Pagebound has really got me thinking about my reading journey, especially my childhood. This has really made me explore the people who turned me into a lifelong reader. I had a childhood filled with chaos and, for long stretches of time, poverty. Books were really not a part of my life until third grade. Then I had a teacher who, for reasons only she knew, took me under her wing. Not just encouraging me to read more but actively helping me to do it.

Every month, when she handed out the Scholastic Book orders to the class to take home so their parents could buy them, she would see me tear through them and circle things, but I never ordered anything. We simply did not have the money. Then, during the December break, she took me to the school library and helped me check out a bunch of books. She told me that if I read them, came back, and told her what they were about, she would let me pick a book from the book order.

I did not pass up that opportunity. I read them all, and true to her word, she let me pick a book. I can't tell you how much joy owning my very own book that I had chosen brought me. This became our ritual for the rest of the year. She would pick some books. I would read them, and then she would buy me a book. She also started buying Dynamite Magazine for me because she saw I circled it every month, but I never picked it up because I didn't want to waste a book pick.

It taught me how to use the library. It helped to form me as a reader. It fueled my addiction to reading and owning books. Every job I had in my childhood, from delivering newspapers to mowing lawns, was money to buy books. She changed my life.

I would love to hear if you had any childhood mentors who helped to fuel your lifelong passion for reading.

Today's question brought to you by my possibly slightly questionable brain chemistry...

Have you ever been reading the description of a character in a book or reading a graphic novel and realised, wait that looks like...?

This happened to me yesterday while reading Afterglow by Wagimoko Wagase. One of the main characters, Tenju, was seriously reminding me of Masato Hayakawa, the frontman for Coldrain. I was struggling...

This is absolutely not the first time this has happened to me.

Happy Friday, fellow fiction fans!

Drop the first line or two of the book you're currently reading, and let fellow Boundlings try to guess the title and author. If no one gets it by the end of the day, come back and reveal the answer!

A few friendly guidelines: • Keep it to the first line or two only (no spoilers!) • Don’t include the title or author right away • Feel free to add a hint later if people get stuck

Hello everyone! A big obsession of mine is Pokémon! and I wanted to play a game where I match you up with a Pokémon based on your reads! 📚

I will compile your chosen Pokémon in the comments for you based on your answers 🐈💐

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♡ The Rating of Your Latest Read = Your Pokédex Number Range

• ☆☆☆☆☆ = #0001 - #0170 • ★☆☆☆☆ = #0171 - #0341 • ★★☆☆☆ = #0342 - #0512 • ★★★☆☆ = #0513 - #0683 • ★★★★☆ = #0684 - #0854 • ★★★★★ = #0855 - #1025

♡ The (Closest) Genre of Your Current or Latest Read = Your Pokémon Type

• Classic = Water or Normal • Crime = Steel or Poison • Fantasy = Fairy or Dragon • Historic = Ice or Ground • Horror = Ghost or Bug • Lit Fic/General Fic = Grass or Flying • Non-Fiction = Normal or Water • Romance = Fire or Electric • Sci fi = Electric or Dark • Speculative Fic/Magic Realism = Psychic or Fairy • Thriller = Rock or Fighting

♡ The Colour(s) of The Cover of Your Most Recent or Current Read = A colour/colours that must be featured on your pokémon !

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Mines would be #0513-#0683, Fairy or Dragon & colours include Black, Red and Blue (The Raven Boys). So I got: #0633 Deino

Eid Mubarak everyone! May Allah SWT accept our fasts and worship.

Sad Ramadan is over but also looking forward to getting back into reading InshaAllah