At the end of 2023, I fell head over in heels in love with reading again. It was intense. It was passionate. It was fun. It brought back that nostalgic feeling of puppy love I’d get from losing myself in the novels of my youth. Like most exhausted modern-day adults, I had stopped turning the page—after all, we have so many screens in SO many sizes now! Every now and then I’d power through a self-help book. And sure, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents gave me some great insights. But it didn’t ignite that spark that I needed to pick up another book—it was merely a passing fling. Then, one fateful day (we can assume it was rainy and moody, and I was craving to be the mysterious girl in the corner of a cafe) I pulled a *very* old copy of The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler off my shelf.
And everything changed.
When I tell you this book exploded my mind with imagination, curiosity, and PASSION…it was like the lightbulb in this dusty old attic of a brain was finally replaced. Obviously, Octavia E. Butler is a phenomenal storyteller, and yes, Parable of the Sower hits a little too close to reality to not resonate with (seriously, written in the 1990s, it’s a sci-fi novel that takes place in the apocalyptic aftermath of extreme politicians and climate-change fueled fires that destroy Los Angeles in 2024—check it out), but this feeling was bigger than the novel itself. The life lessons, the emotional connections, the self-reflection—I felt like 10 self-help books and 20 therapy sessions wouldn’t have made the same impact. And after two paragraphs of verbose rambling, we have finally arrived at my point: Reading fiction might be one of the best tools for self-improvement. Yes, even better than self-help books.
I’ll just get this out of the way—if you enjoy reading self-help books, good for you, do your thing. This blog is for those looking to have the literary love affair of a lifetime. (Or it’s just the desperate plea of a writer to get more people reading the words behind the pretty designs).
Not to sound dramatic, but reading fiction got me out of a severe bout of depression. Fiction has the power to do that—to transform your outlook on life, wake up your senses, reveal perspectives you’d never previously considered, activate your wildest imagination, force you to reassess your beliefs and dreams and ideals. As counterintuitive as it may seem, it can be easier to see yourself in a character’s story than to see yourself clearly. Fiction reveals the complexity of humanity. An imperfect character can steal your heart; you can feel their pain, criticize and forgive them for their mistakes, cheer for their growth…think of how difficult it can be to give yourself and those in your life that same grace.
Aside from the gift of inspiring empathy (which, let’s be honest, humans are severely lacking), reading fiction is also known to improve memory, attention span, and cognitive skills—from critical thinking to comprehension to vocabulary. Yes, yes, I am a writer, and learning new words might seem more fun for me than others—but how cool is it that someone who is 70-80 years old is called a septuagenarian? And that there’s a word for a person of each decade?! Reading fictional stories about different experiences and foreign lands and dystopian futures also provides a new lens in which to see the world through—you start to ask questions, picture possibilities, and examine your relationship to everything under the sun…and beyond.
Reading gives us the opportunity to learn in a way that doesn’t feel like learning. Once you’re wrapped up in a story, picking up a book feels less like a chore and more like a treat. I’ll let you in on a little secret—(whispers) you don’t have to finish a book you don’t like. Sometimes it can take a while to find a genre that tickles your fancy or an author whose writing you simply can’t put down, and that is okay. You love binging true crime shows? Try reading a murder mystery or a thriller. You enjoy falling asleep with the History Channel in the background? Give historical fiction a try. You’re a sucker for a rom-com or a love story for the ages? Romance and romantasy novels might be right for you! Me personally? I’m a fantasy, dark academia, and sci-fi girl—I love magical worlds and epic battles and space travel and atmospheric, brooding universities. And can I let you in on another secret? (Whispers) I love historical fiction, romantasy, and thrillers too!
Now you might be wondering, “What the hell does this have to do with branding and marketing?”
I am so happy you asked. EVERYTHING!
Storytelling is the most powerful tool in a creative’s arsenal. It doesn’t matter how amazing your alliteration is or how dazzling your design is (see what I did there?). If it doesn’t tell a story, nobody is going to care. Reading fiction allows us to consider different cultures, unique outlooks, nonsensical beings, emotional turbulence—all of which inspire a greater sense of wonder, imagination, and creativity. A brand is so much more than the service it provides. It is the reason your clients choose you over your competitors. It is the experience that gave you the idea to start the company. Understanding how to tell a good story is the key to every successful brand.
My last secret? (No longer whispering) You don’t need to be a creative to enjoy the benefits that reading fiction can provide! I’ve yapped enough about the self-betterment you can gain from silly little stories, but how can reading fiction make you a better leader and coworker? Easy. It inspires you to be more mindful of your team. It provides greater insights into diverse situations and backgrounds. It helps you solve problems. It makes you way more interesting to talk to in the break room.
If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You’ve just finished your first novel. (Please don’t consider this a self-help book, I’ve tried very hard to be more whimsical than those tend to be).
If you have no idea where to start, here’s a genre-spanning list of some of my most enjoyable reads over the last few years:
Sci-Fi
From the author who wrote The Martian, this is a story about a universe-saving friendship between a high school science teacher and an engineer…obviously in space.
Greek Mythology / Historical Fiction / Fantasy
These retellings of famous Greek tales are written from the perspectives of often ignored characters—Achilles’ lover and the witch from the Odyssey.
Dark Academia / Historical Fantasy
This mind-altering book explores the power of language and translation through the themes of colonialism, race, power dynamics, revolution, and violence.
Historical & Speculative Fiction
All about the interconnectedness we share through generational storytelling, I’ll just leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “That’s what the gods do, they spin threads of ruin through the fabric of our lives, all to make a song for generations to come.”
Fantasy / LGBTQ
Centered around a magical orphanage with the most loveable characters you’ve ever met, these books tell a tall tale of family, resistance, and love. Plus, the writing style is SO fun to read.
Fantasy
For lovers of The Princess Bride, this fairytale follows an “ordinary girl” as she embarks on an epic journey to save the man she loves…and becomes not so ordinary after all.
Sci-Fi / Dystopian Fiction
As mentioned in my ramblings above, these books follow a young woman as she navigates post-apocalyptic life (…and starts a religion) in the aftermath of climate change and inequality-fueled societal collapse.
Fantasy / Romantasy
Assassins, magic, epic battles, portals between worlds, powerful relationships, and complex characters are just a few of the reasons to start this bingeable journey. An 8-book series, it is perfect to get you in the swing of reading…you have 8 books to get through before you need to worry about what to read next.
Fantasy
This trilogy is a masterpiece—magic, heartbreak, politics, war, revolution, a beautiful love story, multi-faceted characters, and unique world-building are all brought to life through the author’s stunning writing.
Fantasy
Black girl magic meets the legend of King Arthur in this one-of-a-kind story about identity, painful history, and secret magical societies. Two books are currently available with the third expected to be released this year.