Before I get started today, I have some terrible news. I, a hermit who comes into contact with the outside world no more than twice a week, have contracted COVID. It sucks big time. Thank the universe I’m vaccinated and have kept up with booster shots because I cannot imagine how much worse this would have been if I hadn’t been vaccinated at all.
The bright side of this illness is it gave me an idea for today’s post. I’ve been thinking about some of the things that give you the best feelings when you’re sick: a hot shower, tea with honey, the good night-time medicine that knocks you right out, having a partner/friend/parent dote on you, escaping your illness through reading, etc. This started me thinking of some of the best feelings we get when we read. You know, those feelings that make you react to your book physically, like laughing out loud at something a character has said.
I’m going to make this list into a game so it can be a bit interactive. For each list item that has personally happened to you, you get a point. At the end, you can tally up your points and see if the books you’re reading are making you feel “some type of way”. If your score is really low, it might be time to branch out a bit more! Here is a list of what I think are some of the best feelings one can get while reading:
- Finding a joke or character in the book so funny that you physically laugh out loud at it.
- Seeing two characters you’ve shipped since the beginning end up together; bonus point if they’re side characters that you like as much as or more than the main characters.
- Finishing a long or intricate series and finding that the ending actually does wrap up every plotline and character arc in a satisfying way.
- When an author name drops a book/movie/TV show/song/band that you also really like; bonus point if the character would really be into this media and it’s not a cliche used to pander to a specific audience.
- Reading a line that you immediately know is your new favorite quote from a book.
- Starting a book and getting chills on the first page.
- Believing a book is formulaic or predictable at the start and instead being pleasantly surprised by the direction the author takes the story in.
- Seeing a really original take on fantasy elements such as a magic system, fantasy races, setting etc.
- Discovering a new (to you) genre that you unexpectedly enjoy. Mine was books about pirates, I read one and realized I really like fantasy pirate books.
- Relating to a character because of something really specific, so specific that you know the author must have experienced or know someone who has experienced this thing, giving you a sort of anchor to that book, character, and author.
- Reading every single book an author has written and realizing not one of them is a dud; bonus point if this makes them your new favorite author.
- Needing to finish an entire book in a day because it’s so good you can’t put it down; bonus point if you cancelled plans to finish the book.
- Crying while reading a book because you’re so moved by the plot, characters, or writing.
- Predicting a plot point or point of character development and being excited that the story is going exactly where you wanted it to.
- Rereading a book or series and finding new details that you missed the first time; bonus point if you’ve done multiple rereads and found something new each time.
So, there’s my list of some of the best feelings one can get while reading. I personally have experienced each of these things while reading, and they are what let me know I’ve stumbled upon one of my new favorite books, series, or authors. See how many points you scored, and as I said in the beginning, if your tally is really low, it might be time to branch out!
The Lit Wiz