Increasingly I am hearing people saying the book they are reading is a ‘guilty pleasure’ as though they are ashamed to be reading that particular book. After some research, I have found that this is extremely common and I would surmise that 99.9% of us have our own books that we are vaguely ashamed of, yet devour with unbridled enthusiasm.
The interesting thing is that we feel that we are going to be judged for our book choices, yet when we tell someone about our ‘guilty pleasure’, we suddenly find out that the other person has either read that author or has their very own ‘guilty pleasure’ list! What a complicated world we create for ourselves!
The challenge I am putting out there is to be proud of your book choices. Any reading is good reading. The mere process of settling down in a comfortable chair, getting your cup of tea and the rustle of opening a book is nectar for the soul. Don’t ruin this moment by feeling as though you are doing something shameful. Embrace it and read that thoroughly enjoyable book with gusto.
It may not be a Pulitzer Prize winning book, nor be on the ‘To Read’ list of your book club, but if it brings you joy and helps you have a few moments of pure escapism, I say hold your head high and succumb to the narrative.
If anyone judges you for your reading habits, they've probably forgotten how it feels to read for pure, good-old-fashioned-fun!
With all this in mind, I have decided that the month of July is time for some ‘guilty pleasures’. Check your mail to see which fabulously escapist read is in your next package.
“’And now,’ cried Max, ‘let the wild rumpus start!’” —Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are
