library for lost creatures

As a kid I loved reading the same books repeatedly, and that hasn’t changed as I age. Working in youth services means that I tend to towards the innocence of children’s, middle grade, and young adult books. There is nothing more comforting than cracking open a book that you already know you love, and diving in, for nostalgia’s sake. I have played tricks on the pirates with Peter Pan, infiltrated the Ice Court with the Dregs, and battled evil wizards with Harry more times than I can count. Yet, sticking with what is comfortable does come with a disadvantage: where is my growth?

In no way am I saying that I have to grow up (Peter and I are buds after all). I value these stories and their simple, yet powerful lessons. I am saying that I have discovered growth in several areas within myself as I have pursued reading widely.

Job Satisfaction

Working in a library allows me to meet and assist a variety of people. I am in my comfort zone when parents and children ask me for help finding books. Finding reading materials for adults? Not so much. When I made the decision to expand my genre knowledge, my confidence in reader’s advisory boosted dramatically. Not only do I have more books to recommend to readers, I have a better idea of how to search terms, topics, and themes that are related to their interests.

Developing Relationships

Expanding beyond what I usually read has allowed me to deepen the relationships in my life. Recently I read my best friend’s favorite book series while she read one of mine. We were close before this experience, but getting to know her through her favorite book allowed me to understand her on a deeper level. The themes within the books highlighted truths about her that I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

I also experienced bonding with coworkers and learning more about them hrough reading their suggested series and participating in a graphic novel book club. I even understand my husband better because of reading books that are important to him.

A Thirst for Knowledge

I find myself pursuing deeper understanding in a variety of topics; one specific area is poetry. I use to despise poetry. I didn’t understand it and I dodged it at every opportunity. I was forced to read poetry in college, for my Poetry Seminar. I am so grateful that I took that class. It allowed me to pursue reading poetry on my own, which led me to writing poetry myself. Now, poetry is one of the most owned genre’s on my bookshelf.

A Different Outlook on “Good” and “Bad”

I no longer categorize books the same way. Instead of seeing books as “good” and “bad.” I am now less pretentious with my adjectives. Who am I to say a book is bad when a reader is thoroughly enjoying it?I have more compassion for books and authors than before, and I allow myself to find enjoyment in books that I would have labeled “bad” in the past. A book doesn’t have to be winning literary awards, for it to be a fun time! I now value recommend books that the reader might enjoy, over my personal opinions.

My mom use to say “don’t knock it until you try it.” This seems like such an obvious idea, yet, sometimes the simple lessons slip through the cracks. Recently, I have tried reading more fantasy, science fiction, and graphic novels, and I realized how many things I have been “knocking.” Trying things is so much more satisfying! My track record has proven that this road of branching out is a beneficial one. My future in reading is looking bright. What about yours?