The question of what to read next comes up over and over throughout our lives. Some offer answers but don’t explain why their choices should be of value to us—so understanding the why is the more complex question.

A successful fiction and fantasy writer, Neil Gaiman doesn’t hesitate to suggest an answer and offer a why; he said, “Fiction is the gateway drug to reading.”

He added that fiction drives us to want to know what happens next, and it becomes exciting and satisfies the excitement as we turn the pages.

When we read fiction, it increases our imagination and results in our finding something new of interest. The new things we find may lead us in a direction such as science, history, or art. So we could look for a biography of a person with an area of similar interest to our own.

Often the path to the next book, or even choosing one to re-read, is built on past choices. Years ago, I watched the movie “Apocalypse Now.” That led me to reread Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” set in Africa with the same basic plot. The book was considered one of Conrad’s best. 

Some criticized Conrad’s book for having a white man’s perspective on life in Africa. I wanted to find another view.  I wondered if there were good African writers that I could read. At that point in my life, I had never looked for African writers. I looked and found many good ones who were respected for their work. I found several authors of interest.  At the time, Chinua Achebe emerged as a well-known African author for his book “Things Fall Apart.”

It seemed to be the perfect “other point of view” I was looking for. This book is indeed something that should be read by anyone who reads “Heart of Darkness” and wonder if they have seen Africa correctly.

The question is still what to read but answering the why is easier. Reading is good for you because it improves your focus, memory, empathy, and communication skills. It can reduce stress, improve your mental health, and help you live longer. Reading also allows you to learn new things to help you succeed in your work and relationships.