Books that kickstarted my interest in reading
As an avid reader, reading has always been my favorite hobby. It serves as a magical escape in my otherwise chaotic world. However, I would never be immersed in this activity if it were not for a bunch of books that dragged me to be a huge fan. When I first began my reading journey way back in primary school, there were a lot of fun books I’ve read – they were so exciting to read that they ultimately made me want to digest more. Here is the list of the aforesaid books that booted up my fascination in reading!
Books that kickstarted my interest in reading
Fairy tale books
I mean, who wouldn’t be enthralled by fairy tales? As a kid, fairy tales were my most favorite things to read. Aside from them being easy to swallow and having straightforward messages, they had the most colorful worlds and characters. They expanded my imagination and had me indulge in a world that I’ve never known before. It made me feel as though I was dreaming, except I was awake! My most favorite fairy tale was Cinderella.
I also loved fairy tales, as in actual tales of fairies. I was enamored by them – their wings, their magic, and their impishly quirky behaviors. A particular book that made a huge impact to me was Shirly Barber’s Fairy Stories. It is a compilation of the author’s tales which revolved around magic and fairies. There were unicorns, portals to another dimension, bad wizards, and fairies from different kingdoms. I remember repeatedly flipping through the pages even if I didn’t know how to read yet.
Geronimo Stilton series
I was in third grade when I first discovered the Geronimo Stilton series. I fell in love with it at first sight! It followed the story of a journalist rodent across all of his adventures.
What made this book incredibly loveable to my juvenile mind was its graphics and the fun changing polychromatic fonts it used. I was quickly drawn to it because of it being very easy to the eye, and the photos made it seem like I was watching a television. I can recall that discovering Geronimo Stilton was the first time that reading made me feel that marvelous, and I loved it. It also expanded my vocabulary and had me engaged in writing, too. I made my silly little versions of G. Stilton back then.
Dork Diaries
Even though I wasn’t as big in Dork Diaries as I was in G. Stilton, it’s still a commendable series worth the mention. Dork Diaries was about the “humorous and dramatic life of Nikki Maxwell.”
Just like Geronimo, it featured enticing graphics and a diary-like format, so the story of a teenage girl was fairly easy to follow. Dork Diaries is essentially the girl version of the Dairy of a Wimpy Kid, but I didn’t read the latter as I couldn’t relate to it as much as I did with Dork Diaries. It’s a perfect read especially for pre-teens getting ahold of their identities for the very first time.
Percy Jackson series
Relative to the other examples, Percy Jackson didn’t feature as much graphics as the rest, but boy was it rich in adventure and mythology! The Percy Jackson series was mostly about Greek mythology, but incorporated with elements of the real world.
Percy was about the same age as me, if not a little older, when I first discovered this, so it was a relatable pick. The author, Rick Riordan, wrote it in a way that it was exhilarating and informative at the same time. It was the most riveting book series I’ve ever had the chance to experience.
Dystopian series (Divergent, I Am Number Four)’
Lastly, I was a huge fan of dystopian series. What I loved about this was how quick the plot would escalate and thicken. Likewise, I read in an astoundingly roused manner – it was like the words just lifted off the pages and created a movie in my head. I was also fond of the angsty themes featured, which was my first time reading about, after years of exposure on more lighthearted plots. Nonetheless, I loved them.
I also liked how they fought and stood against what was evil and wrong, which was the government, as the case in most dystopian genres. Perhaps it was a foreshadowing of my activist side when I grow older?
Kidding aside, I was addicted to dystopian series; this was probably my peak when it comes to my reading journey, so they are the most note-worthy part of this list.
There are still a lot of books that reeled me in, but these are my most honorable mentions. If you are only at the early phase of your reading journey, perhaps you could check out some of these examples and try them if they’re going to leave you hooked, too.
What are your most favorite books? We would love to hear from you!
