Monday, October 12, 2015

On Redefining My Reader Comfort Zone

So. Books. I read them.

Or, I should say, try to read them. My Goodreads challenge has been politely reminding me that I still have a lot of catching up to do this year. "Fret not," I tell myself. "You'll get there!"

On the way there (there: 40 books), I've discovered something. My reading comfort zone is YA literature. It has been for a long time. However, this year has brought me a slew of books outside of YA that I've fallen head over heels for. Some of them are graphic novels. Others are nonfiction books. And a few are books written by actors I admire. 

This last category is a game changer for me. I've always been the kind of person who's learned a lot by watching other people's mistakes. Sure, I learn from my own, too. I still prefer it when others are teaching me how to fail. And, more importantly, how to get back up after failing. 

One recommendation? In case you haven't checked it out, Mindy Kaling's second book is titled Why Not Me?



I've also read Mindy's first book, which I loved to bits. Mindy's hilarious, yes, but she's this beacon of empowerment for me. Her advice to young girls and women is simple. Be yourself. Work hard for what you want. Embrace your numerous crushes on male celebrities (my personal favorite). 

This is me basically telling you that you need to fangirl over Mindy Kaling and her awesomeness. This is also me basically telling you to not limit yourself, even if you already know the kind of stories you enjoy. I never thought I'd devour a book written by a celebrity. Now I've devoured more than one and have learned from all of them. 

I'll go back to reading my beloved YA soon, but I'm not longer so judgmental about other options.