The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion
ARCHIVE Team Challenge: UNO 2016
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March UNO mini challenge
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Team Batman♥ When I was in first or second grade our teacher had story time, where she would read a book for all of us. All the students gathered on the floor around her desk entranced by the story. So did I ... for about 10 minutes. Then I (apparently) stand up and announces that "I'm fed up about this rubbish, can we do something else now?"
♥ When I was really little I wasn't interested in reading, as back in the day the books you learnt to read with were pretty boring, and Roger Red-Hat and Billy Blue-Hat etc just didn't do it for me.
I think I was about 7 or 8 when I discovered that reading could be fun. I don't remember what made me start, but I had (only!) two books, The Railway Children and The Famous Five And The Mystery Of The Emeralds, and I read them over and over again nonstop until Mum took pity on me and bought me something else.
After that, I never stopped reading, and I read almost everything in the library.
♥ I've always loving reading, so much so that I wanted to be an author when I grew up (not that I was any good at writing). I would tell my family I was going to be the next JK Rowling, or RL Stine. I was so deadset on having my name styled out like that, with my two initials and then my surname.
I'm struggling to think of any book memories, but one has stood out as I've been writing this. I remember when I was younger, maybe around the age of 12, and my mother came across some belongings of hers from when she was a teen that she had left at my grandmother's house when she left. Amongst the things, were some books. One of the books I remember clearly was The Babysitter by RL Stine. I grew up reading the Goosebumps books so assumed it would be similar to those. I think it was the first book that ever truly scared me because it could happen.
A couple of years ago, when I joined Goodreads, I went back to re-read it. It was still as scary as when I had read it as a kid.
My recommendation? If you can get your hands on a copy, go into not knowing what's it about. If you loved Goosebumps as a child (and let's face it, who didn't?), it's a must-read.
Team Cars♥ I love a lot of different types of books....I love romance most of all...historical romance in particular. I think to date..my favourite is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon...
But...I have recently branched into ya/dystopian...which is VERY new to me. I love classics, although I haven't read all that many..
I grew up with my mum reading Beatrix Potter to me, and read all Laura Ingalls Wilder series, Jane Eyre, A Christmas Carol, Little Women series, and then started reading mysteries...Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys. I also started reading the Black Stallion series.... I love books about animals...and also read the whole All Creature Great and Small series.
Then for a long time I didn't read much of anything...because the telly was a "new" thing for me...new in that it was available whenever I wanted....don't get me wrong...I had a few favourite programmes...but telly was limited to me...I was encouraged to read or do something crafty..like sewing or knitting...and then all my reading was school requirement...and we all know how that goes!! I didn't want to read anything. But a friend of mine got me reading again...and I haven't looked back.
I do only like real books....but I love mystery, romance, brit lit, humour, historical romance, young adult, thriller, and books that take me to far away places....
Team Dr. Who♥ I don't remember when I first started reading, but I know it was early on. I remember reading the "Golden Books" with my parents when I was little and making the noises of the animal that were on the back. I also remember in elementary school, we used to have book fairs. I would sit down with my mom and we would circle the books I wanted to get - it was my favorite time of the year!
My favorite childhood book was "The BFG." We read it in fourth grade and I remember loving the fantasy of it. The friendly giant was a bit of an undersog/outcast, and it made me want to root for him because he was so nice - I think that was my first real lesson and has stuck with me ever since.
As I grew older, I've developed a love for A LOT of different kind of books. My all-time favorite "older" book is "The Great Gatsby."
♥ One of my earliest memories is Mum reading to me at night! In particular Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair books. I was so excited when we bought a new one at Kmart!
I was always so sad when I had to go to sleep...she admitted many years later that she would sneak back into my room and keep reading the book.
I also remember sneaking into the library room in kindy when no-one was looking. Never got caught ;)
I used to reread books HEAPS before I discovered Goodreads. Now the only books that I've reread in the last couple of years are Harry Potter. It's great because I've discovered so many new books but I just really want to read some of my old faves again...it's a tough life being a reader!
♥ Growing up I hated reading, because I found it very difficult. I didn't learn to read until I was about 8 years old and I was about 2 years behind on my classmates. I struggled for many years with it, having reading tutors and loads of reading homework to get me up to speed with my class (which pretty much never happened). I am still not a very quick reader. However, I am about to finish my second Master's degree, so it hasn't stopped me!!
My favorite books at the moment are mystery/thrillers books and I don't re-read many books. Maybe due to being a slow reader, I have a really good recall and so I already know who has done it or how the book is going to end. I do re-read children's books to my children and a big part of my daily reading is that genre now :). I have just introduced my children to The Famous Five by Enid Blyton, a huge hit!! Dr Seuss is also a great hit, although I never read that as a child.
♥ I have always loved to read and I grew up reading the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume and Roald Dahl. My mom was a teacher and she has always been an avid reader who took us to the library all the time.
Team Glee♥ I remember going to the old Orpheum Theater with my mother and my best friend to see “Gone With the Wind” ’in the summer of 1969. I was so excited to see my first grown up film. I can see the maroon curtains unveiling the movie screen as the lights dimmed. Not a sound could be heard, but the opening strains of music and there was Tara! I was smitten. Laura and I sat through the second showing too. Exhausted, but roiled up was I when I got home. On my lonely supper plate laid my very first copy of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind! Needless to say, I wolfed down supper and went to my room and began reading the book that I’ve had a love affair with since that summer day. I was 12 years then. And I read the novel each year.
♥ My fondest reading memories involve my Granny. She would read a book every single day. Mostly romance novels. She could read so fast! She would take me to the used book store every week and buy me as many books as I wanted. Then she would take me to the mall and take me to all of the bookstores in the mall. Then we would go to Books-A-Million and then stop by Sam's Club to check out the books there. It was a full day event and we went every weekend when I was a child up through high school. It really cemented my love for reading and for books in general. When we weren't out buying books we were talking about them. I would hang out at her house and we would read our books, bake cookies, and chat about our books. We had so many inside jokes about the books that we read and we talked about them and laughed for years. I hope to be the same kind of grandmother and share my love of books with the ones that I love.
♥ I think my love affair with books started as a child because of my mother. She always seemed to have a book in her hand. She had a bookshelf crammed with used books, mostly romance novels. Give it up for Harlequin, woowoo! hands in the air!!
My fondest memory is my first RIF experience. I could not wait until that day arrived. The mobile truck pulled up to the school and we got to line up to go outside to go through it. I don't even remember which books I chose but I remember feeling really happy because I got a free book all to myself, that was for my pleasure only. Nothing to do with schoolwork.
My mother and Reading Is Fundamental cemented it for me. Reading and books will always be a part of my life.
Team Happy Feet♥ I first started reading when I was 3 and played school all the time. when I finally got to school I was more advanced than the others kids so the for 3 grades I spent my time in the library 5 hours a day reading and reading.
somedays I never made it off the floor right where I had found a book to read. My love for reading started there in the library. I had an adult library at age 11. I remember reading lots of English authors when I was young Enid Blyton, Norah Lofts, Jean Plaidy.
I love to read anything. My favorite genres are historical fiction, mystery, urban fantasy.
I really don't have a favorite book and I very rarely re read a book. I have many favorite authors and series. Favorite authors Jennifer Robson, Kate Morton, Susanna Kearsley.
I also tend to read in binges, I will read only urban fantasy for 6 months and then flip to war fiction.
I love books and talking books.
♥ I remember my 2nd grade teacher reading Goosebumps to the class and I remember that the first Goosebumps book that he read, The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, got me interested in reading chapter books. I have always liked reading, but that book sent me towards Goosebumps and then harder and harder books.
♥ When I was really young, I remember my mom reading Charlotte's Web to my sister and I. Each night we would get in bed and she would read us at least one chapter. We absolutely loved it. I know she read other books to us, but for some reason, when I think back, it is always Charlotte's Web that I remember.
I also remember reading a book when I was about 12 called Afternoon of the Gosling. I was really into Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan type horror stories back then and this book Afternoon of the Gosling was far more mature and way darker than any of those. It really surprised me, but I enjoyed it. I'm not sure if I read it today if I would feel the same, but I've always thought about and reading it again...perhaps I should. I also read many of the V.C. Andrews series as a young teen... Heaven, Dawn, Flowers in the Attic, Ruby. I flew through them. Nowadays, I enjoy just about any genre, just depends on my mood and challenges I'm in. Non-fiction is the only one I seem to shy away from, though I do enjoy some true crime and memoirs.
Team Hello Kitty♥ The first book I can remember reading without being forced was in the 4th or 5th grade. I picked up the book "Tiger Eyes" by Judy Blume in our school library. I couldn't even tell you why, I wasn't into reading for fun or anything and I don't remember regularly checking out books. Anyway I fell in love with it. I continued to read every now and then but was not completely addicted to books Until around 2009 when my then boyfriend (now husband) wanted me to ride in a golf cart and watch him play golf....ahhh sooo much fun yeah right, so of course I asked him to stop at the Grocery Store thought I would grab a magazine or something but I ended up buying a paperback titled "The Other Daughter" by Lisa Gardner. Let me tell you I was hooked from page one! My boyfriend throughout the day would say something like wow did you see that shot?" And I would respond with "sssshhhhhhh I'm trying to read!" That book relit my flame for reading and I have been a die hard reader ever since.
I used to believe I only wanted to read serial crime novels. The more gruesome and descriptive the better but somehow over the years I have broadened my interests. I enjoy a variety of books now. Crime (fiction or true), Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Smut, Romance, Historical fiction, Biographies..... I guess now I would have to say if the synopsis grabs my attention I will try it. I have a love/hate relationship with cliffhanger endings. (to be honest on more than one occasion I may have gotten to the end of a book with a cliff hanger and if the next book isn't out yet and available for purchase I may have cussed a bit and created new cuss words.!)
♥ I don't remember a day of my life that I didn't like reading a book (except of course for my school books which I hated even looking at them) I used to read so much that my parents used to prohibit me from reading any books not related to school during the school year. So I used to borrow romance books and put them under my school book and pretend to be doing homework/studying and I would read for hours. haha.
I read for a lot of Arabic writers (since Arabic is my first language) like Naguib Mahfouz, Youssef Al-Sebai يوسف السباعي, Ihsaan Abdulqdous إحسان عبد القدوس, Nizaar Qabbani نزار قباني, Ghadda Al-Samman غادة السمان. I also read translated books by Russian authors like Nikolai Gogol, and Maxim Gorky
Then when I moved to the US and learned English.... and worked at a library for five years .. I was like a kid at a candy store. haha. I loved every minute of it. Some of the books that I read in the past I really liked were: The Master and Margarita, The Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games series ,The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Giver series. to name just a few that come to mind as I type this.
Lately I have been more into the mystery and thriller or fantasy/ sci fi genres.
♥ I had an amazing grade 10 teacher that opened our eyes to literature of the world and we read July's People and One Hundred Years of Solitude (one of my absolute most favorite books), it's sparked my love of travel and other cultures and truly changed my viewpoint.
My reading life is caught in a great photo where it's me wearing huge headphones (love music) with a bunch of books open around me, sitting on the floor in my pjs (about 3 years old) :D
Team Mario Bros♥ I don't remember learning how to read, I've just always known how. I went to Kindergarten already knowing how to read & consequently was bored & disruptive in class. Thank goodness for independent reading time & the library. Books have gotten me through some very tough times. I remember discovering Isabel Allende's Eva Luna & The House of the Spirits. They were pure magic for me.
I read & re-read all of Jean Auel's Earth's Children series over and over again, especially The Clan of the Cave Bear, Part 1 of 2. Books are special, they really are magic.
♥ I started reading when I was about 6 when I was on a road trip with my family, (and not the fun kind. So, keep from getting bored out of my mind my father bought me eight issues of Tinkle, (now you might be wondering how I know all this considering I was six at the time-it's because this story is told on my every birthday, every time I go out with friends and/or bring them home, my mom says, "it seems like only yesterday when Manoj-my dad-bought her 8 tinkle comics.") Tinkle is a collection of comics, each copy has about 4 series' that are continued and about a million new characters. I finished all 8 in the first 12 hours, now since I had literally nothing else to do and each copy was about 150 pages long it's not a big thing unless you consider the fact that I was 6 and had just learned to read. So there began my obsession with reading.
♥ I'm a bookaholic. I think I've finally come to the right place! I don't actually remember a time before I could read. I was reading pretty young. And I've never stopped since. As a child it was horse books, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Beldon. I think I've read each of the Black Stallion books at least 4 times. And ALL the Anne of Green Gables books.
Now that I'm older, I don't re-read books very often. There are just too many books out there. But 4 years ago my mom told me to read Written in Red. And every year since then, in March, I have re-read all the books as the new one comes out. They are my new favorite series!
Team Minions♥ I always loved reading. I was very proud of my reading ability when I was young. I remember reading chapter books, such as Black Beauty, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and Watership Down when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. Around that time, we went to a fair. My brother and I had our caricatures drawn by some man there. He asked my brother what he liked to do and my brother said baseball or something like that. When he asked me, I said reading. I still remember that he asked me what else (and my memory says he made a bit of a face, but that could quite possibly be my memory playing tricks!) and I said just reading. He drew my caricature reading a book and the book was upside down! I was horrified! Who would read a book upside down? Was he implying that I would do something like that? That I couldn't really read and wouldn't know if a book was upside down? I felt like he had outright called me a dumb blonde. I remember being really upset about it. Apparently, I missed the point of the caricature and didn't see the humor in it. Strange the things we remember. Don't worry, though. I got over it! Lol
A few younger books I loved and read over & over were The Velveteen Rabbit, The Aristocats, and The Giving Tree.
♥ I have loved to read ever since I can remember. I would never get awards in school for sports or anything in the way. However I would always get the bookworm award for pages read. I remember reading Beverly Cleary books and the babysitter club books for hours.
Team Muppets♥ I've been reading since forever and some of my fondest memories are my late mother taking me and my younger sister to the library when I was about 6. My funniest memory is from Year 9 in school, eons ago. I had discovered Troubadour "Bodice Rippers" so when our English Teacher said we could bring a book in for "quiet" reading time I saw an opportunity. Behind the covers of some dusty tome was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss, a giant in romance reading at that time and quiet racy by those days standards. I'll never forget an enraged English teacher snatching the book from my mortified hands , declaring it nothing but "soft porn" and being marched to the Principal's office for a lecture on what constitutes English Literature. I often wonder what she would think of the content of today's romance novels.
♥ my earliest book memories are with my grandparents. My grandmother had all her books from when she was a child (Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre etc.) in a crawl space in the garage and it was like going into a magical cave to get a book to read while we stayed there for the school holidays. Most of the books had inscriptions and I still own them. I love opening up a cover and seeing the beautiful script writing. I also have books from my grandmother on the other side which are much older... I think the oldest inscription is about 1910. They all have a particular smell too. It isn't exactly pleasant but makes me happy. haha. That is why those books always have a special place in my heart and I have re-read them endlessly.
♥ I remember reading a lot of Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Famous Five when I was young, but two stand alone books really stood out for me: The Velvet Room and My Wolf, My Friend. I remember reading these by torchlight with the blankets pulled over my head and staying up until 3am because I couldn't put them down. These books had a special place in my heart. So I was pretty horrified when years later my mother gave these books away without consulting me. It was like losing my best friends. I recently paid about $100 (yes you can think I'm crazy) to replace The Velvet Room - it was that expensive because I had to get the one with the exact same cover I had as a child. The magic of this book for me was the velvet room of the title: a circular alcove with plush, velvet covered seats and a library of books ... I don't think it gets better than that for a young booklover...
Team Peanuts♥ My fondest childhood memory in relation to books (apart from library raiding in school during school hours *grin*) was that twice a year during winter and summer sales, my mum took me to a bookshop where she allowed me to pick out 3-4 books that she'd pay for me, and then I always grabbed a few extra that I paid for with the pocket money I'd carefully saved up for that purpose. The preferred series at the time: Walter Farley's Black Stallion.
♥ I can't remember a time when I wasn't reading. When I was younger (many moons ago), relatives always got together and decided who was buying what book for birthdays and Christmas.
I can remember when I was about 8 or 9 being given a set of five hardback books of classics and reading them so much that they fell apart. They had read covers with black spines and the author and title written in gold.
I used to use my brother and sister's tickets for the library so that I could have 9 books instead of 3. I was at the library so often that the librarians used to keep books to one side for me and I was on first name terms with most of them. I am now a librarian and my TBR list just keeps getting longer and longer. Now that I have an ereader as well I can read all over and always have a book to hand. My work library ticket has over 40 books issued to it and my ereader has over 1500 books on it.
My favourite book of all time has to be Jane Eyre, I have read it so many times and am on my 6th copy as the book always falls apart from being read so many times.
♥ I can't remember a time when I wasn't reading. I think I loved books before I started school, I still have several children picturebooks in the attic from my early years. I always found a quiet corner to read whenever I could, preferred that to going out and play:P The Nancy Drew series was great at that time.
My mom is fond of romance novels and at age 14-15 I was so curious about the books she read, but wouldn't let me read. So finally one day I got my hands on one of those books and started reading in secret...I've been in love with romance books ever since! (needless to say my mom was a bit frustrated when she caught me reading her books, but she realized it was hopeless to keep me away:P)
These days romance is still a favuorite genre, but also expanding into paranormal and fantasy=) One of my favourite authors these last years is Anne Bishop. I completely fell in love with the world and characters in The Black Jewels series, I've read the books several times just to loose myself in that world again=)
♥ Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl were the books for my childhood. I'm bedridden so I love that books are an escape that take me to different worlds and lives.
Team Princesses♥ I have loved to read all my life. I remember when I was younger reading The Babysitter's Club and Nancy Drew. Nancy Drew were my favorite books in middle school and I think I have read all of them at some point.
I got away from reading for a little while in high school but Twilight got me back in. I know there are mixed feelings about this book but for me it was what got me back into reading. So it will hold a special place in my heart for that reason alone.
I love to read trilogies and series because when I fall in love with a character this allows me to have a longer time in their world. My favorite series is Darkfever - I just love every book and I have read them all 3 times. The world, the characters, the plot, the twists - it all just works perfectly together. Whenever I begin the first book, the real world just fades away and there I am in Dublin with Mac.
I have two daughters both of whom love to read as well. My older daughter is 12 now and she is beginning to read books such as The Hunger Games and Divergent which I love!! It is so nice to be able to share my love of reading with them both and see my daughter's reaction to the storylines in books I have already read.
My all time favorite series though is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - I'm sure I don't have to explain why!!!!
♥ My childhood book I loved was Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, it was passed down to me from my mom. It's a great book for pre-teen girls, although I didn't have the same problems as Margaret- more like the opposite it was still relatable, I recently re-read it and somehow it still resonates.
♥ I can't say that there is just one book that changed me or made me the avid reader that I am. However, my fondest memory is of my mother taking my brother and I to participate in the Summer Reading program at our local library. It was always a competition between my brother and I to see who could read the most books and get the most prizes. I can remember reading 2 or more books in a day, in the summer, as a teenager. Now, an adult and teacher, I try to instill this same love of reading in my students. Oftentimes, this is the most difficult part of my job.
♥ In kindergarten we were assigned "reading buddies" who were 3rd or 4th graders I think. Well, I could read well past my grade level and when my "buddy" tried to "help me" read a Dr. Seuss book I threw it at her and told her I didn't need a "buddy" and that those books were for little kids. LOL, needless to say I spent the rest of that year reading "buddy"-less and was allowed to read what I deemed appropriate for my reading level. I also remember being given those Dick and Jane books and reading them in mins flat and being bored out of my mind when other kids took 10-20 mins to read them. I luckily was transferred to the "enrichment program" i.e. honors for elementary school, in 2nd grade which is when they had you switch after being evaluated in 1st grade. Also luckily I had an awesome 1st grade teacher who had a group of us kids who did reading and math separate at an advanced level.
Team Scooby Doo♥ I think the book that has always meant the most to me and has had the greatest significance is the first book I ever read. It was called Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. This book has such a significance to me because I was only about 6 or 7 when I read it and I felt like I completely understood what was going on. I have never re-read the book and anytime anyone asks me about it I tell them exactly my thoughts on it when I was just a little kid. I think the most shocking retelling of what I thought it meant was when I was in high school and we had to read it, but I chose not to read it because I had already read it. I sat down and typed the whole paper based on those really young thoughts of mine. What shocked me is that I actually got an A on the paper and the teacher said that I had come the closest to the moral of the story. And that made me think about how as a kid I could even to some extent comprehend what was going on. But let me tell you guys how I ended up with this book and how I became to love reading after this book.
So, one day my grandmother and I were at the Salvation Army just looking around. She was really one of those older ladies that loved finding weird antique things that I used to think were ugly or creepy looking. Anyways, I would always roam around and try to see if I could find something I liked. Well one day I was walking around and seen this really velvety type of cloth. I went to grab it and it was pretty heavy. And that's when I realized it was attached to something else. So I'm down all on the ground getting my stockings all dirty (I got in trouble for that later on, but it was worth it) trying to rummage through this box to try to find what it was attached to. Finally I figured out it was attached to a book; it was a velvety bookmark for this book. So I was sitting there opening and closing it trying to figure out if I could get the cloth to come out without having to keep the book too. I really didn't want the book at all. After about 5 minutes I realized that wasn't possible. So I just went to find my granny so I could tell her I wanted the book. Once I found her, she said I could get it. I was excited and walked around behind her slapping the cloth across my face.
So we get to the checkout and the guy says I can get the book for free as long as I read it and tell him all about it next week. Granny and I went in there once I week after I got out of school. I thought okay, I'll read this book and get the little velvety cloth for free. I was so eager that when I got home I opened the book and began to try to read it. My granny never helped with reading because she didn't finish school herself, so she just gave me a dictionary to help me with words I didn't know. So I was reading and then next thing I know I was all into this thing. I was so worried about this poor seagull with no family and he couldn't find a family or friends because he couldn't fly. And I remember sitting there like I really hope learns to fly or he might never find a family and be stuck on ground forever. I eventually finished the book before we had to go back to the Salvation Army the following week. The guy was just so impressed that I actually kept my word and started to become a thing that I could get a free book every week as long as I told him about the book I read. At first, I was just ecstatic about getting free things. But eventually I became caught up in the stories of these people that I felt had to live somewhere and I might happen to past them one day and I could be like, "Hi, I'm Brianna. I read all about you."
♥ I have loved books for as long as I can recall. I had a rather dysfunctional childhood and books were my escape and best friends. Reading was my strongest subject in school and I remember getting in trouble in reading group for reading ahead of the others in my group. So many childhood books that I loved...Harriet the Spy, The Cricket in Times Square, Misty of Chincoteague, The Secret Garden, Gone With the Wind, etc.
As an adult I continue to be a big patron of the library, but I have learned to read ebooks too and like the ease of reading them in bed at night on my ipad without a lamp that would disturb my husband. My favorite genre is historical fiction, but I also love well-written fiction, non-fiction, and anything that makes me think, or helps me to learn more about a subject. I do not like horror, sci-fi, or fantasy. As a retired educator, my favorite season has always been summer, because I can just read and read to my heart's content!
Team Simpsons♥ I've loved reading ever since I first learned, but one of my favourite book memories is reading the book Superfudge by Judy Blume. I read it for the first time when I was around 8 or so, and loved how silly and light-hearted it was. For at least a few years after that, whenever I couldn't sleep or had a bad dream that I couldn't shake, I would read the entirety of the book (I was a bit of a skimmer) to distract myself so that I could go back to sleep. Worked like a charm
♥ I've always had a love for books. As a preschooler my mother did the mail order book clubs for me. This was in the early 80's which it was Dr. Seuss, Disney, and Sweet Pickles. I loved getting them in the mail. When school aged book orders was the best. Scholastic was great and I had many books on my wish list. Of course I wasn't allowed to get all of them. I was so happy when I did get some. As a pre-teen I was into R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, V.C. Andrews. I read Fear Street and The Secret Circle series. In 7th grade I started reading Anne Rice books (Vampire Chronicles at the time there was only the first three, Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and Queen of the Damned plus the mummy and the witches) and loved them. She was my first introduction to crossing over from the kids section to the grown up books. In my high school years I still read lots of Anne Rice since she just came out with Tale of the Body Thief and horror or different oddities including more of books with mythology focuses.
These styles of books paved the way to the genres I enjoy best. The darker side of literature. :)
♥ Reading has always been a big part of my life. As a child my father would read Native American Fairy Tales to my sister and I.
But it was my Grandmother who kept my book additction feed. My grandmother was and still is an avid reader. If she really enjoyed a book she would mail it to me to read, with a note that said "read this"...I mean how was I to know at nine years old I shouldn't be Reading John Grisham books?
My grandmother may not have sent me age appropriate books...but my uncle did. Every year for Christmas be would send me a new book in the Little House on The Prairie books, and I devoured them like candy.
Even as a child I wouldnt leave the library without a stack of books under my arm.
♥ Well my earliest memory of reading isn't all that positive unfortunately. In 3rd grade I wasn't doing too well in "Reading" according to a progress report I had to take home (I think it had to do with reading comprehension). So my dad made me read out loud to him every night and then would ask me questions about what I read. The books I had to read - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and then The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I think it turned me off of reading for a while. I only read when I had to for school for the most part but that was okay because my mom had me taking piano, flute and ballet so I had plenty to occupy my time :)
Growing up I only read books sporadically, usually from Oprah's Book Club since that was the source I had at that time of what to read since I lived overseas. But then a couple years ago with the Twilight explosion, I decided to give them a shot to see what the hype was about. I liked them and was curious on what else was out - Harry Potter, Vampire Academy, Fever series, BDB, etc. I've been hooked & haven't stopped since!
♥ The first time I remember being totally consumed by a book, I was in elementary school, I think it was 3rd grade and I took a book out of the school library. I don't remember the title, and I've tried to research it before, but can never find the book. I remember it was about a girl who had some sort of disability and went from a wheel chair to crutches, and she got a puppy and was teaching it to walk on a leash, how to heel, etc. She loved that dog, and training it to walk properly on the leash was giving her the strength to get out of the wheelchair and use the crutches. I loved that book.
And then in fifth grade, I remember becoming totally obsessed with the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was the first time I had a book hangover, even if I had no idea it was called that. I was a let down by the rest of the series, and I remember being so disappointed, it was almost like I took it personally. Ha!
I read Little Women that same year. I laughed, I cried, I lamented at being an only child. I started making up newspapers like the girls, and instead of The Pickwick Papers, I called them the Pavilion Papers, because we lived a block from the ocean, and there was a Pavilion up at the end of the street on the boardwalk where we ran into a lot of neighbors in the off season while on walks and we would stop to talk to them. It was where I heard all the town "news" with my grandfather. Little Women is still my favorite book and I own many different copies. I can't let a copy sit there if I see it in a Used Bookstore. And this past weekend I saw an old edition of Little Men in an antique store display. I couldn't leave that there either. I think it is true that what we read as a child stays with us and shapes us like no other books do.
♥ I learned to read when I was 3 and developed a great love for it. I looked forward to weekly visits to the library with Mom. I loved Nancy Drew, The Babysitter's Club, and so many others. When I was 13 I picked up a book at my school's library that had a huge impact on me - Stephen King's The Wastelands (Dark Tower # 3). I was immediately hooked and developed quite a taste for the macabre. I love to read a diverse selection of books, but the dark side keeps calling my name. ;)
Team SpongeBob♥ I cannot remember not being able to read, but my Mom did briefly think I was a genius as a child. She told me she would read to me at night until one night I started reading to her. She thought her toddler could read! ...until I was going to the next part of the book before she turned the page. Guess I loved the book so much I just memorized it;)
Team Star Trek♥ I can't quite remember when I got into reading but my family are all big readers. It must have rubbed off from them and I was also always a curious child with a big imagination. When I was a teenager we moved and I had to learn English. I read a lot then, and the first books in English that I read and loved were the Lioness series from Tamora Pierce and Sabriel from Garth Nix. Reading books in English really helped me learn the language faster. When I got to university I didn't have a lot of time to read for pleasure but the two books I re-read a few times then were The Edible Woman and Pride and Prejudice. Now that I have finished school I have a lot more free time to read which is great!
♥ I have had a lifelong obsession with books. We used to move around a lot when I was younger due to my Dad's work. When I was 7 we finally settled in one place and one Saturday after going swimming we went to the library next door where I got my first library card. I can remember being told I was allowed to take out 5 books at a time, while my Dad searched the "boring" books I went to the colourful section and found The Famous Five , we went home and started reading and I was hooked. Every Saturday after swimming we would go to the library and choose some books, I devoured the libraries stock of The Famous Five and soon moved on to other Series books including The Secret Seven and Mallory Towers .
When I moved up into the junior's at school we were introduced y the school library where we would have to pick one English and one Welsh book to read during our reading hour. It was here I found other author's and genres, quickly devouring the Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew stock. In my final term before High School our class teacher started reading The Hobbit as our class read. There wasn't enough copies for everyone to have their own so we had to share between 2 or 3 of us :( I can remember when we went to the library that weekend asking whether they had a copy and proudly took it into school with me for our next reading session. The only problem with that was as our teacher was reading aloud from the book and getting others to take their turn to read I would be reading ahead of them so when it came to my turn I had to be reminded what page we were on. After this happened a couple of times, my teacher realised what I was doing and signed me up for a national reading test, it came back that at the age of 10 my reading age was 13, he never asked me to read aloud in class again as he felt it was wrong to stop me from reading!
I couldn't believe it when I went to high school and was shown the school library there were so many different books, but they were all a little bit worn. But then the library was redecorated and when they let us back in there were some "new, shiny" books, in amongst the shelves. I picked up a hardback book and couldn't believe the smell, I didn't look at the title I just knew I had to read it before anyone else did. I got it home and started reading and I was in awe, the book was Ten Little Niggers and my love affair with Agatha Christie began. I read all the Agatha Christie books that my school library and town library had and loved Poirot my Dad would even get me a new Agatha Christie every birthday and Christmas.
For years I would only read Mystery books and was introduced to Dick Francis, Ngaio Marsh, Colin Dexter and the "Wycliffe" series. Then when completing my degree my housemate was engrossed in a book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, I can remember thinking but they're kids books, she suggested I try it and see. At the time I was into "The Vampire Chronicles" by Anne Rice, I think I was in love with "Lestat", It was a few months before I had the courage to actually try my housemate's recommendation and that was only because I'd seen it for sale in a discount book store, and needless to say I loved it.
I have expanded my range of books that I read now including, YA, Fantasy, Paranormal and Chick-Lit. Needless to say my first love will always be mysteries but I am willing to give any book a try, to the point of if friends ir customer's of my OH are getting rid of books they always seem to end up on my shelves. I rarely re-read books the only books I have re-read are And Then There Were None and Colin Dexter and that was only because it's been over 20 years since I read them last.
♥ I don't remember the first book I read. I am the only reader in my family (meaning only one with an actual habit of reading - my sister reads five books a year or so, other than that I am the only one), and by family I'm not really saying parents and sister, I am including uncles, aunts, cousins...
My father was the one who always supported my reading (even when my aunts and cousins would complain that all I did was reading and never really enjoyed going outside). I remember when I got my Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It was christmas and I don't remember asking for anything in particular (yeah, I was a strange kid). It was the book that made me an avid reader after that I would ask for at least ten books every year for christmas... and birthday... and children's day... and for a book whenever I was without one
My father told me later that he was passing by a bookshop and the window was full of this book, he asked an attendant what the book was about e got me for christmas. I could not be more thankful for that.
Team TMNT♥ 1) According to my mom, my first books were the encyclopedia. Apparently, I would read them and then put them back on the shelf backwards.
2) My dad's favorite authors is Stephen King. When I was 8, I decided to try one of his books and chose It. I made it 20 pages and stopped and have never picked it back up.
3) My favorite books will always be Little Women, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Anne of Green Gables
4) I automatically downgrade a book if an animal dies needlessly.
5) Books make me happier than people most of the time.
When I read Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret by July Blume, they talked about getting your period and having to wear a belt with your pads. When I first got mine (@13), I was so confused that there was no belt and waaaay too embarrassed to ask about it. Still makes me giggle today.
♥ One memory I have is of this particularly detestable teacher we had. She legitimately hated kids, but she used to read a chapter or two of a book to us each day. She had a knack of picking really good books, darn her. Anyway, she introduced me to the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and even though I'd been reading for years before then, that's when I actually got passionate about reading. Pity it was the worst teacher though.
I'm a chronic re-reader, though I kinda feel this is a bad thing. Often I lack inspiration on what to read next, so just go back to an old fave instead of broadening my horizons. That's why BOTM is so great.
I have no singular favourite book, but I'm a sucker for dystopia. Blind Faith by Ben Elton, Blindness by Jose Saramago, and Ready, Player One by zErnest Cline being some I can think of right now.
I can love something in most genres, but particularly dystopias and non-fiction that is written with wit and fascination. I can't really get into romances in a big way though unless there's something gritty and good to go along with the romance plot.
I have a couple of chronic illnesses which have meant multiple lengthy stays in hospital over the years. I'm only 27, but the first thing I pack each time is my kindle loaded with books. For me, there's something so comforting in having them with me. Unfortunately I'm also slowly losing my eye sight, which makes reading harder all the time. I've tried some audiobooks but find that the narrator can both make a rubbish book better and a good book intolerable (the game of thrones narrator!? What were they thinking -Khal Drogo sounds brain dead)
After my house was destroyed by fire last year (yay) I lost all my physical books and that probably sucked the hardest. I have about 10 books now, and am slowly accumulating e-books. But it's not quite the same as when you could display them, and one wou,d catch someone's eye as they visited, sparking discussion and sharing books.
Team Wizzard of Oz♥ The book that was most intense and long lasting for me as a child and still affects me as an adult is Where the Red Fern Grows. I cried for weeks after I finished it. It truly felt as if I had lost Little Ann and Big Dan as surely as if they had been flesh and blood. I suppose that book is a big reason why I grew up to be so involved in animal rescue and protection. Also, a true love of nature and the wild things in it. I like to think that LA and BD helped saved the many 100s of dogs and wolfdogs that have come through my home for rehabilitation and care through the years.
♥ I did love the Oz books as a kid - but my go-to books all growing up were the "Little House" series. I read, and re-read them SO much. Even as an adult, they are probably some of my favorites, because of that emotional attachment to the characters. I think those and Harry Potter are the two series I never tire of.
♥ Harry Potter was a series I grew up with. My biggest memory of this is going to the midnight opening for book 5 at my local bookstore. I finished that book by the next morning! The series has always been and will remain close to my heart. I did a full re-read of the series a couple of years ago and will probably do another one now that the new book is coming out.
♥ I wasn't much of a reader when I was really young. Preferring to spend time running around outside like a maniac with my friends. When my dad bought the first Harry Potter book in the beginning of its hype in the US, he began reading to my brother and me. I restlessly sat through the first chapter and then asked if I could go outside and play. My brother stuck through it, however, and after about a year we went on a road trip and my parents put in the Chamber of Secrets book tape for the drive. I grudgingly listened to it and within a few hours I was completely hooked. When I returned home I sped through the first three books and when I was done I went on to read them again, and again, and again.
Eventually in the wait for the fourth book I came to the realization that it was entirely possible I would like other books. I began reading the Redwall series by Brian Jacques but, it wasn't until the long wait for Order of the Phoenix did I truly expand beyond Harry Potter.
My reading progression through the years: Harry Potter, Children's/YA Fantasy, Harry Potter, Adult Fantasy, HP, Fiction, Classics, HP, non-fiction, romance, HP, HP, etc.
♥ I was a late bloomer when it comes to developing a deep relationship with books. As a teen they became an escape for me from a not so great reality. I was struggling with lots of things, clinical depression and self harm included. 2 books helped me learn to embrace my off kilter brain and learn to be okay with myself.
One of the biggest influences for me was White Oleander, which I read at 17. I was living with my mom and things were not going well for us. That book allowed me to see her in a totally different light. Ingrid (the mother in the book) was not a model mother and neither was mine. I was able to step back and look at our relationship from a different perspective. That was when I started to learn that I had the ability to change the influence she had on me and my thoughts. It started my process of healing. :)
♥ I think I have always loved books and reading. One of my earliest memories is carrying around a book of nursery rhymes and going through it front to back, over and over.
One of my fondest memories is my grandfather taking me to the library every week so I could get my fill of books. I'd always walk away from the library with stacks of books from The Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. It always drove my mom crazy that I would stay up late in the middle of the night reading my books. I used to pretend to sleep and then read with a flashlight under the covers too =D
I drifted away from my love of reading during junior high and high school, only picking up a book for pleasure when a new Harry Potter book came out. It was actually a break up in college that got me back into regular reading. One of my close friends introduced me to Twilight in an effort to get my mind off the break up, and boy did it ever! I started reading fan fiction, which led to following book blogs, which led me to Goodreads. I have been reading and reading and reading ever since!
If a particular series is mentioned without giving the name of the author, can we still read a book by that author even if it isn't part of the series that has been mentioned?Specifically: the Darkfever series by Karen Marie Moning has been mentioned a couple of times but the author's name hasn't been included. Can we read a book written by the author even if the author hasn't been explicitly mentioned? Or can it only be a book from the Darkfever series?
Since we can get fairly creative with how we interpret the memories, I figure this might work but prefer to ask anyway.
In short: yes.Your reasons for reading a specific book for a memory can be however convoluted, illogical and longwinded as you like, you just need to explain your reason of how you connect the book to the memory. Hope that makes sense:)
If I'm reading this correctly, a book may count for a card and a memory in addition. Is that correct?Also, this starts the 14th. Is that local time? For me, today is the 13th. I'm not sure about my team members, but when I do the score sheet, I use my local time for date completed.
How do you creative peeps come up with this stuff? I love it!This alone must have taken so much time to coordinate. Thank you so much moderators for all the work you've put into this entire challenge!
Kristie wrote: "If I'm reading this correctly, a book may count for a card and a memory in addition. Is that correct? Yes!
Also, this starts the 14th. Is that local time? For me, today is the 13th. I'm not sure about my team members, but when I do the score sheet, I use my local time for date completed. "
Use the same time table as for the start of the challenge:
Tokyo: 5pm, 14th March
London: 8am, 14th March
New York: 3am, 14th March
San Francisco: Midnight, 14th March
Laura wrote: "How do you creative peeps come up with this stuff? I love it!This alone must have taken so much time to coordinate. Thank you so much moderators for all the work you've put into this entire chall..."
I'm glad you like it, hope it will be fun! :D
I want ton confirm also - just to be sure - is it just books finished March 14th, or do they need to be started after March 14th?And thanks - what a great and fun idea!!
UNO Pixie wrote: "Kristie wrote: "If I'm reading this correctly, a book may count for a card and a memory in addition. Is that correct? Yes!
Also, this starts the 14th. Is that local time? For me, today is the 13..."
Got it! Thanks!
Suzanne wrote: "I want ton confirm also - just to be sure - is it just books finished March 14th, or do they need to be started after March 14th?And thanks - what a great and fun idea!!"
They need to be finished after 14th. It's ok to have started them before. (Provided they were started after March 1st)
UNO Pixie wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "I want ton confirm also - just to be sure - is it just books finished March 14th, or do they need to be started after March 14th?And thanks - what a great and fun idea!!"
They ne..."
Thanks very much - that is what I was guessing, but I wanted to be 100% sure. I'm excited to think about the books I'm reading and how they relate to others' memories!! How fun!
For this memory: I love a lot of different types of books....I love romance most of all...historical romance in particular. I think to date..my favourite is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon...With mentioning loving historical romance in particular, would
work even though a specific series was also mentioned?
As long as you are able to make a connection between the book and a memory it is ok. You don't need to read a specific book/series mentioned. For example Outlander in that memory can make you think of Scotland, then bagpipes - a sound that you might hate and wish you'd rather be deaf than listen to. You can then decide to read a book with a deaf character.
You can make a however insane connection as you'd like, you just have to explain your thinking :)
I just wanted a little clarification about where we are posting the connections. I am team Cars so do I post the connection in the Team Cars thread only or if the connection is to Team TMNT do I post it in the TMNT thread?
Lulu wrote: "I just wanted a little clarification about where we are posting the connections. I am team Cars so do I post the connection in the Team Cars thread only or if the connection is to Team TMNT do I po..."yes to the team you are reading the memory from, so TMNT
Lulu wrote: "I just wanted a little clarification about where we are posting the connections. I am team Cars so do I post the connection in the Team Cars thread only or if the connection is to Team TMNT do I po..."That's what I'm wondering too. I thought that we had to post in the group thread that we were connecting the memory to like this one: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... to get credit for the book. That was the link I put in our teams spreadsheet where it asks for the link, but I looked in some of the other spreadsheets to see if I was doing it right, and the others ones just linked to random things.
I just want to make sure I asked our team to do the right thing or am I making extra work for them. :)
I LOVE this little challenge btw!
Question: For the Post, are we to just link to what message it is on this thread for what team or do we have to post the memories in the teams thread and why we make a connection? I'm hoping it's the first and not the later.Example if we did a memory for Team Cars, do we link it to message 3 on this thread or do we go to Team Cars and take what memory we did and why it connected.
To claim points for the mini challenge you need to post your book along with a motivation why the book is connected to the memory in the team thread belonging to the memory.So to me that means that for my team (Muppets), we have a memory from Team Glee that Lisa read for, so Lisa posted in the Team Glee thread here
and that is what I have linked in the spreadsheet.
I think the UNO Pixie may be sleeping, but when she wakes up I'm sure she will yell out if that isn't correct
Lulu wrote: "I just wanted a little clarification about where we are posting the connections. I am team Cars so do I post the connection in the Team Cars thread only or if the connection is to Team TMNT do I po..."Karen and Daphne are correct. You post your explanation in the team thread that has shared the memory. So if you read for all the memories you will have visited all the threads in the end.
RachelvlehcaR wrote: "Question: For the Post, are we to just link to what message it is on this thread for what team or do we have to post the memories in the teams thread and why we make a connection? I'm hoping it's t..."For the post, you link to your explanation posted in the different team threads. You don't need to re-post the memory in it's entirety, but you do need to explain which memory you are connecting and why. So for your example, it would be the second alternative, you link to the Team Cars post.
One more question. This challenge is for books read after March 14th. (is that books started after March 14th? Or can they be books started for the challenge but completed after March 14th?) i see where someone else asked this question but I don't see where it was answered. Forgive me if I missed itthanks
Lisa wrote: "One more question. This challenge is for books read after March 14th. (is that books started after March 14th? Or can they be books started for the challenge but completed after March 14th?) i see ..."You can count books started after the challenge started 1st of March but finished after 14th of March. :)
This is an optional mini challenge for our UNO players.
This month is focused on getting to know each other and what better way than to meet and greet with books?
You've shared book memories with us (thank you for sharing). Now you will be able to choose one memory from each team (apart from your own) and read a book for that memory. The book you read needs to be connected, by free associations, to the memory. To claim points for the mini challenge you need to post your book along with a motivation why the book is connected to the memory in the team thread belonging to the memory.
❀ Only books read March 14-31 will count for this challenge
❀ The usual book length requirement for UNO apply
❀ You can only read one book per team memory.
❀ Post the book and explanation on in the team thread to claim points
❀ Each memory is worth 20 points. Complete all 16 and your team gets a bonus 30 points
❀ Books used for this mini challenge do not need to be separate books for what you are claiming for your UNO hands
❀ Captains, your spreadsheets will be updated in order for you to claim points
The list of memories, by team, can be found below
Additional information / Example
❀ As there are 17 teams, but you can't read a book from your own team memories, that means the maximum points your team can achieve is 350 points (16 other teams x 20 points plus 30 bonus points)
❀ There is no limit to how many books each member of your team can read for this challenge, but as a team you can only read one book per other team.
Example:
There are 17 teams playing UNO with names Team A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q
Team A has 4 team members; Annika, Karen, Pixie and Kristie
Annika is the largest reader so she reads ten books for this challenge ; one from each team memory for 10 different teams (teams B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K)
Karen reads 2 books from 2 other teams (L,M)
Pixie reads 1 book from 1 other team (N)
Kirstie reads 3 books from 3 other teams (O,P,Q)
Example Team Memory:
♥ I remember going to the old Orpheum Theater with my mother and my best friend to see “Gone With the Wind” ’in the summer of 1969. I was so excited to see my first grown up film. I can see the maroon curtains unveiling the movie screen as the lights dimmed. Not a sound could be heard, but the opening strains of music and there was Tara! I was smitten. Laura and I sat through the second showing too. Exhausted, but roiled up was I when I got home. On my lonely supper plate laid my very first copy of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind! Needless to say, I wolfed down supper and went to my room and began reading the book that I’ve had a love affair with since that summer day. I was 12 years then. And I read the novel each year.
You can connect to this memory in a variety of ways ; some examples:
- reading "Gone with the Wind"
- reading a book by an author named Tara, or Laura, or with a character named Tara or Laura
- reading a book with maroon curtains on the cover
- reading a book where a character goes to the movies for the first time
-reading a book set in a theatre
etc.!