it’s a different sensory experience. (I love audiobooks for the record.)
Living A Dozen Lives
A final benefit of reading that I’ll highlight is that books help us develop empathy and new perspectives. If you’ve ever had a love-hate relationship with a book’s villain, you might understand what I’m getting at.
We only live one life, yet with books we get to experience as many as we can consume.
Through books, you could experience the life of Nelson Mandela or Malala Yousafzai or even the fictional life of Paul Atreides. Each of these people have led lives different from us, made different decisions, and reading allows us to experience their world in a sort of way.
David McCullough’s biography of Harry Truman was a favorite book that I read last year. I didn’t think I’d relate all that much to the 33rd president of the United States, but there are some parts of his life I still think about today.
For example, whenever he was frustrated, he would write what he called a “long hand spasm,” a stream-of-consciousness letter where he didn’t filter any of his emotions. Most of the time, Truman never sent these letters out. The process just helped him work through his emotions so that he could proceed with a level head. He essentially journaled.
While I haven’t directed any of my frustrations at generals, I’ve also tried this stream-of-consciousness journaling (also known by some as Morning Pages), and it’s surprisingly helpful. I never expected this practice to be something I shared with a president.
Clearly, there are a lot of benefits from reading. Most of these you get from reading in general, not just classic literature. Reading of any kind is good for you.
Developing a Reading Habit
Reading is a habit. Whether you read when you wake up in the morning, on the commute to work, or in bed before you fall asleep, you likely have a routine if you’re a big reader.
Picking some fun books is a good way to start a reading habit.
Right now, I’m reading Dungeon Crawler Carl to get back in the habit of picking up a book when I wake up. Once I make my way through this series, I’ll start to look at denser and denser material, hopefully returning soon to Tolstoy.
It’s hard to start by reading intense material. Start with the habit using books you enjoy, then ratchet up the difficulty.
Books Bring Us Together
There’s one area where I think reading fun books is even better than classic literature: connecting with others.
Sure, it’s not uncommon for people to bond over a Shakespeare quote, but I’m willing to bet more people around my age have read Harry Potter than The Merchant of Venice. I’m not here to argue whether or not that’s a good thing, but it is easier to connect with people when there are more of those who’ve had a similar experience, like reading a book.
Fun books have helped me strengthen friendships and stay in close with those that live farther away from me.
When I lived in Madison, a close friend and I bonded over the Red Rising series and Brandon Sanderson’s books, both of which he introduced to me.
More recently, another friend started reading The Stormlight Archive, and we would text or talk over the phone about his progress and theories.
I even bonded with a co-worker on a recent work trip about the absurdly fun Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which led to conversations you would likely never get on a regular Zoom call.
Books bring us together, which is certainly a good thing, especially nowadays.
It's What You Make It
I’m not saying to toss out all your Penguin Classics. There are so many reasons why we should read classic literature. Many of the books studied in English class today were the fun books of their time, even if that might be hard to believe.
But also, try not to judge yourself too harshly, in your reading endeavors or otherwise.
It’s good to do fun things, and even reading fantasy or romance has its benefits. Reading books you enjoy helps you strengthen the reading habit and might even help you connect with those around you.
My takeaway is this: read.
Read books you love. Read hard books. Read easy books. Try books you might not like. There are so many books out there, so many things we can learn. A reading habit doesn’t have to look a certain way. It can be whatever you make it.
If you made it this far, please consider subscribing so that the next post gets delivered straight to your inbox!