sure. wait. what?

AT THE beginning of the year, I decided I wanted to read more consistently. Just one book a month, I told myself. Now that we’re down to the final stretch of 2025, I can say that I kept my word. It has been a steady year with a few peaks here and there, but through all of it, I read.  

And if you found your way to this blog post — whether you’re from Google or ChatGPT or just one of the few people who habitually read my blog — this is a sign, my friend. You gotta start reading.

But reading is tedious, you say. Books are boring, books are — you know what? Hear me out.  

1. Books are a great antidote to doomscrolling. 

One of the best ways to escape the gravitational pull of your FYP is to read. It’s the difference between flipping on a light switch and watching the sun rise. One is faster and more convenient, the other takes time but is more rewarding. If you’re already trying to to resist the parasitic allure of social media, I suggest you do the latter and give reading a try. 

If a book isn’t pulling your attention, drop it and open the next one. Look up titles online, ask your friends for recommendations, visit the library if you have access. Rinse and repeat until you find the right book that will hook you in. Persistence is key. Your brain will thank you later.

2. Books can un-rot your brain.  

Maybe you’re tired of parroting the loudest opinions you hear online. Maybe you just want to reset your attention span. If so, read. Read closely. Reading doesn’t just sharpen your focus; it also reshapes the lens through which you see the world. 

When you take the time to read and probe into a book’s form and content, your mind grows. You start to recognize patterns and you begin to appreciate the beauty and the usefulness of language. Reading becomes a conversation between you and the text. It is exercise for the mind.

3. Books are a great source of cultural capital. 

Reading can function as a social signal, meaning: I read, therefore I have time for leisure and I am intellectually curious — now where’s my medal? Charot.  

But it’s true, isn’t it? Reading implies privilege and status. Even the dullest people are deemed smart if they read books. 

I’m not saying you should cosplay as a reader to signify class, or that you shouldn’t read at all because it’s pretentious. Reading is just one form of cultural fluency, and it is worth cultivating, not because it signals social refinement, but because it helps you develop different ways of thinking, including those that compel you to interrogate the norms you’re used to.

4. Reading is an escape. 

Yes, there’s TikTok and Netflix, but have you ever met Jennie? Choz. 

Have you ever read a book that absorbed you like a sponge and made you forget all the noise outside? They exist. They work. And to the naysayers who vilify escapism as a practice, I give you J.R.R. Tolkien’s oft-quoted essay On Fairy Stories: Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? 

There is nothing wrong with wanting to escape this shitty-ass planet. Doomscrolling your way out of the proverbial prison is fine, but it’s the new year — why settle for convenience? I’d say it’s time to welcome longer narratives in your life and learn about stories that open your world to wonder. 

I hope 2026 becomes your year of reading. I genuinely believe it will change you, if only you let it.