I have never classed myself as a ‘reader’; I’m really dyslexic and always found it a bit of a struggle, but as teen I became obsessed with the wizard books by the author who shall not be named, and then there was Twilight which became my personality for a short while.
Something had sparked in me, so I went to university and I decided to take English literature — that’s where any passion died. It felt like everyone that read was a million times smarter than me; I learned how to analyse and critique books but there was no joy in it. I also felt l like a fraud. I loved books, but what I loved was getting lost in stories, especially fantasy adventures, which felt immature compared to my bookish peers.
So I stopped reading.
Not completely, I picked up books a couple of times a year to try and returned to old favourites like The Hobbit, but I never found the same joy I had as a teen.
During the pandemic I started reading a chapter a night to try and ease my racing brain. It worked. I read more, there were some great stories but few that I truly gelled with. That was until this year. Falling down a BookTok hole people kept talking about A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sara J. Mass. So I picked up a copy… I have now read the entire Massverse and last year smashed through over 40 fantasy books, including Fourth Wing.
The first book I read independently and felt a strong emotions to was Dragonheart by Charles Edward Pogue, so by getting lost in these worlds far beyond our own I feel like I am coming back to myself in a way. I am not reading literary prize winners but I am giving myself little moments of escapism and joy — isn’t that just as valid as academia?
This foray into the world of fantasy is where the my new mystical collection stemmed from. I’ve always drawn dragons. In fact, as a child I got in a argument with my mum so in a rage scrawled a huge mural across a wall in my bedroom. I thought she’s be livid but instead she bought me paint to finish it. That purple dragon lived on my wall for years.
In a small way the dragon collection feels like a celebration of connecting with myself again. Hopefully my art might resonate with some of you, too. To keep or send to a friend, I hope you find a little joy in these wyverns and dragons.
Some might think reading fantasy stories is silly but I now have the confidence to say “so, what if it is?” As the word burns around us, do we not need some levity (and perhaps be inspired into action) by heroes?
If you want to connect over reading I’m over on Goodreads and StoryGraph. I’ll also share on my latest fantasy and horror reads on Instagram
