The Misconception of Reading Books

#70 Why reading doesn’t have to be productive to be meaningful.

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Now jumping into today’s blog:

Not Enjoying Reading as a Kid

When I was younger, I hated everything related to literature. I hated writing because I always got bad grades in German and spelling tests. I disliked reading, especially if the picture-to-text ratio wasn’t at least 80/20.

In middle school, my teacher told me to read more to improve my spelling. My mum also urged me, hoping it would be a more “productive” way to spend my free time. But the truth was:
reading made me feel insecure, so I avoided it whenever I could.

At some point, I started reading manga — simply because I couldn’t wait for the new Naruto season to be aired months later.
Maybe it wasn’t the type of reading my teacher or mum expected to improve my German. I mean, how useful is it in daily life to know how to spell “Shadow Clone Jutsu”?

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Finding Confidence Through English Manga

Later, I switched to tons of online manga chapters in English. My German grades stayed poor because I couldn’t be bothered to analyze old novels, but my English improved a lot.
Looking back, this was the first time reading made me feel confident instead of “not good enough.”

Throughout high school, this habit turned me into a comfortable English speaker (at least when we talked about anime).

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A Book That Changed Something

Years later in New Zealand, a friend gifted me the book Chapter One. I didn’t notice it then, but something small inside me clicked.
After starting the book, I realized:
reading can actually be fun — if the content speaks to you.

I preferred manga over German literature simply because the visuals grabbed my attention and I connected with the characters. I didn’t force myself; I genuinely wanted to keep reading.

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Falling Into the Self-Improvement Loop

After voluntarily finishing that non-fiction book, I got hooked. Not to improve vocabulary or spelling, but to get inspired and shape my future.
Self-help and finance became my go-to genres. Every few months, I bought a new book, took notes, and felt excited about life. The more I read, the more I optimized my routine to be “efficient.”

At some point, I got so invested that I stopped all entertainment and focused only on learning more. I wanted to become smarter, more knowledgeable… until someone asked me:

“You read so many books, but do you actually remember everything?”

That question hit me because I knew the answer.
It made me realize I was holding onto a belief that wasn’t fully true. I stopped reading for a while and questioned what all of this was for if I barely retained anything.

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Lockdown, Anime, and a Reminder

Then COVID and lockdown hit. The world slowed down. No one could be productive all the time.
I suddenly had so much free time that I watched anime and read manga again. The first one I binged was Black Clover. I stayed up until 4 AM.

And weirdly, that moment reminded me of something important:
we stay with things that genuinely inspire us — not things we do out of pressure.

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A New Way of Reading

Maybe reading isn’t about retaining everything, especially in the age of information overload.
Maybe it’s not about vocabulary or discipline.
Maybe reading is simply about feeding your mind, inspiring you in the moment, and letting you grow naturally without noticing it.

Since treating books like small inspirational snacks, I’ve been reading a wider range of things — sometimes non-fiction, sometimes manga, sometimes history. Not to remember everything, but to dive into someone’s experience and broaden my horizon.

#mydailylearning

Read what resonates with you — that’s the only reading that truly matters.

Thanks supporting Son of a Viet Kieu. If you want to check out other blogs, here are my favorites!

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• I Did It. I Wrote My First Book. (➡️ E-Book here)

• Navigating the Social Media Maze: From Anxiety to Empowerment

• The Race I Didn’t Run (But Still Won) 🏃

• Clinging to life: My close to death experience in New Zealand

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Keep staying awesome! #yeudoi