When work is slow and homework is (mostly) completed, I have been taking time to get back into the leisure reading habit.

As I enter my fourth year of collegiate studies as a graduate student, the past several years of my life have been consumed by scholarly reading. From scouring peer-reviewed journals to completing homework assignments that demand chapters of textbooks to be read, I have long been craving a chance to escape into the fantasy worlds that exist in fiction books.

While my school reading is undoubtedly stimulating, it is a requirement of me – not a choice. Therefore, reading has felt like a job instead of a hobby, making the thought of reading a book for pleasure nearly impossible.

Before college, cracking open a good book was second nature to me. I would categorize myself as an avid reader or someone who frequents the library for fun. From young adult novels to historical fiction, getting lost in a story was a decompression method after a day filled with athletic events and extracurricular activities.

Yet, I will admit my love for reading did not grow organically. I have many memories of participating in the Gladstone Public Library’s summer reading programs, which required entrants to read a set amount of books to win prizes. Every summer, my parents would drag my brother and me to the library, force us to check out five books at a time (the limit for us youngsters) and submit our reading logs before starting a new school year.

Even beyond this public library initiative, my motivations for leisurely reading continued to be influenced by external factors until high school. In the years preceding my freshman debut, students were required to partake in the Accelerated Reader (AR) program. After checking out lengthy chapter books and reading them front to back, students could hop onto school computers and take a 10 to 20-question quiz on the book’s contents.

Upon completing the quiz, AR points were added to your student account, correlating with your quiz score. Students could then use these points to buy prizes throughout the school year, including journals, pencils, and locker magnets. Even further, teachers would often recognize the top AR students in their class with a larger prize. This meant reading had now become a competition.

And if you have read my column before, you know I am competitive.

I blame the AR program and summer reading program for my eventual love of reading. What began as a way of proving my academic excellence evolved into a method of escapism and relaxation. In addition to being free entertainment (and a well-needed break from my phone screen), diving into a book is beneficial on multiple levels. Reading continues to help me improve my vocabulary and has taught me how to write in various styles – like alliteration, personification, and hyperbole. Therefore, I have reading to thank for my writing and storytelling skills.

The recent decline in my leisure reading has been heartbreaking. I relish the days when my friend group would read a series of books simultaneously, whether “Harry Potter” or “Twilight.” We would indulge in lengthy discussions of what had transpired between the pages during homeroom and lunch hours – almost like an impromptu book club.

As of late, I have tried to ignite the leisure reading flame once again. Thanks, in part, to a professor gifting me hand-me-down books from the political science book club, I have now found the time to dive back into reading. I recently completed “A Game of Thrones,” the first book in George R.R. Martin’s yet-to-be-completed series entitled “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which is also an original HBO series. I hope to finish the second installment, “A Clash of Kings” (~1,000 pages), before Christmas break.

It has been great to escape from reality’s busy happenings to the mystical world of Westeros, which, albeit, can be dark and unsettling. Yet, I love the aspects of political realism threaded throughout its plot, tracing comparisons between modern society and the fictional world Martin has created.

So, if you are to take anything from this column, let it be this: Get back into your leisure reading habit. The possibilities are endless regardless of the type of stories you like to read, from true crime to dystopian fiction. You deserve a break from your stressful daily routine, especially with the holiday craze fast approaching. Recuperate with a book!

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Andie Balenger is a native of Gladstone and is currently attending Northern Michigan University. Her column addresses topics from the perspective of a young adult and runs Thursdays in the Daily Press.