12. Literacy in America & Why We Should Read More
Literacy rates in America & how reading can improve our lives, some SubStack articles I loved this week, and a truly fantastic author of the week.
I was on TikTok the other day when I stumbled across a post going over the literacy rates in the United States. I was a bit shocked, especially as an avid reader.
This article states that 54% of Americans read a book this year. It displays a graph that shows if you read 10 books this year, you read more than 79% of Americans. Reading is associated with so many positive things - improved brain power and memory (even slowing rates of memory loss), and improved sleep. For children, it is so, so important as reading builds empathy and imagination, teaches how to handle difficult emotions, maximizes language and cognitive capacity, developing the want to read, and even more.
Now, I’m not going to pretend I understand everyone’s perspective and daily life. There are certainly reasons why people can’t read - whether they don’t have the time or money, if they have a learning difficulties like dyslexia, books get negatively associated with school, they have more important things to deal with such as being a caretaker or sports practice or homework or working two jobs or whatever else. I get it. However, I also believe that time can be created to read if you want to. That is something that applies to everything in life.
For example, I’m trying to run consistently, but I sure don’t want to before I hop on the treadmill. Sticking to my promise and actually running is because I made it a priority. I woke up earlier. I chose to do it. If someone wants to read, they can make it a priority. People who are busy or have dyslexia can listen to audiobooks while driving or doing their daily tasks. You can read on an e-reader while on the treadmill. Those who are saving money can utilize their local library. Reading can be an act to bring people together as well. Read a book with someone, and you now have something to talk about, something to connect you to them. It can be an incredible break and also healing factor for mental health. Trust me, as this has remained true in my experience. Those who associate reading with negativity, especially with school, please try another book. Something that sounds interesting to you - history, romance, fantasy … the genres are endless. I promise you will like it. It can be a way to create friends and join a community.
I think reading is more important than ever before. After COVID, this study shows that students in third grade through eighth lost half a year worth of math and a quarter of a year on reading. With remote learning, kids didn’t learn as well or at all. There are students who simply stopped going to school. There was a decline in early childhood programs and kindergarten enrollment. Depression and anxiety rates in ages 12 to 27 soared. Our younger generation needs our support right now. And something that I think can dramatically improve their mental health and learning rates is reading. Reading can provide a break from the challenges of reality and help create friendships. Reading can increase cognitive function and brain health and memory rates. Reading can cause increased imagination and empathy and learning how to handle difficult emotions. I think that reading can dramatically improve the rates and mental health of these kids and young adults. It has for me. It has for the friends I’ve made online. It’s a better way to spend your time than on social media. It’s a fantastic way to build real friendships.
As you may have noticed, I’m quite passionate about this. Reading should be a massive priority for everyone ranging from toddlers to adults. I honestly beg of you to read a book that you will enjoy, whether it is an audio book, one you rented from the library, or your first and unsure choice. Ask a friend for a recommendation. Share a book with your sibling. Even if you are reading two pages a day, that is amazing. A fantastic improvement. You should feel proud of yourself. If you read one book a month, you will read more than roughly 82% of the population in America.
In conclusion, please read a book. It will improve your life.
[Author’s Note: I recognize that there are a million and one different perspectives on this. If you have one you’d like to share, I urge you to do so! My main point in this essay was to talk about how important reading is, especially for children.]
Check out these articles:
The internet is too monetizable now by Hmm That’s Interesting
How to Reset by Agents+Books
‘My body could vaporize and I would still exist’ by Body Type
Made it to Friday by The Dandelion Tiger
The book releases in 2024 continue to impress! Of course, there are a ton, but here are a few to get you started. P.S. why does everyone always release on Tuesdays??
Magnolia Parks: Into The Dark by Jessa Hastings (Romance): Feb 13, 2024
Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (Romance): Feb 13, 2024
An Education in Malice by ST Gibson (Fantasy, Horror): Feb 13, 2024
Girl Abroad by Elle Kennedy (Romance): Feb 13, 2024
Books I’ve compiled from B&N Top 100, the NYT Bestsellers List, and Amazon Bestsellers in no particular order. I’ve decided to simply add the books I haven’t before, since I’ve caught up to the new additions. If you’re curious, last week’s post can be found here.
House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3) by Sarah J Maas (Fantasy)
Masters of the Air by Donald L Miller (Nonfiction, History)
Good Material by Dolly Alderton (Fiction)
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid (Fiction)
The author of the week (who won in my story poll) is someone who I greatly admire and truly love her work! I think I say this about every author I write about, but it’s true! The author of the week is Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is an internationally best selling author of over 20 books. You might have heard of The Nightingale, The Great Alone, or Firefly Lane. Yeah, she wrote all of those. She has won and been nominated for an abundance of awards. Firefly Lane is a Netflix TV show, and Tri Star has the rights for The Nightingale and The Great Alone. Kristin Hannah is truly a master writer and deserves all of her fame.
Her website has an array of information about her and she remains active on her Instagram. Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. I am personally in awe of how much effort and research goes into her books. That is something I truly admire.
The Nightingale was my first dive into historical fiction, and it figuratively brought me to my knees. It is one of my favorite books in the universe, and I legitimately burst a blood vessel in my eye due to crying at the ending … yeah. I remain an avid supporter of her works. I have read The Great Alone and The Four Winds (also top notch books), and I have The Night Road and Winter Garden sitting on my windowsill. She released The Women last week on February 6th, and I am incredibly eager to get my hands on it.
If you like fiction, historical fiction, interesting topics such as the female bond, then please check out her work. They are always unique and set in a different period of history. They have genuinely taught me so much about the past, and I particularly love how she discusses the female bond in such an array of ways.
Just a reminder to submit any books you think others will love on the R&R page or to my email: thesundayreads@gmail.com!
Happy Place by Emily Henry
This book is incredible. Honestly, I didn't expect anything less from Emily Henry. She has done such an incredible job writing several unique stories with unique characters - it's a real talent. I adored this book, and I felt it was more emotionally draining than her others for me. It was like divine timing, me reading this book. I related to a lot of what this book covered. This has bumped up to my second fav of hers (Beach Read ftw).
This is all in Harriet's POV and has some flashbacks. I really enjoyed reading the flashbacks, and I really liked Harriet. We slowly get to see what happened in her past and how it affects her present. We were peeling away layers to her, her friends, and Wyn. For Wyn, I liked him too. While there's great characterization, I don't feel like I know him as well as Gus for example. I could never quite picture him in my head. Also the side characters were done really well too. Emily Henry made them fully fledged, flawed human people which I love. And I believed the romance at the end. Sometimes I can't forgive what happens in books, but the author handled it so well and I believe they're meant to be together. This wasn't just a romance. It was about finding your happiness, grasping to old friends, how your past can affect your present, and how your happy place can change or remain constant with time. I think everyone can find something to draw from this book.
Those rates are pretty telling and while teachers are already sharing about the impact the pandemic had on education the real REAL impact will be seen in about 10 years when the pinnacle of these school age children are entering adulthood.
Also I didn’t know Firefly Lane was a book. I really enjoy the Netflix show.
Isabel you are correct to make emphasis in reading, reading anything, when I was a child I used to read comic books, to me it was so incredibly fun, that lead to other books as I advance to high school, I remember a teacher always telling us to read, but only I did. I think we can see the consequences in the society in general, they say that reading is boring, violence and sex in the movies has become the norm, make money fast and without any effort, simply put, people refuse to think, to be creative, and those who do are the ones who read.