So, I decided to give this “reading friendship” thing a shot. I’ve heard people talk about it, how sharing books can bring you closer, and I thought, “Why not?” My buddy, Mark, and I, we’re pretty tight, but our conversations usually revolve around sports and, well, mostly sports. Figured this could be a good way to, you know, expand our horizons a bit.
First, we had to pick a book. That was a whole ordeal in itself. I’m more into thrillers, the kind with lots of twists and turns. Mark? He’s a fantasy guy, all dragons and magic and stuff. After a bit of back-and-forth (and a few friendly arguments), we settled on a compromise: a sci-fi book with a bit of both. Something about a spaceship crew exploring a new planet, with some mysterious occurrences thrown in.
Getting Started:
- Step one: Find a bookstore. We didn’t want some digital thing; we wanted the real, paper-smelling deal.
- Step two: Actually buy the book. Two copies, obviously. No sharing one book like we’re in kindergarten.
- Step three: Set up a reading schedule. We aimed for, like, two chapters a week. We’re busy guys, gotta be realistic.
Then came the reading part. Honestly, I was surprised. I got into it way more than I expected. I’d find myself thinking about the plot twists during my work breaks, even texting Mark little “Dude, did you get to the part where…?” messages. He’d do the same. It was like having our own little secret world, on top of our usual sports talk.
The real fun started when we met up to discuss what we’d read. Our first “book club” meeting (we wouldn’t call it that, of course) was at our usual burger joint. We spent like, an hour just dissecting the characters, arguing about the plot, and making wild predictions about what would happen next. It was awesome. We weren’t just talking about the book, we were actually connecting, debating, and using our brains in a way we usually don’t.
We kept it up, week after week. Finished the book, even. And you know what? It did make us closer. We had this shared experience, this inside joke that nobody else got. We even started planning our next “reading friendship” adventure. Mark wants to try one of my thrillers. I’m still a bit hesitant about his dragon books, but hey, I’m open to it. Compromise, right?
So, yeah, that’s my “reading friendship” story. It’s not some magical cure-all for relationships, but it’s definitely a cool way to connect with someone on a different level. Give it a try. You might be surprised at how much you enjoy it, and what you get out of it with the other person.
