Why the wrong books convinced me I wasn’t a reader.
For my entire adult life, I was convinced I hated reading and that I simply wasn’t very good at it.
Books felt intimidating, slow, and oddly exhausting. I couldn’t understand how other people disappeared into stories for hours at a time.
Looking back, the problem wasn’t reading itself. The books being put in front of me simply weren’t the right fit.
And perhaps that’s true for you too. Maybe you don’t hate reading. Maybe you just haven’t met your genre yet.
Over the years, former bosses gifted me leadership and business books with the very best intentions. I wanted to read them. I really did. But every reading attempt felt like homework. I appreciated the message, but reading them felt like hard work, and I could never push through the first few pages.
Every failed attempt reinforced the idea that reading wasn’t for me. I assumed readers possessed something I didn’t. More patience. More discipline. More focus.
I would later realise it was not about my intelligence. It was not about my discipline. It was not about my attention span.
I simply hadn’t found books that made me excited to keep turning the page.
Fast forward to 2024, and I had my first taste of pure enthralment. You can read that story here.
The werewolf story wasn’t literary genius. It wasn’t winning prestigious awards. But wasn’t that the whole point? It didn’t need to be.
For the first time, I cared what happened next.
I became invested in the characters and desperate to know how the story ended. I paid to unlock more chapters, only to discover that reaching the ending would cost a small fortune. I never did find out how it ended, and if I’m honest, it still bothers me a little.
That experience showed me what kind of reader I am at heart.
I’m a fiction girl. I love disappearing into new worlds and spending time with characters who feel completely real for a few hundred pages.
But even within fiction, there are countless options. Romance, science fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, fantasy, mystery, and so much more.
Finding a genre you enjoy is only the beginning. Even within those genres, some books will captivate you while others won’t.
That’s perfectly normal. It’s all part of discovering your taste as a reader.
I might enjoy a contemporary story with humour and heart. Another reader might prefer a historical novel filled with depth and tragedy.
That’s what I love about reading. There isn’t one right way to be a reader. Somewhere out there is a book for each of us.
We don’t expect everyone to enjoy the same films, music, hobbies, or foods. We shouldn’t expect differently from books.
We don’t assume we hate films because we disliked a horror movie.
We don’t assume we hate music because we don’t enjoy jazz.
Yet when it comes to reading, many of us try one type of book and decide books simply aren’t for us.
Maybe we were handed business books when we wanted adventure.
Maybe we were looking for escape but only encountered books that felt like work.
My husband is a perfect example. Like me, he never really read for pleasure. Books were something associated with school and university rather than enjoyment. He recently discovered a love for business books and autobiographies. A war-related spy novel, on the other hand, didn’t hold his attention.
So how did he get into reading?
A colleague of his recommended Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, a memoir by the creator of Nike. He ordered it online and absolutely loved it. This was very unlike him. To his surprise, it sparked a love of reading he never expected to discover.
I enjoy fiction. He enjoys autobiographies. We simply enjoy different kinds of books.
My journey has taught me that readers come in all shapes and forms. Some people love literary fiction. Others prefer memoirs. The beauty is that there is room for all of us.
If you’ve convinced yourself that you don’t enjoy reading, ask yourself whether you’ve been reading the wrong type of books.
Perhaps you’ve only been exposed to books that felt like work. Maybe you’ve spent years trying to force yourself through books that never sparked your curiosity.
Most likely, you simply haven’t found your genre yet.
So why keep looking?
Because the right book can entertain you, comfort you, challenge you, inspire you, and introduce you to perspectives you may never have encountered otherwise. It can lift your spirits, help you escape for a while, and leave you feeling a little fuller than when you started.
Looking back, I wasn’t someone who hated reading. I was simply someone who hadn’t found the right books.
These days, I can’t imagine my life without stories.
They have introduced me to people I’ll never meet, places I’ll never visit, and ideas I might never have encountered otherwise.
I’m forever grateful for the random advert that introduced me to a werewolf romance and, quite unexpectedly, a love of reading.
So, if you’ve decided reading isn’t for you, I gently encourage you to reconsider.
Not every book is meant for every reader.
But somewhere out there is a story that changes everything.
You just haven’t met it yet.
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