Required Reading

via GIPHY      Obviously, I love reading. I run a book blog for goodness sake, I'm not exactly hiding it. However, there are circumstances in life that can make even the biggest bookworm refuse to read. For me, that circumstance is required reading. Whether it's for a class or my mom making me read it, required reading always puts me in a book slump, and it can be hard to come out of.



      Now, for some reason if someone forces me to read a book, I automatically despise said book. It's not something I choose to do, nor do I have any control over this. For example, if you have come to my blog before you most likely know that I love Harry Potter, my whole life is shaped around it. However, when I was a kid, probably seven years old, my mom told me I had to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I had no choice. I got maybe a paragraph in before deciding I hated it and was not reading it, before putting the book down and walking away. Fast forward a couple months, I read the book of my own accord and fell in love with it by the second page, completely forgetting about my original hatred of the book. Ultimately, my stubbornness and independence overrode my actual feelings about the book and caused me to hate the book simply because it was not my choice to read.


via GIPHY      There are some exceptions to this abnormal situation however. If I've already read the book, being forced to read it a second time does not change my opinion (although it does frustrate me because I know how it ends). For example, when I first read To Kill a Mockingbird I loved the book, probably because I related to Scout on many levels. This year in English, the book was part of the curriculum and I was required to read it. This didn't change my opinion and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to revisit some of my favorite characters, although I'd like to have revisited them WITHOUT having an in-depth discussion on every minor detail throughout the whole book.

     Overall, being told by anybody I have to read a book doesn't end well (and if my mom suggests a book I probably won't like that either) but getting the opportunity to read new books is amazing. I love getting emails from authors requesting reviews, as well as suggestions on what to read from other teens or adults who enjoy YA fiction. IF you have any suggestions please give me some, as I've read almost every book on my shelf.