World Book Day is an event that celebrates reading and creativity of books in all its form and this year I’ve compiled a selection of books that really hooked me onto reading as a teenager. This was a nostalgic experience, as I always see reading and books like horcruxes – they are a part of me and shaped me as a person and my reading habits. I strongly believe that the books we read when we are young are massively important. Growing up, reading and I were not always on good terms. Growing up with dyslexia made reading trickier then it should be and these books really encouraged me to read and fall in love with books and fictional worlds.
The first book I remember that I was obsessed with reading and pulled me into the dark depths that is fantasy books was City of Bones in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. This was a book I saw recommended on Bookstagram around 2013-14 and I’d never really delved very deep into fantasy and this book had me hooked and fuelled my desire to read more. During this time, publishing and YA (Young Adult) fiction experienced a boom in dystopian narratives with books such as The Maze Runner by James Dashner, and Divergent by Veronica Roth that were also made into a film franchise. This provided an opportunity for books to reach a wider readership and I know that book-to- film adaptions are not always as good as fans hoped – The Mortal Instruments film is an example. But I enjoyed these adaption despite the plot changes.
YA fiction is a space where readers can learn and understand emotions, character dynamics and develop critical awareness in a space and environment that are low stakes. These books offers younger readers a chance to delve into mature themes in a safe and controlled way that opens up the space for the adult genre in the future. At the core, these books are meant to be enjoyed, re-read and loved by readers of all ages and I love the versatility that reading has across all ages and times. In my opinion, a book becomes a classic when it has ideas, characters and plot that outlives the time it was written, but remains relevant to contemporary audiences. Readers are still captivated by these works despite not understanding or living in the time they were created. This is as close to magic that books and authors can get. Publishing has undergone critiques of ‘fast-fashion’ and relying on trends to sell and dominate the market, this has ended up with books that regurgitate popular tropes on Booktok and are poorly written with no originality. This is a shame when books have so much potential and are poorly executed. I think the publishing industry needs to work with critical readers and reviewers to raise the standards of books rather than publishing poor quality books several times a year to boost the publisher’s sales.
Overall, reading should always be encouraged and it doesn’t matter what you read as long as you enjoy it or find escapism. There are a lot of people who are literary snobs and believe their taste in fiction is superior to others, but this is not the case. There are always like minded readers who read because they adore the characters created, even if the writing isn’t as polished as it could be. Bad books are just as important as good books because it allows readers to discuss and develop their critical analysis to discover what they like and don’t like in literature. Go and read that book because it makes you happy!
Watch my TikTok video below to discover the books I adored when I was a teenager.
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