At the start of the semester, it was originally my goal to finish one book per week. However, I realized that was just a little too ambitious to accomplish.
Instead, I opted to finish a book every two weeks or so. While introducing reading into my daily schedule was a challenge, I’m so glad this column provided me the opportunity to do so. In fact, at times, it was extremely easy.
In my first column of the semester, I wrote about how I usually prefer to watch Netflix in my free time outside classes and extracurricular activities. Although sometimes I struggled choosing between the two, there were times where I definitely preferred reading books to watching television.
I tried to read a variety of books during the semester, and overall, I feel as though I succeeded. In fact, I feel as though reading a diverse range of books helped widen my worldview by covering a variety of topics from a lot of distinct perspectives from the authors.
While other forms of media can connect people and share stories about the world and its people, books are definitely distinct. Books can give us a direct look into the thoughts and emotions of characters to allow for a greater sense of connection.
I won’t use this column as another rant about the benefits of reading, but I think it’s important to echo that sentiment one last time. Every semester I spend at IU I feel like I learn something fundamental, and among other things, this column has helped me learn that I want to start reading again for good.
While the future of print, from journalism to fiction, is uncertain, I am certain that I won’t give up on reading in general.
Because I can’t watch Netflix while laying out by the pool, I’m looking forward to the summer so I can have a little more time for reading.
“The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood is on list of books to read after binge watching the first three episodes of the TV version on Hulu. I’m also interested in reading “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” by Rebecca Skloot, which recently was made into an HBO film.
It would be too difficult to choose my favorite book of the semester, but two that definitely stand out to me are “Miller’s Valley” by Anna Quindlin and “Exit West” by Mohsin Hamid. I enjoyed “Miller’s Valley” because as a young woman, I found it easy to relate to the protagonist who deals with the joys and pains of growing up during the novel.
On the other hand, “Exit West” presented the lives of refugees, and while I could not relate to the main characters in their flight from home, the characters were still relatable, particularly what it feels like to fall in love.
If it weren’t for this column, I wouldn’t have gotten to read these books. I might not have even read a single book for fun all semester.
Now that I know there is time for reading if I choose to make it, I feel confident that I’ll be more motivated in the future. Hopefully, I’ll be motivated to keep writing as well.
While just reading was beneficial to me, writing about what I read helped me analyze my own thoughts and feelings about the books and their themes. If more people took the time to read and work out their feelings through writing, maybe the world would be a different place.
