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What or who made you love to read!!and when did it happen?
I don't think I really became a passionate reader until graduate school. Until then, I always felt reading was something I *had* to do for the sake of grades . . . not something I *wanted* to do for enjoyment.Graduate school awaked in me a realization that books are places where people go to share their passions. Discover your passions, and you will discover a host of books which will join you in celebrating your passions.
But there were a few landmarks along the way. Admiring the bookworms in grade school for their consistent brilliance, I bought To Kill a Mockingbird and 2000 Leagues Under the Sea at a book fair at age 12. Read them over the summer and adored them.
Spent a year in Paris in college. Was amazed to find an entire city (yes, generalizing) who was not afraid to read literature (Proust / Balzac / Celine) on the metro . . . or to talk philosophy . . . or to be admittedly nerdy. I felt comfortable.
And back to graduate school . . . a campus of nerds at an Ivy League university which I never thought I would attend. People walking the sidewalks while reading . I grew up in Texas. You simply DON'T DO THAT in Texas. But somehow this healthy culture of learning inspired me.
Above all, it was SAFE. I could read, learn, be myself, explore my passions and ideas . . . and it was OK. And if I did so through books, then I was easily among friends.
I was a natural at reading and learned very early. Maybe partly because my mother always played word games with me. She actually has a tape of me reading from a National Geographic kids book when I was 3. It's hysterical... I sound like Mickey Mouse. I actually did quite well. The only word I screwed up was sword (swordfish), I kept saying it with a hard W.
Stephen King and Anne Perry. They did so much for me. I realized that reading doesn't have to be dull and boring. Unfortunately, I didn't discover them until 10 years ago. That means I lost out on 45 years of possible reading. That makes me sad just thinking about it.
My mom. She used to read a lot of Mills & Boon novels and thrillers and I used to wonder how can anyone read so much? I didn't understand what they get out of it when they could spend all that time watching cartoons? So much action and colors there.. Then she bought me my first Hardy Boys novel when I was 10. i haven't looked back since. Thank You, Mom!
Atishay, I think my boyfriend is still wondering about that!!! I mean the cartoon thing...
I enjoyed reading as a kid and lost interest in around junior high, though I did like teen fan magzines. I despised reading in high school and college. After that I learned about a book by Annie Kimberlin about a woman who owned a rubber stamp company. At the time I was into stamping so I picked up the book and started reading romance novels for fun. But it wasn't a major part of my life.The person who most influenced my love of books? J.K. Rowling. I read The Sorceror's Stone and from there have wanted to read everything I could! Since I read the first Harry Potter book I have read on average one full novel a day. It was because oh HP that I read Twilight. It was because of HP that I read Lord of the Rings. And Dead Until Dark, because of reading Twilight, because of reading Harry Potter. And reading Aurora Teagarden because that was written by Charlaine Harris that wrote Dead Until Dark...
Magazines. I was so curious about what those people were doing, who they were, where the places were that I could see & what were all those little black marks all over the page. Comic books, National Geographic, any illustrated paper, magazine or book intrigued me. Still do.
my mum used to read me stories before bed, i remember 'the magic treacle jug' by Enid Blyton more than the others. That was the book that made me interested in books and reading but i didnt get overly into it until harry potter but even then i wasnt a huge reader. until i watched 'the notebook' and loved it so i bought the book and ever since ive just become obsessed with reading anything. plus my mum is a huge reader so i read her books and she reads mine. so i think it was definately my mum who influenced me most.
Lolz Jeane! Give him a Hardy Boys novel. It might work. :)*kidding*
I started reading big time when I was in grade 3 and my love for reading grew from there, my family have never been supportive of the reading thing, they always said I read to much. No one else in my family is reader so I think its an escape for me.You who have family that share your love are so lucky you have a common bond.I envy you.
- Lauren -You aren't the only one who happens to have been born into a non-reading family. Both my mother and sister claim that they suffer from severe headaches the minute they open a book. My father tries to read every now and then, but he tends to gravitate more towards magazines. Come to think of it, I can't even remember the last time he picked up a book! As hard and embarrassing as this is to admit, I have to confess that I am basically the only one in our entire family who has a library membership card!
I was taught how to read around age 6. At school we learned how to read and write simple words, e.g. "pear" and "apple". Once we moved on to the heavier stuff (short stories and ABC books) I was pretty much unstoppable. I remember when I was about 8 years old how I used to hide underneath my sheets with a flash light and read until midnight. Sigh. I miss those days...
My mother took my brother, sister and me to the library once a week without fail when I was growing up, and I always checked out the maximum number of books I was allowed each week. I still love to read, usually 2-4 books a month. Many are mysteries, which is what I write, but I also enjoy women's fiction, historicals, romances and lots of other genres, too.
Anya, join the club! The last years i seem to be able to sometimes warm my sister for books, but that's as far as it goes in my family!
My mama gave me the love of reading. She's incessant and voracious. She also read to us. It was one of those things I started mimicking early and doing for real as early as I could.Although I read books before...
Where the Red Fern Grows
was the one that turned my light on. It was the first book I ever cried over and with that book I got "it". I understood what all the fuss was about. I understood what mama was doing.
I wasn't a voracious reader when I was younger. I do remember picking up books here and there and buying them at the scholastic book fairs in elementary school, though. I remember buying Harry Potter in the sixth grade (as well as this Party of Five book, which was weird since I never watched the show), reading one page of it, getting bored and putting it down. So, then I read sporadically for a couple of years afterward.Then, during my freshman year of high school, I found my old copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and decided to read it since I loved the movie. Loved the book so much more and ended up reading Harry Potter's 2 and 3 (they were already released by that time). After that I started reading everything I could get my hands on, which wasn't more than YA since my school library was particularly small and didn't have the best selection. After I graduated, I joined my local public library and have never looked back.
Sadly, hardly anyone in my family is a reader. They think I read too much. My older sister (by a year) reads and enjoys it, but she's not as into it as I am. I'm trying to get my younger sister into reading by reading to her (she's four) and so far, she loves it. Everytime I pop into B&N, I make sure to get something for her. I'm hoping that she'll continue with reading if she has some encouragement.
I don't ever remember not reading. We didn't have TV when I was growing up (still don't) but there were always books. My mom claims that I learned to read because my older brother hated reading and I wanted to rub it in his face. My mom enjoys reading but no one else in the family is as obsessed as I am.
I started reading very young, but not by any encouragement from my folks! I think my first reads were Nancy Drew mysteries - all of them. I'm shocked that I love to read so much, as my mom only reads the tabloid papers; maybe I get it from my dad, although he doesn't read books, he does devour the newspaper every single day from front to back.I remember when my parents came to visit they couldn't believe how many books I have and thought it was crazy!
Like Annashu I don't really remember a time when I was young that I didn't read. The drive came from our parents, both of whom would read to us at night, or read with us. Summertime was all about trips to the library, birthdays and holiday presents always included a handful of books - part of the packing process for family trips also included time spent choosing good books to take for the ride. In school I was never popular, so enjoyed spending that time reading, maybe to the point of creating unhealthy social behaviors (I still only feel most comfortable when talking about books). Later in college once I moved out and into an apartment with a non-reader boyfriend and a bunch of high school friends I unfortunately started putting books on a back burner as my boyfriend at the time was not encouraging of my reading and there were always people and parties, etc. I rectified that situation, but much later in the relationship. Now that I'm away from all of those people and in a supportive relationship I'm making up for lost time. I'm a chain-reader now. :)My parents especially encouraged us to use books as an escape, or sometimes as a coping mechanism. I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but I still turn to books when life gets to be too much. I thank them for that outlet. Keeps me out of trouble. :)
El, I had a similar experience in college. I always lived with roommates or were around friends/boyfriends who didn't really encourage reading so I had to do it on the sly...between classes, riding the bus, alone in my room. Not really because they would have made fun of me or anything they just always interrupted, and there was always something exciting going on.
When I was younger I actually didn't like to read because I wasn't very good at it, but I was homeschooled and I had to read books for schools. So one day my mom took me to Borders to pick out a few books. The two of books I picked out was Slam! by Walter Dean Myers and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I read the books and loved them. After that I started reading a lot and got a lot better at reading too.So I guess you can say it was my mom because she took me to borders and got me some books.
Scary to remember backwards, and realize how close I came to being a non-reader! I was hooked on the outdoors, completely, and thought reading was totally boring and an utter waste of anyone's time. This was second grade, when we were FORCED to go to the library for school and take books out of the kids' section.Then came my habit of ransacking my brother's room, and swiping his better stuff to play with in secret. I laid hands on The Black Stallion by Walter Farley.
That did it! I read his entire series, end to end, though my teacher would not allow me to get books in the "teen" section. That meant after school trips to the library, on free time.
I owe that author - big time. He enriched my life, permanently.
All the women in my family (grandmother, mom, aunt) have always been readers. I started reading on my own when I was four, and was read to everyday up to that point. I started reading age inappropriate books when I was about ten and from there moved into the classics. I didn't understand anything I read for about two years. I still read more than anyone I know.
My dad has always been a keen reader and took me to a library as a young child. Our local newsagents had pocket money books and it was a treat to go and choose a new one. My mum's best friend was also a great reader and lent me all of her childhood books and her mum arranged jumble sales and would let us in to pick a book each time.I also remember falling in love with the Famous Five series and my eldest cousin had the complete set. She would lend me the next one as soon as I finished the last one. We saw her every weekend.
I've always loved books and my mum still tells the tale that they thought I could read at a VERY early age- until a page got ripped out of the book I read and I was still 'reading' what should be there!
I always read but not sure who inspired me when I was younger.I joined a book club....actually two book clubs.....and the ladies have inspired me to keep reading. When I am without a book to read....it is now torture.
I have always loved to read, don't remember a time without a book. My mom is mentally ill and my father was an alcoholic, but it was actually my dad who helped me love reading. He was out of town a lot but when he was home he was reading to me. I could barely talk when I would memorize the books and then sit and read them to myself. People thought I was actually reading when I was 2. I was horribly shy and added to the problems with my parents a bit of an outcast in our small community. Books were my way out. I love them. The library was my salvation. We weren't allowed in our school library unless the whole class was taken there, but the librarian took pity on me and let me in during recess. I wish I could remember who she was so I could thank her. I usually have 3 books and a magazine going at the same time. Fortunately my husband loves it as much as I do so we have lots of books. Glad to have found this site and people who understand my "addiction."
I understand what you mean Debra. My parents were alcoholics and my mother was about the biggest cheater I know so I just about lived in books through my teen years. A fantasy world that you can lose yourself in can be a great lifesaver sometimes. Fortunately they finally cleaned themselves up so it has gotten a lot better for which I am truly thankful. I read with my son at night to get him hooked also. I wish my husban read more but I know that he works hard and he does a lot of stuff around the house so he has very little time to read. He is interested in the books I read though and will listen without getting a glazed look in his eyes so that's a plus!
My dad gave me the Hobbit to read. It has its knockers, but it was the right book at the right time.
This thread has been the best I've read here yet! I loved to hear how everyone got the "bug".I've been reading as long as I can remember and it's also due to my mom. We didn't have a lot of money growing up so she would take us to the library nearly every weekend. I loved the summer reading programs. My parents also took us camping for pretty much every vacation and my mom always had a book. She would read us a chapter a night. She did this at home sometimes too. My sister is a voracious reader and is faster than myself or my brother but I'm definitely second. My brother and Dad still read also but not nearly as often as us women. We all tend to have the same taste in books though! Which is nice for sharing.
As a child groing up in Cuba reading was a window to the world.I could easilly go to Russia or South Africa the world of books maded courious about them never forgot my first story that a read about race in Sout Africa during apartaid the steamy and sad story of a merried white women and the black man that worked for her husband,the woman is murdered and during the police investigation they realized what has happended they cover up the result of the investigation revealing the truth was unthinkable.I also read out of isolation and loneliness now i read because i love to.
I was very much moved by Madeline's story about growing up poor, and how her mother encouraged her to read through her own example. It seems many of us have a similar story,although the important person may be a dad or favorite aunt .As a long time teacher(and writer), I can't overestimate how important such people are to the development of youngsters. I bet a lot of toys or hats or sweaters have gone the way of the dumpster. And yet, we still read. And read.
No one maded me read i wanted to feel connecte to the world somehow reading brought others culture to me i will get lost in a different world and forget how hungry i was
I spent the entire summer that I turned 11 (between 5th and 6th grade)on crutches and unable to participate in normal eleven-year-old activities. Couldn't even go swimming. My grandmother had a set of Mother West Wind books. I read one, was hooked on reading, and spent the summer reading the whole set. For a long time, my reading was heavily weighted to non-fiction. About ten years ago I started reading some of the classics I should have read when I was in school but never got around too. My to-be-read list has been growing ever since.
Like many others who have commented, my mother was the person who lit the reading light within me. She was constanly reading to me when I was young and every time we went out let me pick out one book to buy (guess that's why I also buy so many books now). I was reading before I went into kindergarten and have not stopped (I always seem to have a book on my person).The funny thing about this though is that my mother was never a reader herself. About twenty years ago (when she was in her sixties)I picked her up a few "Star Trek" books (I know, don't say it, but she was always a "Trekkie")and suddenly she had the bug. She now has her own little "library" in her house and always has a book going. I like to think that I returned the favor for what she saw as very important to instill in me, a love of books and reading.
My mum was really the one that got me into reading. She always read to us and bought us books. My sister and I new every single nursery rhyme and started reading before we started school. I remember that in my 2nd grade classroom we had book boxes that you had to work your way through throughout the year. 1/3 through 2nd grade I was going into the 3rd grade class to get the harder books in there, I had already finished the 2nd grade books. As for the books that got me into reading, Charlie And the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing, and Chinese Cinderella.
As a lonely only (child) reading was like having lots of people around me. The books filled a void. I too remember quoting a book from memory at an early age. At home I read Black Beauty, Aesop's Fairy Tales, The Bobsey Twins and later Nancy Drew. A bookmobile would come to my school once a week. I absolutely loved everything about it. It's smell was intoxicating to me. I read as many Thorton W. Burgess stories available then found a series of books by Enid Blyton. The Castle Adventure, The Island of Adventure were a couple I remember. Reading earlier posts in this thread I see others loved these books too. I think I was just born with the reading bug and was lucky enough to choose some of the wonderful books for children that got me hooked. My daughter is a reader. My three sons may get into reading later. I'm always on the hunt for books for adolescent boys.
My love of reading came from my mom. She read to me when I was little and greatly encouraged my love of reading. She, too, loves to read and we share books and recommendations all the time.
My mom. I always remember being read to at bedtime before I knew how to read myself. She constantly took me to the library and bookstores so that I was never without something to read. I am an only child and a bit of a loner so books very naturally evolved into my friends.The funniest thing I remember about my mom and my reading was when she went to bat for me at school. I was in 4th grade, reading Pippi Longstocking after I'd finished up my in-class assignment. My teacher walked by and told me that it was better not to read than to read "trash." I was really upset and told my mom when I got home from school that day. She called the school the next day to request a conference where she chewed my teacher out for discouraging me from reading.
As for books that made me love reading, the Little House on the Prairie series, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Little Women, The Boxcar Children series, The Secret Garden, and the Anne of Green Gables series all stick out in my mind.
ummm...I think it was 4th grade...I was reading "The Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell...I was just so surprise that I finished a book without pictures & I'd love reading since then...wow I'm surprised I still remember this book...what a trip down memory lane...
I have been readin since I was in Infants (5yrs old). Teachers used to find me sitting in the readin corner lol.
I used to read a lot when i was little around 4 & 5, I had this fantastic babysitter who used to take me to museums and art galleries and read with me all the time. Then as i got older i pretty much stopped reading except what was required for me to read in school at least that was until this year. I'm 21 now and got inspired to start reading again in March from another girl i work with, I haven't read many books yet this year (13) but am hoping to finish about 50 by the end of the year. And by being on here it just keeps continuing to increase what i want to read. Hopefully I won't stop again, i've missed so much time that I could have been reading.
Katie wrote: "My mom. I always remember being read to at bedtime before I knew how to read myself. She constantly took me to the library and bookstores so that I was never without something to read. I am an only..."Every book or series you mentioned is a longtime favorite of mine. They all had an impact on me and my love of reading.
Does anyone else remember when they were finally allowed to check out books from the "grown-up" section? I remember at my elementary school library there was a kids section and an older kids section. In my mind the older kids section was dark and mysterious, but really it was probably just the same except the books for thicker and shelves higher. But in 3rd grade we were allowed to go in there and it was such a big deal. My elementary school librarian was in today and I had a wave of nostalgia, I could start a new thread but it seems connection...feel free to move me if you think otherwise.
I actually hated reading as a kid. I think that was more due to the fact that I had a horrible elementary school teacher who was impatient with children who couldn't read very well aloud. I do remember loving stories and would always beg my parents to tell me a story.My love of reading didn't start until age 12. We were going through some financial difficulties so my parents cut the cable. Needless to say, it took about three weeks of pure boredom before my mom suggested we go the library. Since then I have loved reading, although as I got into high school and college, I read less and less due to being busy. I'm just getting into it again and loving it.
When I was little my Mom read to us every night - Little House on the Prairie, Chronicles of Narnia, and other random things. My love of reading definitely started them and never stopped.
I would have to say I was just born with the gene. My mother is as avid a reader as I am, but even as a young child 10yo or younger, I had read all the books in the house so I started at the beginning of our set of children's encyclopedia's and read the entire set. lol
I remember reading Nancy Drew books when I was a kid. Also books that I got from my grandmother (rest in peace, gramps<3). I guess it really hit me when I read Tolkien's The Hobbit. And, of course, where would I be without Uncle Stephen (King), I can't even imagine.
Living in Cuba as a little girl my mom left and i was forced to live with a very abussed aunt.Just like in the Reader i was maded to read to her everyday for hours books like like The Misserables that story had so much impression on me i felt a strong kingship with little Cossette i too had to fecht food and well did everything.Many nights i was hopping somebody will rescued me like her.
I was an only child who got a lot of books for every birthday and holiday. Books were my friends much more than dolls could be.
I started reading my grandmother's mysteries and true crime books curled up in her wicker rocking chair. There was a huge willow tree outside that touched the windowpane near the rocker. As I read and the sun got lower, an afternoon breeze would move the branches so they scratched at the window. I would imagine the murderer was just outside...I dedicated my second book, "Backyard Bones" to her and her rocker, which I now have by the way, for getting me started loving Agatha Christie, Dorthy Sayers and other more graphic and gory writers.
Nancy Lynn Jarvis
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i am sure my story is different than anyone elses. i was a functional reader even through undergrad college. i started teaching high school history and i wanted to read of my subject inorder to be a better teacher.age-22- i remember reading sandurg s lincoln,william morris s HISTORY OF NAVAL WARFARE,bios of american historical figures. at this time, the watergate story was unfolding and i began to read all i could get my hands on about nixon and his gang-bob woodard etc. i guess i was off and running,reading at that time. while teaching reading years ago,i had time to read my book while the kids read theirs,bigger reading habit. after i retired i began to sub and had more time for reading,,bigger reading habit. i began to write down my books and brief comments on them. 3 years ago,i read 65 books,two years ago 95 books,last year 102 books and so far this year,82 books..the biggest possible habit now exists..lol