The One Book That Changes Everything
As a child, I always found joy in reading. Fond memories flood my mind of losing myself in the captivating tales of the Magic Tree House and A Series of Unfortunate Events during my elementary school years. Transitioning to middle school, I eagerly waited for my turn in the school library to get my hands on the newest book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Reading was a constant companion throughout my childhood, until I entered high school.
I’m not exactly sure why, but my interest in reading dropped when I was in high school. Instead of finding joy in reading, I found it to be a chore and avoided it all costs. While I participated in the required reading for novel studies and read the textbook when I had to, the joy and enthusiasm I once felt for immersing myself in stories seemed to evaporate. Unlike in elementary and middle school, where teachers encouraged reading for pleasure, high school seemed to prioritize academics over personal enjoyment. Gradually, the memories of losing myself in the pages of a captivating book faded into the background of my mind, overshadowed by the demands and pressures of staying caught up on assignments.

A year after I graduated, I was on the phone with my older sister, Emily, when she recommended a book to me; Circe by Madeline Miller. Initially I wasn’t interested; I haven’t read for fun in years, and I doubted I would be able to read an entire book. She was persistent though, and her excitement and passion about the story eventually wore me down. I purchased the book at Indigo, and went home to read it. I spent the next few days on the porch swing outside, sitting on the couch, and laying in bed- absolutely and completely lost in the book. I called Emily the second I finished, excited to discuss the story and share my thoughts with her. She was equally as excited to talk about Circe; we chatted for awhile before she said “If you liked that one, you should check out her other book- The Song of Achilles.” It didn’t take any convincing this time. I went back to the store, purchased the book, and went home to start reading.
I sit at home, 7 years later, looking at my bookshelf filled with my favourite stories. More than half of the books I own were recommended by Emily. It doesn’t seem like much, talking about books over a phone call, but these conversations about reading brought me back to one of the things I love most in life. I realize now that I never lost my love for reading, I just forgot about it. Emily helped me remember. As I move forward in life, I hope to be the Emily in my students’ lives. I want to be the person my students are excited to talk to about their favourite books, and the person they trust to recommend new things to read. This book changed everything for me.
