People often say you gotta start reading young if you want to be a reader. But me? I didn’t dive into books for real until I was 30+. It’s not that I hadn’t read any books before that time; I read what I needed for school, university, and work. But it was a chore, I read to pass exams, solve problems, or learn something that was necessary.

Finding the Love for Books

I always wondered why I didn’t have this love for books. I used to blame the school, my family, and my culture, among other things; anything that could remove the guilt I felt about not being an avid reader.

But funny enough, during my 20s, someone read a book to me. It was a love story of a guy who fell in love with a prostitute - how incredible! So raw, so intense; I remember my heart was beating so hard at the end of the book, I thought it was going to explode. Yet, even after that book, I didn’t start reading more.

The Book That Changed My Life

Then, years flew by, and one day in 2018, out of boredom, I found myself with a book in my hand titled “El Mundo de Afuera,” which translates to “The world outside,” by Jorge Franco, a Colombian writer. He wrote a story of a rich family living in Medellin, Colombia. The story portrays a beautiful girl living like a princess, and how one day her father is kidnapped by a group of gangs.

I believe what I loved about his story was the characters, all of them were so unique, so understandable, and so messed up in their own way. That book made me cry and laugh; it made me feel deeply connected with the collective pain of violence that, as a Colombian, I shared.

Feeling this connection, I began to question myself: Can I actually enjoy reading books now? The answer was a resounding yes! and I felt a new world of possibilities opened for me, especially when I discovered audiobooks. It’s a bit embarrassing, but I wasn’t aware of how amazing audiobooks could be.

Starting My Reading Journey

Thus, in 2018, at 31 years old, I started my reading journey. In the beginning, my books were mostly physical. I listened to a couple of audiobooks, but something always felt off.

As I went deeper into reading, I discovered two important things that would change my life:

  • Firstly, a bias: I used to think that reading physical books was more valuable than listening to audiobooks. Why? Well… I had this crazy idea: “Interesting people always read physical books”. And, of course, I wanted to look cool and interesting. I imagined myself with a book in my hand, and a coffee in the other - very cliché, I know.
  • And secondly, a hidden condition: I noticed how my eyes sometimes skipped or mixed up letters when I was reading. I remember telling my partner about this, and his answer was: “Oh, maybe you have dyslexia?” I was confused; I had dys-what? After a few Google searches, I realized I had it.

For me, it was an incredible revelation to discover my dyslexia and realize that I had been holding a prejudice against audiobooks. After learning how to deal with these two things, my reading journey became more enjoyable, and a new spark of light came into my life.

Diving into Genres

And that light has been slowly growing. Over the years, I’ve read books from a variety of genres. I fell in love most with the genres of “Science Fiction” and “Fantasy”.

These genres have been a roller coaster of emotions for me. They have the power to immerse my mind in different worlds. I get excited, feel sad, cry, and laugh loudly (though doing this in a metro is not recommended :P), and I ponder about the future and its infinite possibilities.

I think my favorite thing is reading book series - different books that build new worlds and ideas. One of the best examples that I’ve had the honor to read was “Foundation,” a trilogy by Isaac Asimov. This series poured so much wonder and curiosity into my mind.

In terms of fantasy, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” series and the “Mistborn” series by Brandon Sanderson. I never expected that reading these kinds of books would make me feel so fortunate to live in this time.

The Joy of Reading and Listening

Nowadays, I can confidently say that I enjoy both reading books and listening to them. I’ve noticed how I try to enjoy them slowly, and I’ve developed a unique habit. As I near the end of my books, I slow down, much like taking tiny sips to make a good cup of coffee last longer.

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** All images are generated using stable diffusion