To each their own on what satisfies their imagination. If you happen to find another series that you like better, good on you. Doesn’t make one better than the other.

This made me sad.

Serge, Coleman, Lenny, Mahoney…😔

Might be worth it for you to check out r/romancebooks

For me it was the world building. The thought of a secret magical world that exists along side with ours in modern time sounded amazing.

The books also came out when I was around the same age as the characters, going to school, worrying about exams, holidays, crushes, etc. As the books were released it felt like I was growing up along with the characters as well. The books really helped me get through times and the releases gave me something to look forward to.

I’m very introverted and usually avoid people, but during the book and movie releases, I felt quite connected to people however brief that was. I think it’s the same for most fandoms.

That’s a narrow point of view, to judge someone by the books they like.

Books are supposed to help broaden your perspective and process complex emotions. Sometimes a book will resonate in unexpected ways. This is not a tell to a person’s morality.

This mentality is what leads to book shaming and book bans.

Was always a reader.

Aside from Goosebumps and The Fear Street Saga. My first series was The Black Jewels by Anne Bishop. It was a very adult novel for a kid, I read a lot of adult novels when I was younger but now reading YA as an adult. My best friend gave me the first book as a Christmas present, and I ended up buying the rest of the books as it came out through the years.

When an artist finds their muse, their glimmer or whatever you call that spark, the artwork comes out so naturally and easy. As for writers, the story practically writes itself. Words string together in such unusual sequences that the conscious human mind can’t typically come up. It taps into a primal part of our being that engages the senses, it tries to put into words feeling we collectively know but cannot grasp onto. When the audience consumes such material, they too get to envelop that beauty and enjoy it.

Meanwhile AI could string together words, but it uses a database to produce the algorithm. But by itself, it’s lacking the soul that makes it relatable and engaging. Not saying that it can’t learn to write and I’m pretty sure some writers out there incorporated AI into their writing process. So who’s to say?

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.” -G.R.R. Martin

One thing to remember, people who “judged” you for doing what you like are unhappy people. They see you being happy with simple things and they are unable to achieve that level of happiness, so they say things to poison you. Don’t go to their level, the best revenge is to be happy and to show them their opinions does not matter to you.

You are still young and figuring yourself out. One day you will make that revelation yourself, that everyone doesn’t know what they are doing in life. Every adult is stumbling through life and making it up as they go. And the best happiness comes from not giving a crap.

As for reigniting your passion, I would first cut back on social media, especially short videos. YT shorts, IG reels, and Tick Tok are all designed to shorten your attention spans. It gives you short bursts of dopamine but does a lot more harm than good.

Get back on track with light stuff, like webtoons, manga, or light novels. Browse through book stores or libraries if you can. There’s a pleasure and rush physically taking a book home and feeling the excitement to read.

Allot yourself some quiet time. Put away your phone, have your favorite drink and snack and have a bit of you time and read. Play music, light a candle, put on a face mask, wear your favorite PJ’s. Treat it as a form of self care. Let your brain reassociate reading with pleasure. Before you know it, you’ll be addicted again.

I got so depressed reading that.

I feel terrible for the kids in Florida as well. The library should be a safe space for them to access information they are too afraid to ask about.