Shay Waters

Reading books at first seemed like a chore. I read my first book solely to add to the amount of books read per month. However, throughout elementary school, I found myself going beyond the goal of reaching the minimum.

I read to spectate a new world. I realized I loved reading books that made me pause and imagine a world so different than mine.

Recently, I found the word novelization, which captured the journey of my reading.

Novelization, in simple terms, is adapting a story into another medium.

The anime I watched were often left with cliffhangers. Leaving me edging for more. My hatred for unfinished stories stemmed from cliffhangers. In order to quench my desire for complete stories, I ventured into the realm of manhwa and manga.

I found myself more enticed by the stories found in books, which were narrated through pictures. I found myself reading thought and speech bubbles more than listening to dialogue.

Again, however, I was struck by the week-long wait for a new chapter to release, or the devastating hiatuses of some stories. I was left unsatisfied once again.

This leaves me in my current position in my journey, web-novels and light-novels.

Currently, I am reading Lord of the Mysteries. I had started in August 2025. It was a book that I would have never thought to pick up or read. It was a book that made me appreciate how much words can convey what cinematography can't.

It was through this book that I realized the importance of going in blind. This realization reminds me that I am never done in my journey of learning to read.