My bookshelf combines several transcendent young adult series, but also many literary classics, all of which were monumental in my development as a reader. I will never forget checking out Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in my elementary school library. From the moment I opened the page, I was obsessed with the whimsical, strange world that was the Harry Potter universe. After completing the first book, I made my mom take me to the bookstore to look at the rest of the series. While my mom was always somewhat strict about allowing my sister and me to buy things on a whim at a store, books were never off-limits. My momma is to be thanked for my craze for buying books. From there, every time I completed one of the books, I would drag my mom and sister to the bookstore again to purchase the next book in the series. Once I had finished the monstrously large collection, I was convinced I could read anything.
In the sixth grade, it was my class’s turn to make a trip to the library to look at the books in the book fair. I took my time browsing up and down the aisles trying to find the perfect one to take home with me. I passed a small table and looked down to find Suzanne Collins’s novel The Hunger Games. I had heard my classmates talking about the book in homeroom. Nobody seemed to have a negative comment about it, easy to say, I had been influenced. I grabbed a copy and made my way to the checkout. Similarly to the Harry Potter series, the moment I opened the book I wasn’t able to put it down. Every chance I had I was reading. Whether it was on the bus, at the lunch table, or in class, The Hunger Games seemed to follow me everywhere. I was inspired by the novel’s strong female protagonist, Katniss. Her determination and the love she had for her family gave me the courage to wager my own battles through the anxious hallways of middle school.
As I grew up, so did my reading interest and bookshelf. Senior year of high school, my English course was assigned Lord of the Flies. I remember thinking, “What a strange title for a book”. Little did I know that this specific novel would hold memories of my some of first in-depth discussions regarding literature. I was astounded by my teacher and fellow classmate’s commentary. Years later, I still catch myself thinking about the novel and that English class.
While it is almost impossible to pick a favorite novel, there are two that stick out to me, those being The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Both are equally heartbreaking in their own way, which seems to be part of the main criteria when I am evaluating favorites. One thing that all these books have in common is their impact. Every one of them molded me into the reader and person I am today. With every word I read, I gain more self-assurance in my love of literature and the possibility of achieving my dreams. To one day publish my own book and perhaps, if I am lucky, will be able to impact someone like all these books have done for me.
Katherine Carroll is a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee, where she received her bachelor’s degree in English Literature. She has a particularly deep appreciation for Irish literature and works that involve whimsical, lyrical, and natural aspects. In her free time she enjoys going for walks, cooking new recipes, and watching anything related to beauty and skincare.
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