Making a commitment to reading

by: Gabriella Ammodio

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Last week, I set out on a mission to read everyday, hoping it would improve my mental abilities. 

When I was younger, I actually enjoyed reading. As time went on, I became less and less interested and the girl that used to read in her free time wouldn’t even read books for class. I chose to get back into reading for those reasons and to help reduce stress.

So far, I surprisingly haven’t had many difficulties with it. I’ve been able to read every day while also increasing my time reading. 

I think this is partly because I’ve developed a routine. I tend to do my reading right before I go to bed, it’s a good way to wind down after a long day and finish off the night.

To start things off, I chose to read a book that I bought at a book fair in elementary school. I figured it would be good to ease into things and start with an easy read. It’s called P.S. I Like You and tells the story of two high school students that fall in love through notes they write to each other in chemistry class. 

I just recently finished that book and am onto my next book titled The Other Wes Moore.

The hardest part so far has been transitioning between books. When I was in the middle of my first book, I found it easy to start reading because it felt like I had something to return to. Starting a new book was tough because I didn't have any connection to it. I ended up skipping a day after I finished the first book and before I moved on to the second.

After finishing my first book, I can’t really say that my views on the world have necessarily changed, but I do find myself looking forward to reading and getting lost in a different world. I’m hoping that The Other Wes Moore will help me to start seeing a difference. This book has much more depth than the first book and discusses real-world issues.

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