Multi-media Memoir

I remember being a very voracious reader as a child. I gobbled up chapter books like they were going out of style. Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, The Babysitter’s Club, and Ursula Le Guin’s Catwings series were only some of my favorite reads by the time I reached 5^th grade. I was moved in first grade to a different class because my reading level was so high. Unfortunately, that class already had two other Alyssa’s, so my teacher had her work cut out for her. I remember reading alone and with friends during class and afterwards, at the after-school club held at the school. I had an affinity for fantasy at an early age, which has held true into adulthood. By the time I reached middle school, I was getting into the Artemis Fowl and the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series while continuing with Harry Potter. The witty and often dry English humor of Georgia Nicolson just killed me (in the best way) and the series kept me entertained well into high school.

             I think I’ve always loved the library. When I was very little, my parents would take my sister and I to the local library to pick out books and participate in programs like Summer Read. I absolutely loved turning in my reading log and receiving a prize. I also had a designated reading nook on a window seat overlooking the river, which was easily the best spot to sit in the entire library. During middle school, I volunteered during study hall and sometimes lunch time in the school library as a page, shelving materials. I did well enough in school that I didn’t need my study hall and would have rather spent my time more constructively in my favorite place. I built up a great report with the librarian, who still remembered me when I interned at the school a few years ago. I enjoyed my time there and relished learning about library procedures and menial tasks like shelving and repair. I should have realized then what that meant for my future, but I didn’t think anything of it. Thinking back on this now, I might have made alternative career decisions if I realized how much I loved it.

               Unfortunately, later in high school and during my first few years of college, I fell out of reading and can’t remember a whole lot during that time period. I read more for school and course work, either not having enough time to read for leisure or not being interested in spending my time that way. At this point in my life, I can’t imagine what 17-year-old me was thinking, but I think we can all say that to some degree. I vaguely remember tackling The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series (because I was obsessed with the movies) and attempted The Silmarillion three times, to no avail. I would love to revisit those books now because I feel like I would appreciate them more as an adult, not to mention I would probably do even better at Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit than I did when I was 16.

               The only constant in my reading life seems to be Harry Potter. It’s not enough to say it’s my favorite series, children’s or otherwise. It’s more of a lifestyle for people who share my passion for this series. I know that if I asked some of you what house you’re in or what your Patronus is, you’d be able to answer immediately without hesitation. The world just comes alive for you and you accept it as a part of you, no matter how old you are. Now that they’re delving into the world of Newt Scamander, we get to continue the journey J. K. Rowling set us on 20 years ago (yes, it’s been that long). There’s really nothing else that compares to this series and I don’t think anything ever will. I just recently re-read the whole series for the first time since reading them originally and it brought all the old feelings back, as I anticipated.

              Now I read a lot of young adult literature, mainly fantasy. I hopped on the dystopian trend back when it was more popular, but have since fell out of love with it. I think The Hunger Games set a pretty high standard to meet, to be honest. My favorite authors include Sarah J. Maas, Cassandra Clare, and Victoria Schwab. The Mortal Instruments series (along with all the accompanying prequel and sequel series) by Clare, the Shades of Magic series by Schwab, as well as the Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Maas are the only ones for which I will eagerly wait for the next installment. Sarah J. Maas is a genius and her writing is absolutely amazing. Her strength is in her character development; her side characters are sometimes more interesting than her main characters and the relationships she crafts out of nothing are incredibly intricate. I’m at the point where I will read anything she puts out. Cassandra Clare is a different kind of genius, providing her readers with world extensions galore. The variety of time periods, characters and conflicts you can read about is staggering. Her newest book just came out today, so I’m probably going to stalk outside my front door for the UPS man until it gets here. Victoria Schwab’s writing is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever read. Not to mention her covers are STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS by all accounts. The Shades of Magic series just concluded and to say I was gutted at the conclusion would have been an understatement. She knows how to reel you in and destroy your feelings, in the best way. I could go on and on about these books, not to mention others, so I’ll quit while I’m ahead. I’m just glad I realized my mistake in not reading at all and rectified it while there are still terrific books to be had.