I happened to check the site this morning and noticed that the "random selection" was to the first 'real' book I can remember ever reading.
I must have been eight or so and it was a worn paperback copy of Philip Fransis Nowlan's Armageddon-2419 a.d.
If you are not familiar with the work, it is the seminal 'Buck' Rogers story. I can remember struggling through the first few chapters before something popped in my brain and I began to visualize the story. I remember excitedly telling my mother "Mom! This is great! it's like a movie in my head!"
She laughed and probably said something like "That's good dear."
But, that first science fiction book lead to a lifelong love of the genre and probably a love of science and all things space related. I can remember a few more early books like Heinlein's "Have Spacesuit - Will travel." and the like but after that, they fade somewhat. I can remember later stories but not the circumstances of reading them like that first novel. Sitting on the top of the stairwell in a sunbeam reading in wonder.
I'll have to read the story again. I re-read it a few decades ago and found it surprisingly good and predictive of many modern technologies that have come to pass.
Thanks to this site for offering it here.
https://scifistories.com/s/52/armageddon-2419-a-d
** edit **
The sequel to the story is also on this site.
https://scifistories.com/s/466/the-airlords-of-han
I think "Airlords" had the first prediction of guided missiles or drones in scifi.