Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and Dini @DiniPandaReads! In this discussion meme, participants get to talk about certain topics, share opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! Learn more about LTB, past topics and future topics HERE.
PROMPT: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)
Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?
Happy Friday! Easter is fast approaching, and we are getting ready for it. Life-wise, the weather is not so great over here and we have been stuck at home. So nothing really has changed, but I hope you are all doing great!
Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older?
What I am noticing now is that I would rather read about characters who are in my age group. One thing that has been bothering me, so to speak, is that YA books, not only, have much younger characters that I cannot identify myself in. I find them very naive, making obviously stupid decisions like not once or twice, not even three times, but multiple times, it only makes me want to throw the book away, as there is clearly no character growth whatsoever, and it makes you think, is this just done to piss off the reader? This is only one example of why I no longer enjoy books about younger characters. I would rather read books featuring 25+ characters, definitely. This is not to say that all books with younger representation are bad; it is just my opinion and preference.
Considering the rest, I don’t really look for the story to be similar to my life or experiences, just the age is a big thing for me now, I would say. I love reading about everything and pretty much every genre.
An exception for middle-grade books, as I do enjoy them.
Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life?
Ohh, one book I always use as an example is The Little Prince by Exupéry.
I know I will be repeating myself for the umpteenth time at this point, but I have re-read this book so many times and during different seasons of my life that I cannot tell I read the same book. It was different every time I read it. This is one of those stories that touches parts of you depending on what you are going through at that moment. It is profound, it is touching, it is unforgettable. But definitely, depending on what is going on in your life, the book you pick up might hit different.
Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?
I absolutely believe that. Right now, I am reading the Bible for the very first time in my life. It is a journey! And it definitely feels like it has found me at the right time of my life. This might not resonate with some of you, and it might with others, but if you had even for one second considered picking it up, do it. You won’t regret it. I was there avoiding it at all costs for years, but now that I have picked it up, I am at peace. Do with that information what you will, but Jesus is calling me, and I’d better answer!
As for the books, I’d feel different, I think A Man Called Ove would be one as well as Foster by Keegan. Had I read them when I was younger, I would not have grasped the deeper meaning behind the stories. And honestly, I might not have even liked them! Having them read when I read them, they hit me hard, and I am so glad they did. Would love to re-read them and see how I feel about them now, though.
Lin's Perspective 
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