My favorite place to be is between the pages of a book, reading about the world an author created to pull others out of their own.
I’ve been reading my whole life, but I remember the first time I really fell in love with books. In fifth grade I started the “Land of Stories” series by Chris Colfer and read all six of them in a blink of an eye. The fantasy genre is where it all began. I read tons of fantasy books until it slowly shifted into mystery. I read all the “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” books, written by Holly Jackson, and even read the novella that was published after the series fully came out. Throughout middle school I began to figure out the kinds of books I enjoyed reading. After fantasy I tried mystery. After that I tried romance. After romance I tried dystopian.
My collection was small at first. The six books soon turned 20. 20 soon became over 100. My small stack of books turned into two floor-to-ceiling shelves that I’ve somehow managed to squeeze all the books onto. Although I may own plenty of books, there are thousands I don’t even know about quite yet.
The one book I continue to come back to is “Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli. I read the book towards the end of middle school, and I could not recommend it more than I already have. The book explores the ideas of being different than the others around you. It shows how it’s okay to be yourself around new people, not to change just because others want you to.
When some people ask why I read so much, I can’t help but wonder why they don’t. I think everyone would love to read if they just found the right book. There is a genre for everyone. There is a book that has been written that someone will love; they just have to find it. It’s never too late to fall in love with reading. It’s never too late to explore the worlds between the pages of a book.
