As a young child, all I cared about was doing as I was told, staying out of trouble, and watching Disney Channel. Whenever I was home my eyes were glued to the television screen hoping that they were going to play one of the Disney princess movies I was so fond of.

Books were boring, unnecessary, and a waste of space. Why would I read when I can see a story play out on the screen?

It was not until my 5th-grade teacher introduced me to seeing books in a new light. She spoke about how books were always better than the movie version. That in order to truly experience a story you must immerse yourself in the pages of its book.

The first book she recommended to me was Twilight by, Stephanie Meyer. I decided to ask my Godmother to take me to the Borders in the mall so I could ‘Take a look around’. She took me and I walked around and stopped in front of the display table that held Twilight. I held it in my hands and asked my Godmother if I could purchase it and she consented.

I read the first two pages and set it down. It felt boring. I didn’t understand why I was so compelled to have the book in the first place.

The next day, I opened up Twilight once again. ‘I must give this book a chance.’ I thought. I started turning page after page till I was lost in it. For the first time in my life, I felt love for a book. For the first time, I gave myself to a story completely. For the first time, I fell in love with a vampire.

From then on I got in trouble for reading too much in class. I read prolifically without stopping. I was a monster.

Twilight was a gateway drug into a world of infinite possibilities. I found my joy in it. I became a bibliophile.