Who’s making reading cool again? And how?
For one, it’s writers! While everyone’s dealing with the daunting task of marketing themselves, leave it to these artists to rewrite the narrative of reading being cool again while also plugging their business.
“Literary It Girls may have the standard markers of what we think of when we think of an It Girl: they’re beautiful, stylish and social, with a certain je ne sais quoi. But what really makes them influential is the creative ways they stage and elevate their work—both on the page and in persona,” writes Sophia June for Nylon.
But reading being an It-Girl activity isn’t the only reason you should pick up a book. It’s also fun and a refreshing way to keep entertained in a digital, short-form content-forward world.
“Ok, I’m jumping on the bandwagon. What if the last book I read was The Great Gatsby…”
Great, hot girls love classics—
“... in high school?”
LOL. We get it. Reading for pleasure is more feasible when we don't have 9-5 jobs to tend to. But it can bring a lot of joy, it doesn’t have to feel so burdensome, and it shouldn’t be reserved only for PTOs spent poolside. Here’s how to reignite that love for reading:
🐢 Start nice and slow. Reading challenges, while intentionally motivating, can be daunting. (The 52 Book Club, we’re looking at you!) Don’t beat yourself up if you only have time for a chapter a day or week!
🥦 Similar to sneaking veggies into a smoothie, it doesn’t matter how you consume it—just that you get it in! Try listening to audiobooks while doing chores or commuting.
🍏 This isn’t school and no one is forcing you to read a certain type of book. Read what you like, not what you think you should like (or what everyone in TikTok is reading).
Now, we’ve got recommendations from Team Girlboss on what to add to your bookshelf!
If you’re a yearner looking to ease into a full novel, Jennifer recommends Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass by Lana Del Rey.
If you relate a little too hard to the lyrics of Brat by Charli XCX, Liz recommends Motherhood by Sheila Heti.
If you don’t want to have the brain capacity after work to follow a complex plot (but still want all of the feel-good summer vibes), Victoria recommends Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados.