At 35, I can trace the chapters of my life not just through birthdays and milestones, but through the books stacked on my nightstand. Each season carried its own obsessions, from Scholastic book fair treasures to well-worn classics to the fantasy worlds I escape into now.
Ages 0–5: Picture Book Beginnings
Before I could read on my own, my world was shaped by bedtime stories. Goodnight Moon,The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Where the Wild Things Are stitched together my earliest memories of wonder and comfort. They were proof that books could be safe places, long before I could spell my own name.
Ages 6–10: Ramona Quimby, Roald Dahl & Dear America
Elementary school shelves overflowed with imagination. Ramona Quimby mirrored my own messy kid world—siblings, school drama, and big feelings. Roald Dahl (Matilda, The BFG) showed me that children could outsmart adults, and that stories could be just as weird as they were wonderful. And the Dear America and Royal Diaries series whispered history to me in the most personal way—through “secret” diaries of girls who lived through extraordinary times.
Ages 10–11: Anne of Green Gables
Somewhere around this age, I met Anne Shirley, the red-headed heroine who taught me about imagination, independence, and the power of a “bosom friend.” Anne of Green Gables made me believe in kindred spirits and the beauty of growing into yourself—even when the world doesn’t quite know what to do with you.
Ages 11–13: Harry Potter & A Series of Unfortunate Events
Middle school was peak fandom. Harry Potter gave me magic, midnight book releases, and a community of readers who spoke fluent house pride. Meanwhile, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events made me fall in love with dark humor and the idea that children could survive anything—even the absurd cruelties of adults.
Ages 13–15: The Clique Series & Gossip Girl
Teen years were defined by status, style, and secrets. The Clique introduced us to middle school’s brand-name hierarchy, while Gossip Girl pulled us into New York’s glittering scandals. They were catty, addictive, and eerily familiar to the real-life social politics of growing up.
Ages 16–21: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants & Twilight
Late teens and early adulthood were about love and belonging. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants made me believe friendships could survive distance, while Twilight became the unavoidable cultural phenomenon—whether you loved it, hated it, or secretly obsessed over it. These books captured the intensity of first loves and the safety of chosen family.
Ages 22–25: The Classics Phase
College and early adulthood brought me to the canon—this was my “serious literature” era. Pride and Prejudice,Jane Eyre,Wuthering Heights,The Great Gatsby—they weren’t just assignments, they became frameworks for how I thought about love, ambition, identity, and legacy. This was when books began to feel like conversation partners, not just entertainment.
Ages 26–35: Book Clubs, Big Lists & Romantasy Escapes
Adulthood reading became expansive. I started working my way through 1000 Books to Read Before You Die, dipped into book club favorites that kept me socially tethered, and every now and then returned to the classics like Austen or Fitzgerald for the comfort of timeless voices. But my biggest recent obsession? Romantasy. These fantasy-romance hybrids (ACOTAR,Fourth Wing) give me the best of both worlds: sweeping worldbuilding and swoony, impossible love. They remind me that even now, books can feel just as urgent, escapist, and all-consuming as they did when I was twelve.
Looking back, every decade has its own library. Some books shaped my imagination, others my identity, and some just kept me company when I needed them most. The magic of reading is that the story doesn’t end—you just keep turning the page into a new chapter of life.
Another chapter awaits,
Jacqueline Bond
