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Jan 31, 2016 4:46 AM
#1

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Jan 2016
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Do you have an aversion to reading? Why?

Or do you love it? What kind of literature do you want to read?
Also Why?

(This does not include manga or picture books... I'm talking about wall of texts or in light novel cases, with only a few illustrations)
--

Do you also think that an aversion to reading will affect one's intelligence?

--

I love reading but I don't really have a favorite genre. My favorite author is Ayn Rand. I do think that an aversion to reading contributes to an individual's low intelligence. I believe that books are wonderful. Someone who doesn't recognize this fact is someone to be avoided.

--

"If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.

–Ralph Waldo Emerson
ethotJan 31, 2016 5:45 AM
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Jan 31, 2016 4:53 AM
#2

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Dec 2015
3462
I love reading, but unfortunately I don't read as much literature as I used to since I have to read research and textbooks all the time.

My favorite authors are Edgar Allen Poe, Maya Angelou, and Langston Hughes, so you can tell I have a thing for poetry and short stories (I also write poetry and short stories. Some have been published). I do enjoy novels as well, the last one I read was Lolita but that was about a year ago. It's been difficult lately to find time to sit down for hours and read a nice long novel.

I tend to gravitate towards darker tales. Not literature that is depressing just to be depressing, but stories that either make you think about the world around you or think about the subconscious thoughts deep within you.

I don't think someone's desire to read has any indication on that person's intelligence. Especially since reading is not always meant for learning.
However, I do judge someone's intelligence if they do not have the desire to learn or the desire to combat their own ignorance.
KonaKoffeeJan 31, 2016 1:05 PM
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Jan 31, 2016 4:56 AM
#3

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Feb 2015
1147
I used to read a lot but not really anymore; I have read every worthwhile horror novel and since its the only genre that has appealed to me I'm completely lost with regards to what to read next.

There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for
Oh oh oh oh and she's buying a stairway to heaven


Jan 31, 2016 4:59 AM
#4

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Jan 2015
3637
No. You could read more words a day than every other human being. It won't make you smart unless you read something of value. There are a lot of different ways of learning. Watching, listening, experiencing first hand. Reading isn't the only form of learning and depending on the person it might not be the best way to learn.

I do find text to be the most superior form of expressing and absorbing knowledge. Words are the most descriptive forms of communication we have. The only other thing that is better would be actually watching someone speak because it still uses language, but also has the added information of emotion and tone. But that's a much less feasible way of expressing large amounts of complex information. Reading is realistically the best source of complex information available.

I used to read books for fun, but that was during a time in school where all the adults encourage you to read. Now I no longer do so, I only rarely read books that seem particularly interesting. I didn't stop because I dislike reading but because I find other forms of stimulation like anime and games to be more enjoyable.

I still read now. Not for fun but for enlightenment. The best sources of knowledge happen to exist in the form of books only.
Jan 31, 2016 5:07 AM
#5

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Jun 2015
957
I don't read much but if something is epic then I'd read it. Use to read Harry Potter a lot and I bought some 2nd hand Twilight books. They were pretty good reads! Currently reading A certain Magical Index series which I've fallen in love with. ^^

I think the problem with reading is it can be slow and hard on the eyes.

Reading things can certainly improve or give you knowledge about things but other forms of information can be just as good. Intelligence isn't the same as being knowledgeable though. I'm sure people that don't read can be intelligent if they use their brains and logic well.
Jan 31, 2016 5:12 AM
#6

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Jun 2012
170
I have no aversion to reading, I have read books in the past. I feel that video is really good medium for expressing stories, books can be slow and with an ever busy life, reading a book takes a while and requires a less visually and audial stimulation.
But books have benefits as well.

What I find obnoxious is when people like to brag about reading books and NEED you to know that they read books constantly lol. Doesn't necessarily make you smart to read a book, it can also just mean you are able to read the language.
Jan 31, 2016 5:21 AM
#7

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Jan 2016
4316
Cebix said:

What I find obnoxious is when people like to brag about reading books and NEED you to know that they read books constantly lol. Doesn't necessarily make you smart to read a book, it can also just mean you are able to read the language.


Hmmm... people are talking about reading constantly(I really don't think they're bragging) because people nowadays don't appreciate a good book with excuses like being busy and what not....
Jan 31, 2016 5:43 AM
#8

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Jul 2015
4905
Reading used to be a hobby until school made it obligatory, so then it seemed like work
So now I don't do this illusive thing called "reading"
Jan 31, 2016 6:25 AM
#9

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Jun 2014
632
I enjoy reading immensely. I would categorize it as my favourite hobby even. I read a wide variety of things from different genre's, so it's hard to pinpoint a favourite one. I suppose if I had to narrow it down, poetry, science fiction, and historical fiction would round out the top three.

In regards to your question about aversion I'm not sure I agree. For example, would anyone support a hypothesis that reading 50 Shades of Grey will somehow boost intelligence? No, content certainly matters or to put it another way, reading something that actually challenges you in some way. It makes sense there would be tangible benefits to doing such, but I also think any benefits from reading could also be gained through other means. In fact, I would say depending on subject matter, there are instances where reading would be the least effective way to learn, but that too is going to vary by person.

I also think it's worth noting how many different mediums there are for reading. Most people immediately think of the novel, but if you actually think about it, most of us enjoy reading in some format or another. As an example, someone who reads manga, while there are pictures, is still in fact reading and I think manga is capable of challenging people in certain ways. I know you excluded this in your post, but I felt it suited the topic and was worth mentioning.

Unfortunately, I think the education system plays a large role in people's aversion to reading and they give up on it before they find that book that 'hooks' them. At least for myself, I can distinctly recall the book that started it all, even 20+ years later. Luckily for me, I read this book prior to some of the mundane garbage I was required to read in school.
retiring_animeJan 31, 2016 6:32 AM
Jan 31, 2016 6:27 AM

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Jan 2015
2707
I try to read material as much as i can by post war nazis and science fiction written by mormons. Pre-boasian science journals, like when people actually knew things are good too. Or dark esoteric instruction manuals about turning your former employer into an attractive post-modern bedside table using only the power of your mind and your solar plexis chakra. Stuff about the history of the Carpathian region and pre-world war one baseball is ok too. I like Japanese classical literature and middle ages pervert stuff like the canterbury tales. Also turgid misery by Solzhenitsyn or Dostoyevsky. Also the scripts to the goon show and monty python. But generally reading sucks and is ghey.
Jan 31, 2016 9:31 AM

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Jan 2016
291
I love reading anything and everything. No favorite genre, no favorite book. But that's just me. If other people don't like to read, good for them. My opinion of them won't change based on whether or not they like reading.
Jan 31, 2016 9:45 AM

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Aug 2012
6210
Reading is fun, Manga and Books often appeal to me more than anime and movies. I'm just too lazy to read them, But when I do I read a shit ton. Then take a long break.
Jan 31, 2016 9:53 AM

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Oct 2015
725
since I'm too lazy to borrow some book from a library I only read books that our teachers give us here, one book a month
Jan 31, 2016 10:00 AM

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Apr 2012
2573
Funny thing, I used to hate reading when I was in school. And didn't read anything for about 2 years after I finished. Now I love it, though. My favorite authors include Neil Gaiman, Andy Weir and Jules Verne.
I really have a thing for horror, sci-fi and romance.
Jan 31, 2016 10:02 AM

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Aug 2015
491
I read anything and I don't get why people don't like to read.

☁ cyborg robot squirrels ☁
Jan 31, 2016 10:23 AM

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Jun 2015
13599
I enjoy reading although I'm a terribly slow reader. It takes me a very long time to read anything. Because of that, I have to really like a book to finish it.
I can understand why people don't read a lot. It can take a lot more time/commitment to read a book than watch a show unless you are one of those speed readers I guess.

Jan 31, 2016 10:27 AM

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Jun 2015
1183
Not a huge reading fan. I have read several books, and I don't mind reading manga from anime I liked, but that's pretty much it.
Seiya0890 said:
But its still disgusting from my point of view, and from the word's point of view, therefore its disgusting.


Wise words.
Jan 31, 2016 11:28 AM

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Jun 2015
1058
I like many different types of books. No specific genre, but I enjoy mystery, fantasy, horror, sci-fiction etc. Authors I like are Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Dickens and Tolkien. Just started the song of ice and fire series from GRRM.
Jan 31, 2016 12:23 PM

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Nov 2014
611
Do you have an aversion to reading? Why?

I don't have one. I read all kinds of stuff, like anyone else.

Or do you love it? What kind of literature do you want to read?
Also Why?

I don't love any work of literature, you know there are some people who really love reading books and learning orthography and grammar rules, I'm not one of them.But I used to and really like reading Shakespeare out loud. I did so every morning to with books my brother brought me, to help with my pronunciation. I had a small speech disfunction.

(This does not include manga or picture books... I'm talking about wall of texts or in light novel cases, with only a few illustrations)

I read Rokka no yuusha, and Overlord, and Spice and wolf for enjoyment, but damn spice and wolf is about sixteen volumes at the moment : the absurd size of the thing made me read only one volume.

Do you also think that an aversion to reading will affect one's intelligence?

Reading is very recommended because it triggers every region of the brain (not if you think we use only ten percent of it),it's gymnastics for the mind. A kid that has a reading habit will get a boost to his brains development because he's "feeding" it nicely, but now, I think that if the kid does other hobbies like piano, sudoku or something he isn't less smart in any way.

--

I love reading but I don't really have a favorite genre. My favorite author is Ayn Rand. I do think that an aversion to reading contributes to an individual's low intelligence. I believe that books are wonderful. Someone who doesn't recognize this fact is someone to be avoided.


You're kind of contributing to an elitist society of privileged readers, this practice has a name I'm sure but I don't know, I can confirm non readers can be more wise than any reader. It's been agreed that there are multiple types of smarts, creativity with words is only one of them. There are people that has problems with concentration, so reading isn't a option for them.

--
GhoultulhuJan 31, 2016 12:41 PM



Jan 31, 2016 12:59 PM

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Jan 2016
686
I think reading is very important and I enjoy doing so, as long as they're things I find interesting or useful for myself. I don't really like reading any work of literature, what I like is reading soccer articles, a few light novels, daily news and miscellaneous stuff every once in a while.
Jan 31, 2016 1:03 PM

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Oct 2015
181
Depends on the story if the story was good , I can atleast finish that book in one day and if the story was bad , I will read it when i feel i want to or never read it again.

Feb 1, 2016 4:06 AM

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May 2015
16469
FUCK YEAH READING

FUCK YEAH WITHOUT BOOKS LIFE WOULD BE A MISTAKE.

I read tons and I don't know what I'd do without. Text is my preferred mode of communication. It's so much easier to transmit ideas with it.
WEAPONS - My blog, for reviews of music, anime, books, and other things
Feb 1, 2016 5:06 AM
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May 2009
12620
According to your criteria. I would read I alot. But none of it, is for fun or enjoyment.
Feb 1, 2016 5:34 AM

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Aug 2013
1406
I read mostly e-books from local publishers. Physical books are cumbersome and financially unfeasible. Though i feel like i've been quite a dud as of late, as all i've been reading is trashy YA comedy novels with crude, offensive humors or some stupid romance novels. The more "intellectual" things like mystery or SF often feel like burden for my tired brain and so they're totally out of my read list.
Feb 1, 2016 7:06 AM

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Jan 2016
1137
i used to read a lot but not much in the past years. fucking internet, games, movies, anime, oh well.

Whoresome-Jack said:
I used to read a lot but not really anymore; I have read every worthwhile horror novel and since its the only genre that has appealed to me I'm completely lost with regards to what to read next.


could you give me a list of your top 5 or top 10 horror books? i'd really appreciate ;)
Feb 2, 2016 3:45 AM

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Jan 2014
1570
This again? Are we talking about novels (like Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code, etc...) or technical books?

Reading helps you getting more flexible with the language and it allows you to express yourself better (at least, when you write). But this by itself does not correlate with intelligence. It does not make you smarter (even though it allows someone to sound smarter despite being as dumb as a duck). It does not help you in your life and practical problem solving (I met many people who were only talk). Unless we are talking about technical books and textbooks, those are indeed very important to teach you knowledge in many fields.

Novels on the other end should be seen as entertainment just like any other (with the plus of making you more skilled in the language, as I said before). They are just stories, nothing else. Stories can teach you lots of things, but they can do that in any format, be it in book, movie or manga/anime. And if you think otherwise, it may make you look like a snob.
The writer who penned Clashing Feelings. You can buy the light novel on Amazon.
Feb 2, 2016 3:50 AM

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Jul 2013
7208
i only read books online nowadays, it's just so much more convenient.


╮ (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭

Feb 2, 2016 7:43 AM

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Feb 2014
1923
I enjoy reading, but I'm too lazy to check out new books. Hence, I've not read a single book for fun within the last 3 years.

Well, actually, I read half of The Pearl when I was in Taiwan. Somewhere around here is a list of books I want to read...
Now I see the secret of the making of the best persons.
It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.
-Walt Whitman

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
-Robert A. Heinlein
Feb 2, 2016 7:51 AM

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Mar 2014
500
last real book I read that I remember was tom mix and pancho villa by Clifford irving in that book I found out jizz wasn't actually a made up word :0 it's actually a short word for Jizzum.

The more you know.
Eat Me
Feb 2, 2016 7:52 AM

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May 2015
3235
I really enjoy reading, but between school and anime I just don't have the time to read anything right now. The last western books I read for fun were the ASOIAF series over the summer, and I kinda stopped halfway through A Dance with Dragons.

Not that school-required readings aren't all bad...I never would have discovered Lord of the Flies without my sophomore English teacher. He was the man.
Feb 2, 2016 8:20 AM

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2556
KonaKoffee4 said:
I love reading, but unfortunately I don't read as much literature as I used to since I have to read research and textbooks all the time.

The same here. I'd love to read for fun, but I have to process way too many letters for work and study. Unfortunately.
And then I end up reading some weird entertainment shit. Really, I read Warhammer 40k novels for a year or so. The only saving grace was that they were in English, but the vocabulary there is poor...
Now I am slowly working through a fantasy novel about an Inquisitor and The Face of Another by Kobo Abe. The Face of Another doesn't go too well, since yet another time I find out that the Japanese brand of literary reflection is not appealing to me.
Feb 2, 2016 1:52 PM

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Jan 2013
2120
I used to read a lot as a kid, not as much anymore. I hope to get back into it.
Feb 2, 2016 1:53 PM
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Jul 2018
564536
I am not into reading much,so I have not read a lot...but I'd like to fix that...somewhen.
Feb 2, 2016 2:09 PM
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Apr 2013
1176
Dostoevsky, Tolkien, Hoppe, Roy Campbell, and D.H. Lawrence(the person Gore Vidal more or less steals from) are some of my favourite authors.
Shoryu said:
Aureolus
Life-enhancing-body-suits are good and all, but they can't protect you against the void.
Shoryu said:
Hopefully a better quote in the near future
Become a friend of Blahkabelison, they're a female.
Feb 2, 2016 2:13 PM

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Dec 2014
4055
I love to read. I'm reading 3 different books right now.
Feb 2, 2016 2:24 PM

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Jan 2015
5242
I read more than the average person, but I'm not really a bookworm.
I have to read a lot of compulsory classic literature as well, next up is The Golden Pot by Hoffmann. I wonder how it'll turn out.

I don't have favourite authors, only preferred genres. I like historical fiction, dark fantasy, horror, thriller, crime novels and comedies in school settings. As for my favourite books, the top two are Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz and The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

I also prefer more action and less talking, monologues. Romantic stories are my death for this reason.

I'm reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, so far it's good.
Feb 2, 2016 2:25 PM

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Jan 2010
280
Reading is for nerds
Its 2016 people.
If you read you will be bullied
Feb 2, 2016 4:03 PM

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Aug 2015
21717
Not much for reading, didn't read much as a kid either.

Reading LN is the first time I picked up a book on my own time, I did enjoy them.. However it takes me a lot of motivation to sit down and read. I'd much rather watch anime or read manga.
Feb 2, 2016 5:35 PM

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Aug 2013
14394
I LOVE reading about History and not just historical events like World War 2, French Revolution etc. but also about the history of inventions, animation etc. I also like reading about current world news. I have zero interest though in reading novels and literature. Books to me are great for acquiring information but not for entertainment (storytelling) in this modern era considering it's inferior to films, tv shows in the audio visual department. At least manga, comic books / graphic novels have a visual component .
DrGeroCreationFeb 2, 2016 5:38 PM
Feb 2, 2016 5:44 PM

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Dec 2015
7388
I love reading, especially anything with imaginative worlds. Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and Alice in Wonderland are a few of my faves.
Feb 2, 2016 5:49 PM

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Jul 2015
2726
i use to read a book here and there, i read a little more frequently now.

but currently i'm reading the golden bough. and apparently in ancient Germany, you could get your intestines nailed to a standing tree and then have your intestines wrapped around it for removing some of the bark.
Feb 2, 2016 6:36 PM

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Jun 2014
1736
I love creative writing, but I don't like reading most fiction.

There are books that are very good an I immensely enjoyed, but they are rare exceptions. Most novels, even the ones considered classics fail to keep my interest.
Feb 2, 2016 11:36 PM

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Jan 2016
4316
Sehjoon said:
Reading is for nerds
Its 2016 people.
If you read you will be bullied


lol....That's a shitty reason not to read.

DrGeroCreation said:
I LOVE reading about History and not just historical events like World War 2, French Revolution etc. but also about the history of inventions, animation etc. I also like reading about current world news. I have zero interest though in reading novels and literature. Books to me are great for acquiring information but not for entertainment (storytelling) in this modern era considering it's inferior to films, tv shows in the audio visual department. At least manga, comic books / graphic novels have a visual component .


Apples and oranges.... A novel is experienced through your own imagination of the stuff you read. While visual storytelling medium is presenting you that story...

I won't say one is superior than other. They have different charms.
ethotFeb 2, 2016 11:41 PM
Feb 2, 2016 11:41 PM

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Jan 2010
280
CapitalistGod said:
Sehjoon said:
Reading is for nerds
Its 2016 people.
If you read you will be bullied


lol....That's a shitty reason not to read.


(>ლ) No it's a huuuuge reason not to read
Feb 2, 2016 11:43 PM

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Jan 2016
4316
Sehjoon said:
CapitalistGod said:


lol....That's a shitty reason not to read.


(>ლ) No it's a huuuuge reason not to read


Well, I'm not someone who do things just because others will _____ me..
I value myself so much to do that.
Feb 2, 2016 11:51 PM

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Jan 2010
280
CapitalistGod said:
Sehjoon said:


(>ლ) No it's a huuuuge reason not to read


Well, I'm not someone who do things just because others will _____ me..
I value myself so much to do that.


Let me fill in the blank.
Smack.
And that is exactly why you should not read. (>ლ)
Feb 3, 2016 12:02 AM

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Jan 2015
2979
I love French literature, my favorite book being The Count of Monte Cristo.

I've been reading a lot of random books from the philosophy section at my high-school too.

Sehjoon said:
Reading is for nerds
Its 2016 people.
If you read you will be bullied

Lol, I'm a bully and I read shit all the time. What fucking Idiots are at the top of your school?
Feb 3, 2016 12:15 AM

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Jan 2010
280
Toasty_One said:
I love French literature, my favorite book being The Count of Monte Cristo.

I've been reading a lot of random books from the philosophy section at my high-school too.

Sehjoon said:
Reading is for nerds
Its 2016 people.
If you read you will be bullied

Lol, I'm a bully and I read shit all the time. What fucking Idiots are at the top of your school?


Nope. Bullies don't read.
#Disqualified
Feb 3, 2016 12:23 AM

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Jan 2015
2979
Sehjoon said:

Nope. Bullies don't read.
#Disqualified

Brah, are you a scene kid?

I'm expecting you to rawr or something.
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