Reading

Between sports and books, I’ll admit that I lean more on the latter. I have been reading in earnest since I was 12 years old. I began to take an interest in the quarterly books our Language subject would require. One of my favorites is the book to was introduced to us in Grade 6, “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott.

My interests also progressed from Wattpad books, the Dork Diaries series, and eventually YA novels such as The Selection series by Kiera Cass, Legend series by Marie Lu, and the Divergent series by Veronica Roth (I clearly remember borrowing my classmate’s books during English Month more than 4 years ago). Once I became a teenager, I also began liking classical novels as well, such as Heidi by Johanna Spyri, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Historical fiction novels, such as The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry are included in my mini library.

What caused an impact to me the most, however, is the Harry Potter series. Before, I did not understand the hype about it. I was just a few months old when the movie series started (I wasn’t even born yet when the first book came out!), and 10 when it ended. However, over the summer before Grade 8 I began reading about the characters in wikis, and this sparked my liking to the series. I was 14 when I began reading the books. I remember finishing the series, from Philosopher’s Stone to Deathly Hallows, in the span of 1-2 months. What endeared me to the series are the facts that the characters have realistic flaws (Harry’s impulsiveness, Ron’s moments that stemmed from anger or jealousy, and even Hermione can be a straight-up know-it-all) and that we readers are able to see them grow up and undergo a huge character development. It’s as if we have watched Harry, Ron, and Hermione throughout the years, from innocent 11 year olds new to the school of Hogwarts, to 17-18 year olds that have gone through so much in the time of war.

Reading helps me immerse in the worlds of the characters, and it widens my imagination as well.