Sometimes when people ask me why I liked a book, the answer comes easily. I can talk about the banter, the world-building, or how funny the characters were. Those answers sound nice and logical. But honestly? A lot of the time, the question feels way more complicated than it should be.
Especially if it’s been a while since I read the book, I just… don’t know. The real answer I want to give is, “I don’t know why I liked it. I just did,” and move on with my life. But somehow that feels like the wrong answer. Like I’m supposed to have a well-thought-out explanation ready. And let’s be real sometimes it’s even more awkward when the book was spicy.
Yesterday at lunch, I was scrolling through a friend’s Goodreads and asked her about one of the books she had read. Her response caught me off guard. She shrugged and said, “I just do.” And in that moment, I felt seen. Someone like me. Maybe we’re not alone after all. Because that is exactly what I want to say 99% of the time when someone asks me why I liked a book.
And honestly? That should be a perfectly acceptable answer.
Reading is personal. What hits for one person won’t hit the same for someone else. Sometimes a book just finds you at the right time, in the right mood, and it works even if you can’t explain why. Heck, most people can’t even fully explain how they feel about the people they love, so why should we always be able to explain why we loved a book?
Maybe “I just did” is enough. And maybe I should start saying it more often.