Part 1: How I Became That Bookish Girl– A Personal Introduction
- M
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
Dearest gentle reader,
I thought we could start by getting to know each other. My name is M., and I am a Nigerian, currently living in Boston, MA, for school. I have a background in engineering, with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from UMass Boston, and I’m getting a master’s degree in Wireless and Network Engineering at Northeastern. Yes, I’m one of those people in tech! I'm always happy to talk your ear off about the latest things I've learned or how various technologies work. If you want to know the differences between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, or what 5G and 4G mean, and what happens when you perform a Google search—I’m your girl!
But as much as I love technology, I’m most excited to share my reading journey with you. Reading has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember, and I’m so excited to share my journey with you. From my early encounters with books to my current love for romance novels, here’s a glimpse into my literary life.
Early Reading Experiences
How did I first get into reading?
I don’t ever remember a time when I wasn’t reading. Growing up, I would always read a book before bed, devouring anything I could get my hands on. Having an older sister who was also big on reading made it easier for me to get into books—there were so many hand-me-downs! My family nurtured my love for reading further by not only getting me books they knew I’d enjoy but also making sure to include classics I wouldn’t normally check out.
I remember one time an uncle found out I loved reading and asked if I had read any Shakespeare. When he realized I hadn’t, he brought me a whole kid-level collection of classic books. And let me tell you—I ate them up!
What were some of my favorite books when I was younger?
All the Disney classics, every Jacqueline Wilson book I could find (I read almost all of them and would still reread them), Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers, anything John Green—I was there! The Fault in Our Stars had (and still has) a chokehold on me. I loved it so much and can still quote so many lines from it! “I fell in love with you the way you fall asleep, slowly then all at once.” The obsession was so real that, for years after reading it, I refused to text people “Okay” because it meant too much to me. If you know, you know!
There are so many books I could mention, each tied to a special memory: from Twilight, Divergent, Geek Girl, Heist Society, Beautiful Creatures. And, of course, The Selection! That was one of the first series I actively tracked release dates for. Before that, I was too young to care—I would just read whatever was available. The Selection introduced me to the cycle of reading a book, loving it, obsessing over the characters, and anxiously awaiting the next installment. Yeah, that was the start of my bookish era, and I have no regrets!
I read everything—YA, fantasy, comics, some classics like Little Women, history books, Islamic books, and even school-assigned readings (which I actually enjoyed).
Growing Up with Books
How have my reading tastes evolved?
I think I’ve become less adventurous with my reading—I only read romance novels now. I’ll go deeper into why in another post, but I love the ease of it. It’s stress-free, fun, and even if it’s cliché and predictable, I get to swoon, giggle, and just enjoy the ride without thinking too hard. That said, I do want to get back into fantasy!
Did I ever struggle to maintain my reading habit?
Honestly, no. I’ve always been a reader —it’s just part of my life. People talk about reading slumps, but I’ve never related. I think it’s because I’m so in tune with my reading taste—I’m a mood reader, so I only pick up books I know I’ll enjoy. That way, I never get bored or force myself through books that aren’t working for me.
I’ve also always had a very active imagination, which made playing as a child so much fun (though not so great for overthinking). But when it came to reading? It made books even more immersive—I don’t just read, I see everything like a movie in my head. That’s why reading never gets old for me.
Were there times when I struggled to find time to read?
Also never an issue. I’ll always pick reading over almost anything else, often at the expense of my other hobbies. The biggest challenge has been how expensive it can get! Growing up, there were only so many new books I could get at a time, so I relied on my school library, book swaps with friends, and then, of course, Wattpad came along and e-books changed the game! 😭
What’s Next
Part 2: My Reading Journey – Where I Am Now (Coming Soon!)
This will cover:
What genres I read now
My favorite tropes, authors, and books
How reading has impacted my life
My future reading goals
I’d love to hear about your own reading journey! What were some of your favorite childhood books? Have your reading tastes changed over time? Let’s chat in the comments!
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