The Books that Made Me a Reader

I have read many, many books, but there are only a few that I can really say have made a big impact on me as a person, or as a reader, or even as a writer.

The first author I want to mention is Tamora Pierce. I distinctly remember being eight years old, and picking up Lady Knight from the paperback section of the Bellingham Public Library's children's section. While I didn't love that book (and it's the only book of her's I've never read since), I was interested enough to pick up Alanna: The First Adventure a week later. I was suddenly in love in a way I had never been before, and have rarely been since. Tamora Pierce's books (particularly the Alanna books, but her other ones too) had characters I could identify with. These books, unlike most books written for kids my age, were interesting. They had mystery, and danger. They had romance and death. Suddenly, reading wasn't a boring chore my mom made me do each day. It was suddenly my favorite part of each day.

Before long, I had read every book Tamora Pierce had ever written, so I started over again at the beginning. This was about the point at which I starting getting braver at the library and reading other books, but it was the start of a pattern for me. That was seven years ago now, and I've read hundreds and hundreds of books, but I always go back to Alanna. I've probably read Alanna: The First Adventure, and In The Hands of The Goddess a good twenty times a piece, and the rest her books (excluding Lady Knight, which I have only read that one time) at lease seven or eight times.

Sometimes I wonder where I would be if I had never found that book that Saturday afternoon at the library. Would I still be a big reader? So much good in my life comes from reading. Would any of that exist? Because of my love of reading and the library, I have a great volunteer position in that same children's library, and I have terrific relationships with many of the librarians who work there. My love of reading has also lead to a love of writing, which has lead me to participate in NaNoWriMo twice, and eventually start this blog. Where would I be without Tamora Pierce and the Bellingham Public Library?