Every year, I tell myself I should read out of my comfort zone. Extend my horizons. Open my eyes to a greater world.
Every year, I'm disappointed.
Oh, there's something to it. I didn't always love science fiction, so I must have picked up some book that sparked that interest. But I found that naturally, not because I wanted to love the category. It wasn't forced.
When I try a book that doesn't naturally appeal to me, I lose all the passion I have for reading. It turns it into a chore instead of a release/escape/lesson. Last month I slogged through a book that two of my friends insisted I would devour, even though I knew beforehand that it wasn't my normal cup of tea. Then I tried to work through a few of Goodreads' new challenges: reading a romance, a mystery, a bestseller. Which, fine, but now it's a to-do list item. A challenge, literally. There's no joy in it.
I'm all for trying new things. But I think there's also value in knowing your own preferences and leaning into them. Maybe part of it has to do with age; each year I'm more clear about what it is I want, what I like and dislike. My average rating on Goodreads has risen, not because books are better but because I'm better at choosing ones that work for me. Extend that cliche to the rest of life and there's a lesson there.
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