“A stands for apple, B stands for baby, C stands for cat” said my grandmother as she read to me my very first book. I would repeat after her with each word she said to the best of my ability for a 3 yr. old and then complain if grandma hogged the book. I couldn’t wait for my turn to read. While being just three years old, I was quite the busy body. I loved to talk, sing, dance, you name it, I assure you I feared nothing then. When first being introduced to words I could actually see on pages, I became fascinated at what would pop into my mind. My imagination ran wild! Going to my grandmas’ to read was always the highlight of my day.

When I entered elementary school I became hooked on the Junie B. Jones series! I loved all the mishaps that would happen to the little 10 year old and her sister. All the arguments and sticky situations Junie would get herself into and I believe that reading all her little witty remarks, lead to my natural instinct and love of sarcasm. In elementary school, I had always been outspoken and I was never shy, I guess Junie B. is to thank for that. After finishing that series, I went on a rant of mysteries such as the Boxcar Children and Nancy Drew. I could never figure out who the criminal was but I never stopped reading those books, regardless of how aggravated I was with each climax.

Going to middle school was another chapter of my life, if put into a book. During my 8th grade year, I am so very grateful to say that I was able to participate in such a phenomenon. This phenomenon you may ask is the ever so anticipated and so very addicting series known as The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer. Those four novels make my top 20 list, this list consists of books that you absolutely must read and they certainly never get old.

Finally to my present day and most recent novels. With ending my freshmen year, a very close friend from childhood introduced me to yet another series by such an astounding author. Her name is Francine Rivers and she wrote Redeeming Love and the series A Voice in the Wind. These 4 novels also make my list of top 20, these 4 novels are at the top of the list. I can’t even begin to describe the stories within each book, it’s something that can only be read, if explained the effect just isn’t the same.

To this day, I still have no idea what the name of that little pink book my grandmother read to me was called, but little did I know that reading those few phrases each day would cause such an urge and desire to read as it did when I was younger, as well as now. My grandmother is 80 years old and alive and well! She is the reason reading plays such a huge role in my life, it may sound cliché, but reading has made me who I am today. Reading is my passion, it always has been and always will be.