What Really Counts As Reading?

Years ago when e-readers made their debut, there were endless predictions about how physical books would become obsolete, yet I think we can all agree that books don’t seem to be going anywhere. Even as some chain bookstores have closed in the last decade, there’s been an equal number of independent bookstores opening in most cities. I’m a firm believer that books will never stop drawing us in. Stories have always been and will always be, and most readers (maybe all readers?) need something tangible to connect us to them. 

I also think that most of us want to be readers. I heard someone say once that reading isn’t virtuous, and while I agree that that statement is factually true, there’s still a little part of me that cringes at it. No, we aren’t inherently better people because we are readers, yet I’m betting you would agree that most of the great people you know and maybe even aspire to be like ARE, in fact, readers. So if we all agree that reading is a worthwhile endeavor, then why do we so often struggle to actually do it?

I think the answer probably ties back to guilt. Have you ever thought about reading, then told yourself that it only counts if you pick up a classic instead of that new chick flick that sounds really, really good? Or maybe you struggle with the physical act of reading, but you don’t think it counts if you listen to an audiobook. Maybe you read slowly or simply don’t have very much time to read, so it probably isn’t worthwhile if you can only get through one book this year, right? Maybe you spend lots of time reading to your kids but never pick up a book for your own pleasure, and children’s books aren’t worth anything for adults, right? Or you heard somewhere that “good Christians” only read books to help them grow Spiritually and never pick up a fiction book. I’m guessing you’re sensing a theme here– the answer to all of these is NO, NO, NO!!! 

It makes me so sad when I hear people say they can’t be a reader because they aren’t smart enough, or they’re too busy, or they just hate books. I really, truly believe that every person can and SHOULD be a reader. But that doesn’t mean that reading is going to look the same for all of us. Just like we all have different tastes in food, we are also going to have different tastes in books. 

My kids are a perfect example of this– one daughter has inherited my love of historical fiction, another loves fantasy (a favorite of both mine and her father’s). It would be so easy to view the love of historical fiction as more beneficial; after all, they’re probably learning some history while reading it, right? Yet any professional writer will name fantasy as one of the most helpful genres to read. A fantasy writer has to employ a deep level of world-building, character-shaping, and imagination that no other writer encounters. Neither genre is better, they’re just different. 

Then there’s the Christians who claim that we shouldn’t read fiction. Yet, I would argue that there are fiction books that have helped me understand God better than any Spiritual growth book out there (especially many of the Christian self-help books on the shelves currently that can only be described as fluff). Don’t forget that Christ more often than not taught through stories; if they were worthy of Him spending His limited teaching time on this Earth, then they are probably worth considering for us, too. C. S. Lewis, himself, came to Christ after reading George Macdonald’s fairytales, and anyone who can read the Chronicles of Narnia and not have their heart stirred to follow Aslan is a very cold-hearted person, indeed. 

Again, we aren’t saying that Spiritual growth books are bad; there are so many wonderful authors out there who expound on the Bible in a way that can’t be done in a story. The point is to stop worrying so much about reading the “right” way, and just start doing it. I’m going to advise you to approach reading the same way I had my kids do it in the beginning: as long as it’s not morally inappropriate, read what you want to and leave the rest. Both of my older daughters have read heaps of Babysitters Club, Warriors, and graphic novels, yet they’ve also picked up Anne of Green Gables of their own accord and listened to Harry Potter and the Wingfeather Saga. They’ve poured over nonfiction books on topics they want to learn more about. They fashioned their own Bible study times, reading through children’s Bibles and devotional books until they eventually picked up their own Bible and started reading it. 

And if you start where you’re at, whether it’s a magazine or the latest Colleen Hoover book or a cookbook, you will find yourself growing in the same way. In a couple years you’ll probably still enjoy the same things you do now, but you just might find yourself trying Jane Austen for the first time, or reading a book by one of the Spiritual fathers like Athanasius, or joining a book club and diving into All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. You might try a genre you’ve never before considered and suddenly realize how fun fantasy or contemporary fiction or memoirs are. Don’t be afraid to start where you are and watch the magic of reading take over.

One final note, but this one is for those of you who are already readers: don’t belittle anyone’s reading habits. We readers can be a snobbish bunch, can’t we? Don’t worry, I’m stepping on my own toes as I write this, too. Those who have made reading a habit for a long time are usually pretty confident in their own tastes and styles, but that doesn’t mean that others who see it differently are wrong. And judging and criticizing aren’t going to inspire anyone to want to pick up a book and read. Also, don’t put your convictions off on anyone else. If God has told you not to read fiction, then don’t read fiction. But that doesn’t mean it’s sin for your neighbor to do it (I don’t think “thou shalt not read fiction” is anywhere in the ten commandments, after all 😉).

Wherever you’re at on your reading journey, I hope you’ll jump in and grab a book (any book!) today. Happy reading!