Why Fiction Is Truth: My Reading Journey

Reading is seeking for understanding, a quest to understand people, topics, events, places, attitudes, and personalities. Because, here's the thing, fiction is truth in the highest sense. Fiction conveys the things that people often think but are too scared to say; it portrays the emotions and fears tied to historical events usually read about in a dry text book;it emphasizes that even throughout the span of time, people are still relatively the same; it displays human nature for better or for worse and depicts the inner thoughts of its narrator. A book can be your friend in the hardest of times, opens worlds to you that you never could have dreamed up, helps you understand others, encourages empathy, portrays the consequences of choices, and leaves you better than before.  And for me, the best type of fiction is the kind that makes you want to be better.
 
I developed my passion for reading in about third or fourth grade. I remember devouring Boxcar Children books, Nancy Drew mysteries, and Little House on the Prairie series. By sixth grade, I was carrying around Shakespeare's greatest works (which is not cool in 6th grade, BTW). From there, I was on to historical fiction and classics. In seventh grade, I read the entire Work and the Glory series in 27 days. I couldn't read fast enough to catch up with my desire to get on to the next book. I didn't have the best social life (okay, it was pretty much non-existent) in middle school, but my books were my friends that I so desperately wished for and needed.

Originally, when I started off at BYU, I wanted to major in elementary education because I loved kids and eventually wanted be a mom, and so I thought it would be a perfect fit. I remember volunteering as an aid for a community service program in elementary schools that first year and thinking--"Wow, I do not have the multi-tasking abilities that these elementary school teachers have. They have to be thinking twenty steps ahead." (Props to all you elementary education teachers out there; it takes a special kind of person!) I realized that my skills did not match those of an elementary school teacher, so I pondered and prayed at what I could do instead.

Then it hit me. I was obsessed with reading--why not use something that I loved for my major? The problem--what in the world do you do as an English major? I was, and still am not, much of a writer, so I wondered how this love of reading would help me in life...so I took an Intro to the English Major class my second semester of my freshmen year to see what it was all about. When I heard about the broad expanse of positions for English majors, such as communication skills needed for practically any business, editors in multiple fields, and teachers, I knew this could be a great fit for me!

It was. Being assigned to read 800 page English classic novels in two weeks and then write in-depth analyses/projects of them was my version of a bookworm's paradise (not like it was never not stressful with those types of timelines)! I loved tying the books I read to their historical and societal context, searching for themes, and gleaning a new depth of understanding with each book I read while refining my writing skills.

When the time came for me to graduate with my Bachelor's in English and minor in Humanities, I knew I didn't want to stop. My true passion was British Literature (I'm obsessed with the classics), and so I chose Weber State, which let me emphasize in British Literature for my Master's while obtaining my teaching certificate.

The first year of my post-formal schooling I took a year break and only read a few books since I had been bombarded with so many tight reading timelines for six years. Now that my formal occasion has ceased and I have had my mini-break, I find myself craving to keep up with that learning. I have challenged that for every three "fun books" I read, that I read a classic so I can keep up with my field! I have been doing this for almost two years, and it has been so fulfilling to keep pursuing my passion and, even though I love the classics, it has been so fun to read books that are simple, easy, and enjoyable as well as some popular young adult fiction. With Ben gone so much, it's been a comfort to curl up to a book on those long, lonely nights. I'm so grateful for the companionship of books!

After my time at BYU and Weber State, I have never, not once, regretted my choice of English in education. I feel like studying books is one the best things I could have done with my time. I learned about a variety of fields and lives, increased my ability to research and analyze, and, believe it or not, I think one of the best things you can do to improve your writing is read, read a lot! I have been surprised at how handy these analytical, writing, and reading skills have been for me in the business world that I am now immersed in. That's the great thing about English...you can apply it to everything because everything ties back to communication. Studying books is a way of life that doesn't need to stop after your formal education finishes. It lets you keep learning without a formal teacher.

One of the most simultaneously satisfying and dissatisfying things about being a reader is--you're never done. There's always the next book on your long "to-read" list to look forward to, disecting the last book you read, and losing yourself in a clever plot.

My relationship with books will never end because I love the truths that I find in fiction. 

*To see my reading list and reviews click here.