There are many books I want to read, but life is short. When I look at a book, I always think about this. As a child, I did not notice how important time was.

We cannot always say, “A good book is good at any time.” Some books are difficult if we do not have enough reading skill or experience. On the other hand, when we know too much or have too many experiences, we may not enjoy a book as much as before.

Some books have a “best time” to read them.

I finished reading Hyouka by Honobu Yonezawa.

This book is often recommended as an introduction to reading for junior high school students. A student recently told me, “You should read it.” I was interested, but I had never read it until now.

When I started reading, I noticed the simple writing style and the clear, strong characters. The conversations move quickly, almost like a manga, and the story is easy to follow.

The Classic Literature Club series has six books. Because the books are easy to read and the story continues, the series is good for building a reading habit.

But to be honest, the book felt a little light for me now. I thought, “I wish I had read this when I was in junior high school.” The author is close to my age, so this wish is impossible, but I still felt it.

If I had read it as a student, I think I would have enjoyed Houtarou’s “energy-saving” style and Chitanda’s “I’m curious!” much more. A story about small mysteries in daily life fits well with the sensitivity of that age.

Maybe I have become too much of an adult.

Now I want more “necessity” and “weight” in a story. I prefer other books by Yonezawa, like The King and the Circus or Mangan, which show the darker side of people and the heaviness of their choices.

Hyouka is a very good book for beginning readers. It is easy to read, the characters are charming, and the mysteries gently stimulate curiosity. If I had read it in junior high school, it might have guided me toward a richer reading life.

I closed the book. The cover made me remember my school days, when “the world” meant almost only school.

I looked at the cover for a while and imagined how I would have felt if I had read this book back then.