I'd like to both receive and pass on books! I think one book apiece sounds perfect to start.

English was my favorite subject in school as a young kid, but mostly because I didn't mind reading and always got an A. When I was 14, I read Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five," and overnight I found myself starving for comparable literature, bouncing with excitement at my discovery, and babbling about the book to anyone who would listen. Nothing had ever made me feel so deeply before. I felt as though Vonnegut had reached out, listened to, and understood my insecurities, questions, worries, and the burgeoning 14-year-old interest in the human condition and complex problems like war. Then he reaffirmed what I'd been feeling and commiserated with the rest, all while leaving a bitter-sweet laugh on my lips. Somehow that book made me feel like I did have a place in the universe and in humanity, that I wasn't alone, and that science fiction could be meaningful. He was my first favorite author, and I've since read nearly everything he's ever written. I even have a tattoo of the "Cat's Cradle" cover art on my back. It's my favorite Vonnegut book.

Anyway, Vonnegut sparked a true love for prose and, a few years later, a passion for poetry as well. Now I'm 21 years old and almost done with a degree in English Lit. I'm going to be a teacher, and, hopefully, I'll be able to instill some of my passion in students, and show them what books have to offer.