Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25:
You stare triumphantly at the book on your bed. You have stayed up all night turning pages and reading until your eyes went blurry. From the time the sun went down until now, when the sun is just peeking over the trees and the birds have begun their song, you have watched as worlds were created from words. You have met new people and seen old ones go. No, you did not travel the world. You have just read a book.
Throughout centuries, human beings have craved to learn stories, whether it was through paintings, written word, or through word of mouth. A favorite way of knowing these stories is through books.
As simple as it seems, books give us insight into the rest of the world around us, even if what we are reading is fictional. For example, George Orwell’s “1984” was not based on true happenings, but rather gives us a warning on where society could be headed. As the saying goes, life truly imitates art.
In this age of unlimited access to information, the love of literature that was once so strong has seemingly faded. In a PhoenixOnline Survey, out of 159 people who completed the survey, 52 people (32.7%) said they do not read any books outside of school.
Some people are keeping this love alive, however. 52 people who completed the survey said they read 1-4 books per year. In the minority of people, 6 out of 159 surveyed, are taking this to the extreme. Audrey Sasso ‘25 reads at least 20 books a year. In her freshman year, Audrey counted a total of 54 books read.
“It’s a really good distraction and stress reliever, especially when I don’t feel like talking to anybody,” Audrey quipped.
Reading as a form of escapism seems to be a common feeling. For many people, including myself, it is easy to get lost in a world where you have zero responsibility. Especially in the darkest parts of the winter and dog days of summer, reading can be a great time filler.
Even when you are busy, reading can keep you grounded in your everyday life.
“I try to carve out time during my day where I can just settle down and read even a few pages of a book.” Mrs. Lapelosa explains. “I wouldn’t be here right now had I not started reading. I found this book set in the Trojan war so interesting that I would read any book about mythology that I could get my hands on, and here I am teaching Latin to high school students.”
Instead of turning away from the idea of picking up a book, take yourself out of the box. Try a new genre, or an audio book, or even a comic book. There are so many perspectives and ideas out there that I never would have known about if I never let myself explore different stories. To be a human being is to want to know things. This is a truth for everyone in some sort of way. Reading only a few pages can take you through different centuries and universes, giving you knowledge beyond belief. So, instead of doom scrolling through TikTok tonight, start that book that your grandma bought for you last year. You might find something in yourself that you didn’t know you even had.