How I Became a Bookworm

If you are reading this, that means you are on my book blog, so it should come as no surprise that I am a huge lover of all things books and reading. But how did I get here?

I've had books for as long as I can remember. I grew up with a two-shelf white bookcase next to my bed that was filled with books. My parents are also massive readers and passed their love of reading on to my sister and I. We had bedtime stories every night, trips to the library, and dad (hardly? ever?) said no to a new book from Barnes & Noble. Looking back on it, it's hard to identify what it was about books and reading that was so captivating. It was just something we did. Some favorites from childhood were Dinner at the Panda Palace by Stephanie Calmenson, any Franklin book (because who doesn't love Franklin?), and all of the Arthur books. 

When I was in elementary school, the library began hosting "reading challenges" where you earned a ribbon for every 5 books you read. You could then earn a MEDAL for reading 50 books. Needless to say, I was very motivated by ribbons and a medal, and flew through books. Even if there was an incentive to keep reading, these challenges really did the trick to get me hooked.

Then, as I'm sure many people can relate, I entered middle and high school where there was mandated summer reading and a curriculum that required some less exciting reading to be done. This dampened my enthusiasm for books for a while. I didn't like being told what to read or feeling like I had to rush to meet a deadline. Spoiler: I still read the books but there was little enjoyment 😄

My current passion for literature really ignited in adulthood. I started reading fiction books during college to take breaks from coursework, and would just lose myself in the stories. I then discovered various reading clubs, blogs, and resources online, such as Reese's Book Club, Book of the Month, GoodReads, and bookstagrams. These opened my eyes various genres and authors that I never would have tried before, and showed me how much fun the literary community is. 

So, here we are! The love of reading has been a lifelong love story, and I am so excited to continue writing it forever.