Reading was one of the first things I learned to do. My parents were delighted and supplied me with an endless amount of books – as birthday gifts, as presents for the holidays, as rewards for good grades, or, sometimes, out of the blue simply because I was craving a new book. Excited and entirely addicted, I was very willing to accept these gifts. Picture books, with beautiful illustrations when I was very young. Chapter books, the kinds with the cheap cardboard hardcovers and fake gold lining that seemed like precious tomes to a young girl just starting to explore the world. Heavy dictionaries and encyclopedias for the growing middle-schooler with the sudden interest in world history and mythology. Soon to follow were countless library trips, each time returning with as many books as I could carry, and then some. For so many years, I’ve been reading, and gradually, I grew hooked to fantastical plots, aureate writing, and fictional characters that were deeply, painfully human.
When reading a good novel, there’s always details I want to remember. Usually I take note of the unique characters, moral themes, and all-too-real quotes that strike a chord with me. I write down my thoughts and feelings for posterity, and keep these notes as reminders of the lessons I’ve learned from the many different tales woven by authors.
When COVID-19 struck, it put months of planned volunteering, competitions, and other extracurricular activities out of commission. My high school courses were now online, and there wasn’t really anything else to do during my free time. After co-authoring Quantum Entanglement – A Scientific Breakthrough with my sister, I was once again stuck. Bored and looking for something exciting to do, I decided to publish those notes I take when reading books, like reviews. Book reviews are usually a big factor when I choose my next novel, so I figured, why not contribute to readers like myself and maybe help someone else find their next read?
Written by Ishita Jain & Kareena Jain
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