Allison Symes's Blog - Posts Tagged "libraries"
Reading Debts
Do you remember how you developed a love of reading?
I remember being read to regularly when I was a child and my late mother taught me to read before I started school back in the 1970s. She was told off for doing it too. Apparently she’d done it the wrong way! (These days I think she’d be given a medal!).
Not that I felt anything was amiss. I owe Mum a huge debt for giving me a love of books and stories and I’m sure she’d be pleased with the end results for yours truly.
I also spent a lot of time in local libraries in my teenage years. They were a great place to go for someone who loves books, who didn’t have any money, and it was a great way to explore genres and authors which were not represented on the book shelves at home.
Mind you, that was a tough call. Mum had almost everything on her shelves from science fiction (H.G.Wells) to thrillers (Ian Fleming) to classic (Dickens and Shakespeare).
Her one blind spot was humorous prose. It completely bypassed her so on my shelves are works by Terry Pratchett and P.G. Wodehouse. It was a kind of joke amongst us that Mum would read Terry Brooks (The Shannara series) while I’d read Terry Pratchett (Discworld)!
The best way of repaying any reading debt is, of course, to read and keep reading! So on that note…
I remember being read to regularly when I was a child and my late mother taught me to read before I started school back in the 1970s. She was told off for doing it too. Apparently she’d done it the wrong way! (These days I think she’d be given a medal!).
Not that I felt anything was amiss. I owe Mum a huge debt for giving me a love of books and stories and I’m sure she’d be pleased with the end results for yours truly.
I also spent a lot of time in local libraries in my teenage years. They were a great place to go for someone who loves books, who didn’t have any money, and it was a great way to explore genres and authors which were not represented on the book shelves at home.
Mind you, that was a tough call. Mum had almost everything on her shelves from science fiction (H.G.Wells) to thrillers (Ian Fleming) to classic (Dickens and Shakespeare).
Her one blind spot was humorous prose. It completely bypassed her so on my shelves are works by Terry Pratchett and P.G. Wodehouse. It was a kind of joke amongst us that Mum would read Terry Brooks (The Shannara series) while I’d read Terry Pratchett (Discworld)!
The best way of repaying any reading debt is, of course, to read and keep reading! So on that note…
Why Books Are Special To Me
I could write chapter and verse on this week’s topic, appropriately enough. So where to start on why books are special to me?
My love of books and stories comes from my late mother who encouraged my love of reading and taught me to read before I started school.
Books were regularly given as presents. I would often buy books with pocket money and money gifts sent by my relatives for Christmas etc. I went to the library a lot.
Best of all, Mum had a lovely collection of books herself, which I now have. And I so wanted to have a collection of my own (which I have).
As well as being read to as a child, which is so important, I saw Mum read for pleasure herself more often than I could say. It sent the unspoken message that this was definitely an okay thing to do - and it is!
Then there are the books with particular meaning. I treasure the Bibles given to me by my late parents and the one given to me by my son.
I love The Reader’s Digest of Classic Fairytales two volume set. I spent hours reading those and loving the beautiful illustrations. I remember the shock I first had on reading The Little Mermaid in here and discovering fairytales didn’t always have happy ever after endings.
I identified with the way The Ugly Duckling felt and cheered when all did work out well in the end. (You know full well as a kid it doesn’t always work that way in life, You know it even more as an adult).
I treasure my paperback of The Lord of The Rings and my copy of Pride and Prejudice.
For me, there is absolutely nothing about a book to dislike.
I like my paperbacks, my hardbacks, my audio and ebooks. The format doesn’t matter.
The fact it is a book does!
Happy reading!
My love of books and stories comes from my late mother who encouraged my love of reading and taught me to read before I started school.
Books were regularly given as presents. I would often buy books with pocket money and money gifts sent by my relatives for Christmas etc. I went to the library a lot.
Best of all, Mum had a lovely collection of books herself, which I now have. And I so wanted to have a collection of my own (which I have).
As well as being read to as a child, which is so important, I saw Mum read for pleasure herself more often than I could say. It sent the unspoken message that this was definitely an okay thing to do - and it is!
Then there are the books with particular meaning. I treasure the Bibles given to me by my late parents and the one given to me by my son.
I love The Reader’s Digest of Classic Fairytales two volume set. I spent hours reading those and loving the beautiful illustrations. I remember the shock I first had on reading The Little Mermaid in here and discovering fairytales didn’t always have happy ever after endings.
I identified with the way The Ugly Duckling felt and cheered when all did work out well in the end. (You know full well as a kid it doesn’t always work that way in life, You know it even more as an adult).
I treasure my paperback of The Lord of The Rings and my copy of Pride and Prejudice.
For me, there is absolutely nothing about a book to dislike.
I like my paperbacks, my hardbacks, my audio and ebooks. The format doesn’t matter.
The fact it is a book does!
Happy reading!
Libraries Acrostic
L = Love your library - they’re wonderful places to explore books.
I = Imagination stretching happens right here as you explore books you might not buy/read otherwise.
B = Books, great and small; books for all.
R = Reading is encouraged and cheered on here.
A = An amazing range of book types can be found in your library - check them out.
R = Read in and out of your genre if you’re a writer; it’s not a bad idea for non-writers either!
I = Inspect sections of the library new to you and don’t forget the wonderful world of non-fiction.
E = Entertainment and education - all to be found here.
S = Support your local authors if they’re having events in the library, many do.
I = Imagination stretching happens right here as you explore books you might not buy/read otherwise.
B = Books, great and small; books for all.
R = Reading is encouraged and cheered on here.
A = An amazing range of book types can be found in your library - check them out.
R = Read in and out of your genre if you’re a writer; it’s not a bad idea for non-writers either!
I = Inspect sections of the library new to you and don’t forget the wonderful world of non-fiction.
E = Entertainment and education - all to be found here.
S = Support your local authors if they’re having events in the library, many do.
Books For Life Acrostic
B = Brilliant “device” for education and entertainment.
O = Original stories coming out all the time plus the classics to enjoy.
O = Other formats suit the book too - ebook, audio, hardback, paperback - something for all.
K = Kindle reading has led me to finding authors new to me and I often go on to buy their paperbacks later.
S = Stories, single or series, set in all worlds and this one - what’s not to like about that?
F = Fairytales, fantasy, and flash fiction - these are three of my favourite book things to misquote The Sound of Music.
O= Originality in the sharing of non-fiction has led to creative non-fiction, which I adore.
R = Reviews - I give them and, like all authors, would like some for my works - reviews do help authors.
L = Libraries are fantastic and encourage a life long love of reading.
I = Imagination fired and not just for fiction - what ideas from the past, as shared in books, have led to new inventions or developments?
F = Frankly, my dear, I think the book is one of humanity’s best inventions to misquote Gone With The Wind.
E = Enjoy your books and I think it is no coincidence some of the best films are based on books (because it has been proven the stories already work!).
O = Original stories coming out all the time plus the classics to enjoy.
O = Other formats suit the book too - ebook, audio, hardback, paperback - something for all.
K = Kindle reading has led me to finding authors new to me and I often go on to buy their paperbacks later.
S = Stories, single or series, set in all worlds and this one - what’s not to like about that?
F = Fairytales, fantasy, and flash fiction - these are three of my favourite book things to misquote The Sound of Music.
O= Originality in the sharing of non-fiction has led to creative non-fiction, which I adore.
R = Reviews - I give them and, like all authors, would like some for my works - reviews do help authors.
L = Libraries are fantastic and encourage a life long love of reading.
I = Imagination fired and not just for fiction - what ideas from the past, as shared in books, have led to new inventions or developments?
F = Frankly, my dear, I think the book is one of humanity’s best inventions to misquote Gone With The Wind.
E = Enjoy your books and I think it is no coincidence some of the best films are based on books (because it has been proven the stories already work!).
Books, Books, Books
Of all the inventions created by mankind, books are one of the best. I cannot imagine a world without books. Nor do I wish to be able to do that.
Books entertain, educate, inform, can show us plenty about this world we won’t get to find out any other way (not all can travel as freely as they’d like for example), and take us to worlds which will never exist but which are fun to visit for the purposes of a story. I’m thinking Middle Earth and Discworld amongst many others for that!
I never mind about the book’s format. I just want a good story for fiction. For non-fiction I want an interesting narrative which keeps me gripped by the subject.
Most of my books are paperback (my favourite format) but I cherish my hardback, audio books and ebooks just as much. All have their advantages.
I have various books I re-read during the course of a year,(though for some if I have the story as a film, I will take the story in again that way.
I often rewatch Hogfather by the late great Sir Terry Pratchett. I can then read another book by him or another author, having taking in a story I know I will want to take in again at the right time of year, in this case just ahead of Christmas.
But I fervently believe you have to have the books in the first place!
And if you want to check out books and authors new to you, why not check out what your local library has to offer? They are full of the most marvellous books, books, books!
Books entertain, educate, inform, can show us plenty about this world we won’t get to find out any other way (not all can travel as freely as they’d like for example), and take us to worlds which will never exist but which are fun to visit for the purposes of a story. I’m thinking Middle Earth and Discworld amongst many others for that!
I never mind about the book’s format. I just want a good story for fiction. For non-fiction I want an interesting narrative which keeps me gripped by the subject.
Most of my books are paperback (my favourite format) but I cherish my hardback, audio books and ebooks just as much. All have their advantages.
I have various books I re-read during the course of a year,(though for some if I have the story as a film, I will take the story in again that way.
I often rewatch Hogfather by the late great Sir Terry Pratchett. I can then read another book by him or another author, having taking in a story I know I will want to take in again at the right time of year, in this case just ahead of Christmas.
But I fervently believe you have to have the books in the first place!
And if you want to check out books and authors new to you, why not check out what your local library has to offer? They are full of the most marvellous books, books, books!
