A Love Letter to Twilight: where it all started

There are books we love.

And then there are books that change the direction of our lives.

Twilight was that book for me.

I was twelve years old when I went to watch Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1. I did not know about Twilight, or heard about it by then, I was just excited to be going out with friends without parental supervision for the first time. 

Obviously, I was completely lost.

So I leaned over and asked my friend what was going on, and she simply said, "It's a book called Twilight."  

In hindsight, that was not helpful at all, but now I am so thankful because the very next day I went to my local library and asked for Twilight. The librarian brought me book one and I got my first ever library card, which I still have. By this point I still didn’t know it was a four book series or even really much about the plot but I picked it up and could not put it down.

Before this I was a book hater. I am sorry but I wanted to be cool and fit in as most kids do. So I proudly announced my hatred for reading and my superior math skills (I thought that would make me cooler).

Secretly though, I liked reading a lot. 

Twilight changed everything and while I do think this is a book you read for a fun time rather than a literary masterpiece, it taught me many important things. Like not caring what people think about me and to be unapologetically myself, free to enjoy the things I loved. At twelve years old, those were life changing lessons to learn. 

If Twilight hadn’t found its way into my hands, I probably wouldn't have discovered the books that came after it. No Harry Potter, or Percy Jackson. No Throne of Glass. No Laly’s Book Talk. No hopes of becoming an author myself. Every favorite series, every midnight release, every bookstore trip, every friendship built over books can be traced back to that one library checkout. 

Now, over the years, I've heard every criticism imaginable about Twilight and maybe some of it is fair but I’m here to say and validate. 

Twilight is good. 

Stephanie Meyer is a great writer who makes it so easy to immerse myself in the world, picturing every street, tree and rainy green thing. I had been building up Forks in my head since I was young and having just recently visited, I can say it lived up to all my expectations. Connecting with this place that had only existed in my head made me realize that the magic continues off the page, a feeling I've been chasing ever since. 

Literary Land wasn't created because I wanted to start a business. It was created because one book reminded me that stories can change lives. I wanted to build a place where readers could find that feeling together.

So thank you, Twilight. For bringing reading into my life, for shaping my future by being part of my past. Let’s go on this journey together and bring books to life.

💜 What was the book that changed your life?

We'd love to hear your origin story. Every reader has a beginning, and we'd love if you shared yours in the comments.

~ Laly (from Laly's Book Tal)