I’m a reader and I’ve always been, which makes Linda’s book-related Flashback prompt this week kinda fun for me!
Prompt: Did you like to read when you were a child? What were your favorite genres, books or series? Did you read books because of the author or because of the title/plot? Did you own many books?…
I learned to read at my mama’s knee, and once I had completed the final reader in the “Little Patriots Read” series (I think it was the purple covered Sounds of Joy), I was allowed to get a library card. From then on, I was an avid reader and library patron.
I’m a binge reader–always have been.
The Little House books, the Chronicles of Narnia, and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s A Little Princess were some of my earliest favorites. (I own several copies of each of these today.)
Then I had times of serial mystery binges: Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and the rare Trixie Belden I could find at a garage sale or used store. (A couple years ago, I finished re-reading all the Nancy Drew mysteries–now I’m working on both the Boxcar Children and the Hardy Boys from my local library.)
By my pre-teen years, I was avidly reading Christian romances: Janette Oke, Lori Wick, Gilbert Morris, Michael Phillips. (Lori Wick was one of the first authors I “closed out” on my “read every book” goal–and I’m currently working my way through Oke.)
In fifth or sixth grade, I became addicted to popular pablum. My sister and I collected way too many Babysitter’s Club and Sweet Valley Twins and Friends books. (We threw them all away under conviction in our seventh?, ninth?–sometime during Junior High or High School.)
Then I started reading Harlequins. First, the “Love Inspired” Christian twaddle–and then clean Regency romances that my mom had pre-screened. Then I moved to the not-so-clean Regencies. While I still love certain aspects of the genre, I deeply regret the thoughts and images I allowed into my mind during this period.
In ninth grade, we started a co-op literature class taught by my aunt–and my reading grew up a bit. I started reading Hawthorne and Austen and Beowulf and Hemingway.
I’d read non-fiction throughout my life, but I became a real fan in my late teenage years. Educational theory, medical innovation, grammar, history, memoirs… I loved it.
And most recently, I’ve been binging on…theology.
With regular snacks of all my old favorites, that is!
Visit Linda and follow the links to read some more stories about books!
Now the grammar books, I would enjoy. But most other non-fiction is hard for me to keep interest in.
Good reading for the kids still today, Beckah. I don’t think you mentioned a stranger to me this morning. :)
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Good post, Beckah! I also think this was my first visit to your blog.
I’m not a non-fiction person, except for the occasional biography or true crime book (Ann Rule’s are fascinating.)
i read a lot of these also
This one was a fun one and reading other posts makes me remember other favorites of mine that I didn’t think about while writing my post.
I loved the Boxcar Children and have enjoyed sharing these with my son as well.
Had to come back after seeing your comment somewhere else about your mom limiting you to 12 from the library but the library’s limit was 150! I don’t know what my folks would have done – my mom was probably grateful I could only get 14 a week!
Somehow I missed the mystery series when I was growing up. My oldest son went through a mystery/detective book phase — his favorite was Encyclopedia Brown.
I think I have read all of Lori Wick’s books as well as Janette Oke’s, Sharon Hinck’s, Beverly Lewis’s (except I haven’t read her children or youth books), Jamie Langston Turner, Dee Henderson…and maybe some others.