I’ve always felt like reading affects me differently compared to films or TV. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fantasy film or series, but books feel much more personal somehow. You spend so much more time with characters. You get all the little thoughts, emotions, conversations and quieter moments that never fully make it onto a screen. I think that’s probably why I get so attached to fictional characters and groups in fantasy books. Especially when there’s a close team dynamic like in Lord of the Rings where everyone genuinely cares about each other. I absolutely fall for that every time. Animals too. If there’s an animal in a book, I’m already emotionally invested and preparing myself mentally for stress. Some books genuinely stay with me for years afterwards. The Banned and the Banished series by James Clemens did that for me, especially Wit’ch Fire. And A Little Life absolutely destroyed me emotionally in a completely different way. Those kinds of books don’t really leave you once you’ve read them. I think reading also becomes tied to comfort and routine without you really noticing. My ideal reading setup is usually one of my cats nearby (normally Kumo, Yuki or Moo Moo deciding to sit exactly where I need to hold the book), some kind of drink nearby, and finding a position that doesn’t annoy my neck too much. It’s honestly become one of my favourite forms of escapism. And I know people joke about readers being dramatic, but there really is something oddly emotional about books themselves too. I’m very precious about mine. I hate bent corners and damaged pages, but at the same time I also love buying books from charity shops because I start feeling bad for them sitting there waiting to be picked. I also think that’s partly why I started making bookmarks. I’ve always loved them anyway, especially ones that feel unique or match the mood of a book properly. Fantasy inspired ones, funny ones, pretty ones, anything that feels like it belongs with the story you’re reading. And once I started designing my own, I realised I loved the idea that bookmarks could feel like part of the reading experience itself rather than just something practical. I think BookTok has probably amplified that feeling for a lot of readers too. There are definitely books online where I question the writing quality or the plot a bit, and I still really dislike cringey dialogue and love triangles no matter how popular they are, but overall I think anything encouraging people to read more is a good thing. Especially now when everything feels so fast all the time. Reading forces you to slow down a bit. To properly sit with a story. To imagine things yourself rather than having everything immediately shown to you. And maybe that’s why readers get so emotionally attached. Because for a little while, those characters and worlds end up feeling strangely real to us.
Why Reading Feels More Personal Than Watching TV
