What to Read or What Not To Read?
My dilemma: read new books? Or re-read old favourites?
I have a limited time to read (sadly…). What is the best use of it? To return to something I love? To take the risk of finding a new love?
There’s value in both. It’s always exciting to discover a new author or new story you didn’t know you’d love. But the tried-and-true books can also offer you new perspectives. You always read it differently. Your stage in life, what’s happening to you now, all can shape your beloved story into a new experience.
But what if you’re missing out on the next-best read? What if you turn away a potential melt-your-heart story? Given how many books are published each year, and given how many older books you also may not have read, wouldn’t it be better to read widely?
Here’s the only way I’ve been able to solve my dilemma: I read what I feel like reading. Not because I have to—I’m not a student in school with a compulsory reading list—but because reading is joy. That’s what I’m striving for. What do I think will bring me joy in that moment? An old stand-by? A story and characters I already know and love? Or the thrill of finding my next new favourite (that I will then push to the re-read pile)? It’s my only criteria.
Consider that the next time you face the same dilemma as me. What books bring you joy?