What Does it Take to be a READER? (and why it matters)
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- Defining a "reader" is important, because being a reader is an identity, and when you adopt an identity, you're more likely to adopt the corresponding habit. So, if we want more people to read, we need more people who think of themselves as readers. Or, to make it more personal: If you want to read more, you need to think of yourself as a reader. But what makes a reader? That's what we discuss in this video.
Drop a comment and let me know why I'm wrong!
Reading makes you a reader. Reading what others say is valuable is following the snobs. Read what makes you happy.
Preach! Thanks for watching and commenting 😀
I agree. I used to feel like I had to read a ton of books but I’ve tried to slow down and just enjoy the act of reading.
Yes yes yes! It's not a race, and there's no prize for reading as many books as possible. Good for you. Thanks for watching and commenting!
A North Bay San Francisco librarian, Mykal Threets, (metaphorically) SINGS his belief that _anything_ can be read and shares that with new readers from 2 - 92 years old. Your topic today had me visualizing you two having a very in-depth discussion about this very thing. His thrill for reading and getting people back into libraries is infectious (he is on TikTok/IG/etc.) and I can see your channel doing the same for others. Please do keep saying one doesn't have to read X-amount of books to be a reader or it has to be books you hold in your hand or books that have to be a certain number of pages, etc. I am THRILLED to hear your words and already love your channel. Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words and for introducing me to Mykal Threets. Anyone promoting reading is doing worthwhile work, in my opinion!
*BRAVO* 👏👏👏 . I was planning on re-reading the first 17 books of The Dresden Files and really wanted to make videos recapping (or reviewing ) them. I love the book series and want to get other people excited about these stories. I’ve been thinking about doing this for quite awhile but unfortunately I’ve never attempted it. “WHY”you ask? Because I’m terrified of being found by book snobs and getting made fun of (or worse) because I’m not a “real reader” or the books aren’t “real literature”.
Wow! I You make excellent points and are 100% correct. *Thank you* Dude!! You’re awesome & I’m much less intimidated now. I’m looking forward to more videos from you. Cheers (and thank you)
For what it’s worth, there are probably hundreds of CZcams channels that focus solely on the Fantasy genre. So even if there is a snob or two out there who get bent out of shape for you not reading “serious” fiction, you’ve got a great community around you that you can turn to and be fine ignoring the haters. Besides, those same haters are mostly too busy arguing with each other about who’s a more serious reader to bother us laid back folk 😉
The fantasy side of Booktube will accept you with open arms.
@@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD 🩵🩵🩵
Like an errant knight, I sweep past gatekeepers with an easy technique -- penetrate their gatekeeping armor by seeing their inner form as mere pedants who are high on their own supply (supply of post-digestive gases, that is.)
Ride on, good Sir, ride on!
I always run into the folks who feel threatened by how many books I read, or who feel the need to attach negative value judgements to my lifestyle bevause I finish more books in a month than they can, within their own lifestyles. I've been involved in the online bookish world for long enough now to at least try not to get angry, frustrated or defensive, but some days it still bugs me when my own personal reading goals and habits are treated as valid points of attack for strangers who read less. I am all about encouraging people to read, at all, or to read more if they want to, or to read 'harder' or 'deeper' if that is what they want. For me, for now, ~300 books a year still works out just about right, so long as I am enjoying the reading habit still.
Ultimately, what it comes down to is, “you do you!” If reading 300 books works for you and makes you happy, to hell with what others say.
The thing I’ve always found strange is when someone says they read a large number of books and someone gets angry and immediately calls them a liar. Why would someone go on the internet and lie to strangers about how many books they read? And even if they did do that for some strange reason, why would that upset anyone? 🤷♂️
So, how about it? Are YOU a reader? Let me know your thoughts on what makes a reader!
I started with the Sweet Valley Books in elementary, then on to romance books in High School, then on to John Grisham and the like around college… doubled back to Harry Potter around this same time. Then had my “party girl” era for a couple of years when reading wasn’t really interesting to me… continued buying books for most of my 30s but might only really read two or three in a year.. to this year when I’m just getting back into it and almost making my goal of 52 books for the year.
@@goldagabriel5506You went from 2 to 3 books a year to 52!? That's an impressive feat of both reading and dedication! I hope you're enjoying it, and that you keep it up for years to come! :) Thanks for watching and commenting!
Charlotte Mason said pretty much the same thing about the kind of books that children should be reading, and I agree. There are some reading materials that are just a waste of time, but many others that are very worthwhile to consume in lieu of others. I am working on my goal of reading 50 books this year, but some of the books I have read were really not as worthy of the time spent, and I will never get that time back. LOL Sometimes it's hard to tell from booktubers which books will be worth the time to read and which will not.
Every individual needs to determine what's worth their time, and what's not. I don't see how it's helpful to tell someone that what they enjoy is rubbish. If my kids want to read Harry Potter, I'm happy to let them if it means they're developing a love for reading books, because I know from experience that that can easily become a gateway to "better" books. As for it being hard to tell which books are worth your time based on booktubers, I think that's completely normal. I have people whose opinions on books I agree with 90% of the time, and then they'll recommend a book that I absolutely hate, or they'll hate a book that I love. The best you can do is find those who you agree with most of the time and then make your own opinions. But, that's also what makes reading and discussing books fun. If there was one objective list of what's good and what's not, there's not much left to discuss. Just like how we can disagree on the above, and it's that disagreement that leads to an interesting discussion. Thank you so much for watching and commenting! I truly appreciate it.
The very popular booktubers right now talk about the same five books at any one time. I’m looking for my people who like Isabel Allende and Ken Follett and then Rick Riordan.
@@goldagabriel5506 The great thing about communities like booktube is that they're huge, and even if the "popular" book tubers are all talking about the same thing, your people are definitely out there (I just saw a video yesterday when semeone was going on about Ken Follett, but unfortunately, I can't remember who it was!). Best of luck finding your tribe :)
Great video! 📚 I read what I like (mysteries - including cozies, historical fiction, classics, non-fiction) and don't worry about what anyone says or thinks. 🤓 Thanks for sharing!
As you should! Thanks for watching and commenting. 😀
Lifelong reader. As a teen, I would choose to buy a book over food. Read just about anything. My choices would basically give you whiplash. Last books were a Horror trilogy. Now I am reading a YA novel, with the on-going books of a Japanese culture and non-fiction about a cult. Next is a much anticipated Steven King book.
I will never set a goal in reading a large number of books, again. It is limiting of the book choices. Passed up on quite a number of books that year because they would not allow me to meet the goal.
Anyway, if a person reads, even if said reading is a result of audio books, they are a reader.
I think we read VERY similarly, and I agree with you 100%. When you're rushing to hit your goal of reading X books per year, it's far too easy to skip over those doorstoppers, which are often some of the greatest books ever written. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I am a reader since forever! There were years where I read no books, and other where I read 80! But I always want to read, and whenever I pass by a bookstore, I want to enter and browse at least… Some years I reread Harry Potter and lots of romance books(especially when I had a baby and I could only use my phone to read), and others I read one masterpiece after another… Reading is a comfort zone that I know exists and I want to be in it whenever I find some free Tim in my hectic life!
I love this comment, because it captures so beautifully how different books work for different seasons of our lives. Thank you.
One of the best videos I’ve seen on this topic. Very well said and you made such valid and excellent points. Appreciate it 👍🏼
Thank you for the kind words!
Great essay style video!
I think that I’m a reader, but I somehow can’t figure out whether I enjoy reading books in general. I started reading actively last year and read 33 books in 2023 - the most in a year before that was 5 books. I have read a lot of interesting and joy-bringing facts and some fiction books too. But it’s hard to separate the external motivation and accomplished feeling of Goodreads stats from actual joy of reading. I still struggle to concentrate and very rarely am I drawn to pick up a book instead of forcing myself to read. I feel that the great reads have been more valuable afterwards, when remembering and thinking back to them, than while actually reading. (This may apply more to non-fiction than fiction).
Thanks for watching and for the thoughtful comment. I think what you're describing is perfectly normal. The reality is in the modern world, there are so many things competing for our attention that are "easier" to partake in, that even for people who truly love reading, it's easy to fall into wasting an hour scrolling through social media rather than picking up a book. That's why you'll see people talk about "reading slumps."
My preferred approach to this is just to read as much of what I enjoy as possible so that it doesn't feel like a chore. Occasionally, I'll force myself to read something outside my comfort zone, but my ratio is probably 3:1 of things I enjoy to things that I'm trying to force myself to read to "stretch" myself as a reader. You just need to find the mix that works for you. Maybe it's not 3:1, maybe it's 10:1. Or maybe it's 1:1. You gotta find what works for you.
At least that's my take!
Sensible, down-to-earth, encouraging commentary from a book-lover to those who have some curiosity for, and interest in, beginning to learn what the benefit of reading is. You are doing the public a very benevolent and appreciable favor. Thanks for being a "mensch" !!! Very best wishes.
This is quite possibly the nicest thing anyone could say to me. Your description is precisely what I hope for when I create videos. Thank you SO MUCH for the kind words and I hope to continue to be able to meet those standards going forward. Cheers!
Great video, Adam!
Glad you enjoyed it :)
There is that old saying "beauty is in eye of the beholder" and its true about reading. I couldn't care less what other people read, book snobbery is no different than people is terrible and a waste of energy that could be better spent enouraging people into reading. Im currently reading "Demon Copperhead" but a month or so ago i read a stack of Doctor Who books, there is room for both types why on earth would i want to read just one type when i do it for my own pleasure, i enjoy going to fancy restaurants but i also visit Macdonald's, its no different. As far as quantity is concerned you are quite right we all have different pulls on our time, i have a long commute to work each day so get through a fair few, plus i think like any activity the more you read the more proficient you become at it, the attention span probably goes up im guessing. If there is one thing i would tell someone is dont feel trapped in any particular genre, read widely it opens up new worlds to explore
I love all of this! We are absolutely on the same page, my friend. Thanks for watching and commenting!
It's not just that these "20 books per month" booktubers/tokers are not the norm, they're also lying (most of them anyway). They haven't read that many books, because almost no-one has. 20 books in 30 days, that 6+ hours of continuous reading every single day if we assume 100k word average novels, when they start claiming they're reading 300k+ epic fantasy, sci-fi, or huge classics now it's physically impossible.
I agree with you about the pretentiousness some people show, like Bloom and his stupid Harry Potter comment. Of course it's reading, even if we accept that they're bad books, reading bad books is still reading. Only a fool would say otherwise.
"What did you do last night?"
"Well I planned to spend the night reading, but the new book I got sucked, so it turns out I did nothing all night"...
As for your question at 7 mins. I think I would rather someone not read at all than read terrible books honestly. Some awful books can be used to push horrible ideals and agendas, and repeated exposure to those ideas to the exclusion of others can brainwash and radicalise people. As much as I don't support banning books, there are books I would avoid reading and try to stop others from reading just because it will turn them incrementally into a bitter, hateful, paranoid person over time. I've seen it happen first hand.
I do agree however that people starting out should read easy entertaining books, I actually have lists of recommended starting points. I also agree classics are terrible starting points. I tried reading Wuthering Heights a few years back and I struggled on the anacronistic language and couldn't enjoy it. Now I feel more prepared after reading more contemporary stuff.
Great video man. Really enjoyed it, good talking points, good discussion.
Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed response!
As for your point about preferring people not read versus reading "terrible" books, I understand your point, but I think we're talking about slightly different things. I'm talking about "terrible" books in the sense of "bad writing" or what Bloom would refer to as "junk."
I'm not necessarily referring to "terrible" in the sense that they make a "morally bad" or "dangerous" arguments. Although, I'd have to give more thought to that argument as well.
Again, thanks for the comment, and I see you've got a bookish channel as well. I've just subscribed!
Absolutely agree with you. Poeple should be allowed to read whatever they want. I personally read one popular best seller book and one classic during the day. This way I don't get bored and makes a balance. Thanks for the video!
I think that's a great tactic. I love the classics, but I know very few people who can read nothing BUT the classics. As Mark Twain said, "A classic is a book that everyone wants to have read, but that no one actually wants to read." :) Thanks for watching and commenting!
Reader here!
Howdy, reader 😁
“I cannot live without books.” Thomas Jefferson
Yeah, but Jefferson didn’t have Netflix and social media to distract him, either ;) Thanks for watching and for the comment!
@@ADudeWhoReads Very true, but I’m an old fart who refuses to stream! Stay awesome and I hope your channel grows exponentially! Mike
Haha! Fair enough. You do you Mike!
Adam, welcome to booktube. I just discovered you today and watched first videos. I appreciate your approach and look forward to following. Great discussion today on reading.
Based on your top 10, Stoner by John Williams might be one you will enjoy. Cheers p.s. I appreciate your mention of good Canadian Literature.
Wow. Another vote for Stoner! I never heard of this book until 6 months ago and now you’re the 6th or 7th person to recommend it to me. Was I just living under a rock or is this book undergoing some sort of revival? Thanks so much for the kind words, the reco and just for watching!
Absolutely agree! I read for me not for anyone else.
Until they figure out how to download our brains into other humans, reading for someone else seems like a pretty big waste of time :)
True. Reading is a not a competition. I read 100+ a year cause I got too much spare time.
Wow! At least you can say it’s time we’ll spent. Thanks for watching and the comment!
Awesome Adam! Following you from the last 2 weeks.
Potential collab for Video editing or thumbnails?
Hey dude. Thanks for watching! Reach out to me via email re: collab. Might be a bit early, but we can chat.
Techically you are right, but this type of argument is only used for reading. People who only watch Hallmark movies are moviegoers? People can eat only crackers and survive? Technically maybe, but no one thinks thats the way to go. I do agree that Harold Bloom picked the wrong example. It is fine to read Harry Potter as a child. It is not to read your genre specific thing over and over again. Booktube is old enough for us to see that people dont grow out of reading "bad" books, because they dont train the muscle for something better.
Well, I suppose a Hallmark movie watcher wouldn’t be a moviegoer because they don’t actually GO to the movies… but I see what you’re saying. I’m just not sure I see the value in shaming someone for something they enjoy. Even if some people don’t grow out of it, many people will. And those who don’t, that’s okay too. 🤷♂️
@@ADudeWhoReads its not about shaming, but I think we like to pretend that "readers" are the same. I dont think that people who read Tolstoy and people who read Brandon Sanderson /50 shades types of books have so much in common just because they are "readers". Anyway, I hope that I dont sound too much as a hater. :))
I think they have more in common than people who never pick up a book. And as someone who reads both, I can tell you from personal experience that it is much easier to convince someone who reads Sanderson to read Tolstoy than someone who doesn’t read at all. Not sure about 50 Shades, though, because despite it having sold like crazy I still can’t find anyone willing to admit they’ve read it 😉
Harold Bloom has struck me as a jerk for a while. You know how there are authors whose work is a red flag if a date says they like that author? He's one of those authors for me.
First off, as always, thanks for watching and commenting! :)
While I stand by the remark I made in this video (that Bloom was pretentious, and ultimately was contributing to a DECLINE in reading with his rigid stance), I have to admit that I respect a lot of his work. His literary criticism that I've read has been lucid, beautifully written and absent of that need to contort the meaning of a text in order to make it fit an agenda (which seems to happen all too often). Even his opinions on the state of modern university-level education, which are probably his most controversial views, I think are worthy of consideration. In short, my relationship with Bloom is complicated :)
PS: You must have much more intellectual dates than I ever did, because I'm pretty sure Harold Bloom never would have come up as a topic of conversation on any date I ever went on :)
@@ADudeWhoReads Complicated is the word. I haven't had a lot of intellectual dates either. But if you tell a guy you're a reader, strange things can happen. Even stranger, and sometimes upsetting, things happen if you say you were homeschooled. I have stories about that.
@@TimeTravelReads I can only imagine...
Reading is for nerds!
I have never claimed not to be a nerd! That said, I would love it if we could get some more non-nerd readers. They’re good people those non-nerds.