Well, for many of us, a must read reading list isn’t about pressure at all. It’s about not missing out on the latest popular books or the most highly regarded classic literature. It’s about expanding our horizons and taking part in the world’s diverse culture throughout time. Some people opt for things like The 1000 Books You Must Read Before You Die while others browse GoodReads to find the next must read options.

What Are Must Read Reading Lists?

Anytime the word ‘must’ comes into play, it’s either about someone making a passionate recommendation or some type of authoritative commandment. There are no book lords or reading police that make you read anything in particular. (After you’re done with school, anyway. Before then, those are called teachers.) No one is going to come get you if you can’t make it through Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness after three tries. (I tried… I really did.)

These reading lists therefore fall into the passionate recommendation side of things. Either literary experts or ordinary people choose books they think everyone should read. Why?

Why Read Recommended  Books?

Three reasons:

• 1 — The books are classics that truly earn their place through literary greatness.
• 2 — The books will expand your horizons, introduce new understanding and thoughts, and make you a more well-rounded individual.
• 3 — The books are just plain awesome, fun, entertaining, or meme-tastic (i.e., culturally significant)

What Is a Classic Book?

Classics withstand the test of time and remain relevant to the world at large. They have enduring themes, relatable characters, and timeless insights into the human condition. They’re also well-written for their time period. No, they may not follow the writing ‘rules’ of today’s books, but they do hold true art within their pages. These are the books frequently on those high school or college reading lists your teacher assigns to you.

How Do Must Read Reading Lists Expand Your Horizons?

Everyone is limited to their own unique worldview unless they do something to challenge and expand it. Books do this in amazing ways… not just in the stories they tell, but the style of the writing and the feel of the characters, too.

Seeing things from different perspectives is so important in today’s world. A must read reading list can exercise your empathy muscles, increase knowledge and understanding, and open your heart.

What Makes a Book ‘Must Read’ Culturally Significant

There are simply some books that have infiltrated modern culture in a way that would make you feel a bit like a newb (do people still use that term?) if you didn’t know then. 1984 and Big Brother might be the most popular. The reminder that Dr. Frankenstein was the monster… not Frankenstein’s monster. Many of the ‘must know’ elements are now covered by movies, but reading the original book still makes more sense.

How To Follow a Must Read List

However you want! Some people print out a list of 100 classics. Others use digital library apps. Some stack books in a TBR (to be read) pile next to their bed. You do you.

If reading some of these classics or books with high critical acclaim feels like a chore, read something light and fun in between. Or just stop. Like I said above, there are no reading police to come knocking down your door and interrogate you about why you haven’t read A Tale of Two Cities or Moby Dick yet.

Above all, reading should be rewarding. It’s fine if you put ‘fun’ on top of any other type of reward. If you decide to follow a must read reading list, feel free to tweak it as you go along. In the end, you choose what you want to fill your heart and mind with.

Furthermore, reading can improve focus and concentration, reduce stress and promote relaxation, increase empathy and understanding of others’ perspectives, and spark creativity and imagination. It can also improve memory and cognitive function. Reading can be an excellent way to entertain oneself and escape from the daily routine. Making reading a daily habit can be beneficial for both children and adults, it sets a good example for others to promote the importance of reading.

These tips will help you get started with daily reading:

• Set aside a specific time of day for reading.
  Make a reading goal for the number of pages or books you want to read each day or week.
  Keep a reading log to track your progress.
  Find a reading buddy to hold yourself accountable to your reading goals.
  Make a list of books you want to read and make a plan to read them.
  Keep books and reading materials in convenient and accessible places.
  Make reading a part of your daily routine, such as reading before going to bed.
  Find a book or series that you are really interested in and excited to read.
  Experiment with different types of reading materials, such as novels, non-fiction books, articles, or comics.
  Reward yourself after completing a book or reaching your reading goal.

The educational reality for people in the United States is diverse and ineffective in many ways. Plenty of people have not been taught or failed to learn how to think properly about different important subjects. This is not about indoctrination or changing anyone’s mind. It is about destroying ignorance that damages everything from the overall fabric of our

society to how well people get along with their next-door neighbor.

When the schools failed to destroy ignorance, what options do we have? Families are supposed to take up the slack or, in fact, be the primary educational and guidance force in a young person’s life. However, so many of them failed to do that, too. This could be due to lack of ability or knowledge on their part or simply because they do not want to or feel it is not their responsibility. That shows the type of ignorance that the world needs less of.

There’s a simple solution: reading.

Reading widely improves:

• Factual knowledge
• Vocabulary and grammar
• Global understanding
• Emotional intelligence
• Human behavior
• Critical thinking skills

Reading books, articles, news stories, and even things like social media posts and comments from everyday people provide these things in copious amounts. It is important to read WIDELY or you risk narrowing your mind instead of enriching it.

Reading destroys ignorance because it gradually and naturally improves all the things that improve cognition and our thought processes.

Factual Knowledge

The more you know about history, government, science, culture, and everything else, the greater your base of understanding is to make smart decisions about what’s going on in the world. It also helps keep you from looking like a fool in conversation.

Vocabulary and Grammar

The ability to understand the written and spoken word is essential to destroy ignorance. Also, the way you communicate with others helps to increase and improve the possibilities of sharing knowledge and empathy.

Global Understanding

The world is a very large place with many different realities in it. Too many people are ignorant of what happens outside their borders and how it affects their lives. Reading about other cultures and experiences can fight dangerous types of ignorance like racism, classism, and other types of bigotry.

Emotional Intelligence

Part of understanding and regulating your own emotions is understanding the experience of other people’s feelings, too. Reading can improve emotional intelligence and empathy through demonstrating how people are different and the same.

Human Behavior

Behavioral similarities and differences require empathy and understanding, too. Everyone has a reason for saying what they say or doing what they do. Reading nonfiction and fiction demonstrates a wide range of human behaviors can foster psychological understanding and improve relations in the real world.

Critical Thinking Skills

Far too many people read one thing and get sucked into an echo chamber of similar claims and thoughts. While they may be reading a lot, they are not reading widely and therefore not getting the benefit of improved critical thinking skills. This is one of the most insidious problems demonstrated in recent events and throughout history. Read from a wide variety of sources and practice your critical thinking skills by judging the source and the information it provides.

Ignorance destroys societal bonds, can rip apart families and friend groups, brings down businesses, and sometimes gets people punched in the mouth. In this information age when a new article or post shows up every microsecond, it is more important than ever before to seek out information from different sources and read critically.

Many people can’t regulate these things on their own because the educational system or their families failed them. The best thing to do is read widely and don’t stop. Challenge yourself to seek out new sources of written information, borrow or buy books you may not have considered in the past, and never use one source as the sole answer to any of the important questions plaguing our world today.

1 – Over 50% of fourth-graders reported reading for fun every day. That number dropped to under 20% by eighth grade.

2 – Nearly 68% of people who could not read fluently by fourth-grade end up in the criminal justice system or on welfare.

3 — 85% of all juvenile offenders can be considered functionally illiterate. 60% of the people in jail are illiterate.

4 — 25% of all children in America grow up without learning how to read proficiently.

A lot of these horrible statistics (and more about correlations between illiteracy and teen pregnancy, welfare, violent crimes, and even health care costs) tie not being able to read with poverty. The logic is obvious. People who drop out of school, struggle in poor schools, and whose time and attention is taken by the day-to-day struggle or urban or poor rural survival have little time or opportunity to sit down with a book.

It’s a vicious cycle that I can imagine solutions to, but, from my comfortable suburban home outside of all these life-truths, can’t really imagine how to implement any of them.

I do know these things to be true:

1 — Reading is necessary to get anywhere in the world, from high school to college, through a job application, to pass a driving test and get a license, to figure out financial statements or legal documents, to know how to stay safe and healthy.

2 — Reading books at the library, from Amazon, and reading articles/posts online can give you an incredible education about many, many topics that can translate into profitable businesses, new ideas, personal growth, and fun.

3 — Nothing can transport and transform people more than the written word.  Movies are great, but they are passive entertainment. Reading engages the synapses and makes you think, whether you read the biography of a famous figure, a how-to book about gardening, a classic of literature like Shakespeare or the latest romance novel.

This post is a bit of an introduction to what this site is. It’s not only my love affair with reading spilled out online. It’s an exploration of what reading IS and what it can do for people. I believe in the power of the written word, and I want to share it with others.

As far back in history as humankind has gathered together, people have formed a community around stories and shared information. Just like primitive folk told tales by firelight to entertain each other and bond, so too can modern people share their love of storytelling and informational exchange out loud. World Read Aloud Day has become a global initiative with millions of writers, readers, storytellers, and listeners from over 170 different countries.

This year when people cannot gather like they could in healthier times in the past, reading out loud is still as important as it ever was. Teachers read to their students over Zoom meetings. Families separated by distance can read on the phone or in video chats. Parents share favorite books with their children.

Fostering a sense of community may face challenges these days. Reading aloud gives people a way to come together and communicate while sharing diverse ideas and entertainment at the same time.

Participate in live events, grab some swag, or check out book recommendation lists at the LitWorld.org website itself. Use the #worldreadaloudday hashtag on your favorite social media site, too. Most of all, find a book, story, or other written words to share with others and promote literacy and community.