I go through phases of reading, and right now I’m trying to get back into the swing of it again.
Somewhere, maybe on tiktok, I saw mention of Fourth Wing. A lot of people praised it and I knew it had to do with dragons (which I love), so I was quick to give the sample a try.
I finished the sample in literally no time and am now pretty deep (but not finished, please no spoilers!) into the book. It’s not particularly well written or innovative, sometimes the way the author writes makes me cringe a little, but god damn if I don’t think it’s a fun story. It’s very easy to read and not difficult in any capacity to understand, which is a stark contrast to the other book I’m slowly reading (House of Leaves.)
I’m a 27yr old female, so probably out of the age range for Fourth Wing, and sometimes I feel like I should be reading more “challenging” and mature things. It’s a weird guilt that I’m pretty sure I put on myself and that no one else actually cares about, and I was curious to ask if anyone else struggles with this a little?
by materialisticferret
7 Comments
No, I just read the challenging books to start, lol. But even then I still read trashy pulp sometimes, who is there to impress? As long as you’re having fun read whatever you want. If you actually want to read deep books then just read them instead of feeling some weird guilt about it.
There is not one monolithic measurement of quality. Fourth wing is an example of good quality in the realm of dumb fun trendy YA fantasy. (or at least I imagine it to be that, I don’t read this genre)
Read what you like! Sometimes I’m into highbrow shit and sometimes it’s trash. Live your life.
yup, sometimes i get embarrased to tell people about my current reads because of plot or author’s reputation. but gotta remember if you enjoy it, it has its own value 🙂
Stop letting the internet hive mind tell you what’s good and what’s not. Remember, when we were kids we randomly wandered around the bookstore with no input at all.
I’m 40 and enjoyed Fourth Wing a lot, it was like the Dragonriders of Pern had a baby with the Hunger Games.
I’ve also picked up books based on reddit recommendations that I ended up thinking were complete garbage.
I used to read 30-35 books a year, no problem.
Then, 2020 came. Spouse died, pandemic hit, fixed up house to sell, moved, fixed up new house, fought cancer…
I’m fecking exhausted. I can barely crank out a page a night in something before I pass out every night. I miss delving into a really good book. The irony being that I have floor to ceiling bookshelves in this new house with lots of beautiful books in them– classics, nonfiction, junk, classic mysteries, chick lit… I’d just like to finish something!
People love books like Harry Potter, even though it’s kind of poorly written and the world building makes zero sense if you think about it for more than about 9 seconds
I’m grabbing Murtagh, the latest entry into the Eragon story as soon as I can. It just released (and you like dragons!). Paolini was a kid when he wrote the first book, and the quality of writing was bad and various plot elements and ideas were basically all obvious rips from popular fantasy stories. But it’s still fun to read, and that’s ok.
In fact, enjoyment of the story is the main reason one should read. There’s no sense finding a book and reading it just because it’s challenging if it’s boring.