My third-grade teacher read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe aloud during class. I was transfixed. I devoured the rest of the series before fourth grade and my fourth-grade teacher gave me her personal copy of The Hobbit. As soon as I was done, she had to convince my mother to let me get an adult library card so I could check out the rest of the series. Nothing could stop me.
May the gods eternally bless Miss Howard and Miss Johnson for their wisdom and generosity.
In 2013, I went on a date with a guy who told me his favorite book of all time was The Art of the Deal. He went on and on about what a work of genius it was and how it had changed his whole philosophy of business and made him a success. I went so far as to read it before I understood what an absolute loser he was. Lesson learned.