Hello readers! It’s time for a LTB post. Honestly, I find this topic very interesting because it came up a lot on Booktok in the last few months. I really did not realize that two people can be reading the same book, but also reading it completely differently. It’s so fascinating honestly.
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was originated by Eternity Books and is currently hosted by Book Nook Bits and Dinipandareads. The accompanying thumbnail was also designed by Book Nook Bits. Each Friday, bloggers craft posts where they engage in discussions centered around the designated topic for the week.
Prompts: Real life can be a lot. Do you enjoy reading books with high relatability to your past or present situation (i.e. with relatable characters, situations they face, or places they visit) or do you read purely to escape reality? Do you seek out a certain type of read, depending on your head space or mood?
When it comes to reading, I do not read for relatability or escapism, but I have learned in the past few months that many people do.
I feel like the purpose of reading is to grow. I love to gain a new perspective when I read. It’s valuable to me to see the world in a completely different perspective than the one I live in. Reading fiction can significantly increase empathy.
I am by no means saying reading for pure enjoyment is bad, because it’s not. BUT I feel like I can gain a lot from any book.
I also cannot read for escapism. One way to know I am not doing the best mentally is if I am not reading anything. I can’t think about reading if I am struggling. It just feels like I am trying to run from my problems instead of working through them.
People who only read books they can relate to are honestly a bit odd to me sometimes. I’ve seen Booktokers say they can’t read books by black authors because they can’t relate to them, but they also read romances with blue aliens.
I don’t know. Maybe I am just weird, but I can find relatable things in nearly every book I read. Whether it’s a struggle the character goes through or a type of friend they have in their lives.
I personally read to empathize with other experiences outside of my own and I hope I can find something to enjoy along the way. But, I also love a book that’ll make me cry. I don’t mind either one.
What do you guys think? Do you read for relatability?
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