So, recently, I reached out to my fellow readers on the Bookstagram community for some definitions of what a “mood reader” actually is. Because, honestly, I’ve heard the term for a while now, but I truly think the definition of mood reading varies from person to person.
And, actually, we got a lot of answers! And, actually… none of them were anything like what I figured “mood reading” really was…
…Because, apparently, mood reading has more to do with reading the genre you’re “in the mood” for… not just whether or not you “feel” like reading at all on a certain day–that’s the definition I actually had in my head. Oh well, maybe I’m just a different kind of “mood reader!”
What Mood Reading Means to Real Readers
To answer my question of “what IS a mood reader”, I made a post on my Instagram page, inviting anyone and everyone to comment with their personal definitions. And, seriously, we got so many more answers than I expected… which I’m super grateful for!
Most personal definitions, I found, kind of ended up in the following “categories”, too, if you will…
1. Mood Reading Is Genre-Oriented
A lot of readers come to define mood reading as something along the lines of “mood reading is reading based on the genre you’re in the mood for.”
Genre-oriented mood reading is also about the tropes and general “mood” of what you’re reading, too (if that makes sense!). For example, romance and horror are obviously two different genres that may feature “light” or “heavy” moods. And, if you’re just in the mood for a quick, light-hearted pick-me-up, you’ll probably reach for the romance book!
2. Mood Reading Is Abandoning Your TBR List
Another surprising, even though it feels like it shouldn’t be, answer to our question is something along the lines of “mood reading is reading whatever you want to read, regardless of what is on your to-be-read list.”
This also seemed to be the most popular type of response, which, again, feels surprising… even though it probably shouldn’t be.
3. Mood Reading Is Emotionally-Charged Reading
Perhaps my favorite definition of mood reading is the most simple yet complex one… something along the lines of “mood reading is reading based on your daily or hourly mood–your personal emotions, which are ever-changing.”
Oh, and I’m also going to leave a special-mention for this definition by Nancy because… not gonna lie, but it made me feel a little emotional–it’s what reading is really all about.
Well, there you have it, folks–have you decided what mood reading means to you?
Also, a huge thank-you shout-out to everyone who participated in creating this post, and I highly encourage everyone to check out and follow the Bookstagrammers mentioned below…
- @erisha_sumisu
- @textualseductionxo
- @libros.and.cafe
- @bookworldwithnancy
- @berrgiebooks
- @crazypageturner
- @kay.readsss
- @pageturnersjourney
- @freyathebooklover
- @megans.reading.room
- @whatsmelaniereading
- @kailesbooks
- @resh_bookstagram
You can also view the original Instagram post that inspired this blog article below and comment with your own opinions to add to the conversation anytime!
Until our next mood reading-related post…
–Kari
Kari Lynn M. 