I love books. I always have. When I was younger, books were my escape, my education and my entertainment. They allowed me to grow and learn and to slip into places to discover parts of myself that were not defined by the outside world.

Women of our generation naturally gravitated to reading. In our formative years, there was no internet and only very minimal television. So, our need for heroes, stories, escape and fantasy were met through books.

What Were Your Favorite Childhood Books?

I was always at the library as a young woman and there were always a stack of books by my bed. I particularly remember reading almost every book in the Nancy Drew series. I can remember turning the last page of one book and then reaching for the next one.

The heroine was a young detective who took on mysterious crimes and solved them with ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness. I loved her because her life represented the qualities that I valued in my own life. She was capable, confident and brave. She was fearless.

I think that there are books that move us and impact us at a fundamental level. They inspire us and give us confidence. We go on their journey, which is, in reality, our journey.

I’d love to hear about your own experiences with reading as a child and as a young woman. Please take a few minutes to join the conversation below and “like” and share this article to keep the conversation going!

Which book, or series of childhood books, had the most impact in your life? Which character did you identify most with and what did they teach you? What one book do you think everyone should read at least once in their life? Let’s share our life changing books is the comments below.