BY CECELIA MOISAN
Photo Credit: Paige Bettencourt
My backpack is on the verge of splitting open. This is in part due to heavy religion textbooks, but mostly due to my insistence on carrying a book to read for pleasure wherever I go.
Those who happen to be on the second floor of May Hall on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons have probably seen me curled up on a bench, head in a book. It’s usually a work of Middle Grade fiction (targeted at ages 8-12). Reading these books is a fun exercise for me, I like to predict their plots and rate the author’s ability to deliver a message in a way that is relatable to a wide, young and very diverse audience.
In middle and high school, the most common comment I got about the books I read was the target audience of my chosen content. In college, however, I find that no one takes time to notice what I am reading, but the fact that I am reading at all.
Outside the like-minded havens of English Society meetings, almost anyone who passes me reading has something to say about it. Some enjoy making comments about my supposed status as a dork or an outcast. The majority, however, are genuinely curious.
The first time someone approached me was a few days into the semester. A girl came up to me and asked, “Why are you reading?” At first, I thought she had said “What are you reading,” a common question I am asked and love to answer. But she was asking about the nature of my reading. Once it was established that I was reading purely for pleasure and not school or work, I was soon left alone with my book. But I also had a new thought to consider: how surprising was it that I simply read for fun, and nothing else?
Apparently quite surprising, because in the past weeks, I am frequently questioned for having a book with me in the hallway, on the quad, in the commons, or before class. No one is judgmental, but almost everyone is confused.
Librarians are thrilled (further proving that they are some of society’s best), and teachers think I’m joking. But my intentions are plain and genuine: I read because I want to, because it is one of the few things in life that is not a competition.
I don’t scroll BookTok, it stresses me out. Though I enjoy discussing favorite books with friends, reading is a solitary experience for me. I am in a silent dialogue between my mind and the text on the page. I love it, and I really hope that others are able to find a way to love it too.
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