♥ Nothing Better Than Reading!! ♥ discussion

Which is the most important moment in your reading life?? Think back to the time you started reading, and all that has happened in your life due to books. Which, according to you, is the most significant thing brought to your life because of reading, OR the most significant thing in your reading life.

The most significant thing that happened to me in my reading life was Atlas Shrugged. It was one book that totally changed the way I thought and behaved. It opened my eyes to a lot of things and made me want to be better or rather excel. That is one book that I can never forget and will always treasure the memory of both reading it while also treasure the teachings that it offered.

*Rushes to check the book*

Still to read Atlas Shrugged...though I read Rand's Fountainhead...and was amazed by it! Will be reading this soon though:)

@Ruchi - Ya Fountainhead was equally good. But I read Atlas Shrugged first and then followed it with Fountainhead. Both are essentially the same in terms of philosophies expressed but the manner is different.

Fountainhead :) That book is one of the most influential experiences of all time . I lost count of how many times I've read the Opening scene and the Austen Heller episode and the Trial Episode :)

Atlas Shrugged was magical too but a fraction less magical. But the John Galt Speech was so beautiful and I wasn't surprised when I learnt it took 3 years for Ayn Rand to write it .

Well, the most important thing that happened to me during my reading life was- I realized how much I actually loves literature and languages, and how much the writing and style mattered to me ! I read a lot of books that a lot of people like but I didn't. Either because the writing sucked or because it was flawed.
Shakespeare was the first writer who satisfied me in terms of writing and literature ! He was, and still is, the best writer I've come across !
Also, it was because of this obsession with writing that I love classics. And that is why, I think, all my favorite books are classics !

the most significant thing happened to me is friends.. basically I am a loner.. these books became my friends and at the same time addiction..
the books that changed my prospect on people and society are, perks of being wallflower & my sister's keeper... I lived on those characters when I read those books..
now whenever I feel there is nothing good or nothing cares my existence, I will just turn on my Kindle or raid flipkart /amazon..
books made me a while new world in which my existence is really matters..

The most significant thing for me was writing.... reading brought me closer to pen and paper and I started spinning tales filled with fantasy and magic... and another significant thing was ...it brought me to goodreads and I met some of the most amazing people here whom I wouldn't have otherwise ...who are now an important part of my life... I formed a "gang" here lol... creating havoc wherever we went .... few people here might know what I am talking about..lol... reading does bring people close..... :)

Akhil teja wrote: "the most significant thing happened to me is friends.. basically I am a loner.. these books became my friends and at the same time addiction..
the books that changed my prospect on people and soci..."

I know what you talking about....books are ones best friend. ...I always believe this... never complain always entertain.... they give you wide range of imagination and takes you on the most amazing journey.....

Joining Goodreads, to keep a track of all the awesome books I've read, and meeting a bunch of fantastic people, whilst also expanding my author knowledge and variety.

I became an avid reader at an early age. Books became a way for me to escape the reality of my life with an abusive step mother.

I started reading at the age of 8. For some reason, I was drawn to 19th century literature. My favorite books were Rebecca, Tess of the D'Ubervilles and Jane Eyre. I read each of them at least three times each!!

Now I really gravitate to historical fiction (my favorite author is Tracy Chevalier)and fiction based on ideas/situations/careers that are foreign to me. I recently finished An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin (the comedian!!) Its main character is an ambitious woman who cuts her teeth at Sotheby's Art Auction House and eventually owns her own gallery. Martin is well versed in the art world - buying and selling of art master pieces and I learned a lot about a subject that I was unfamiliar with.

Yes, reading is entertaining to me, but it is also a valuable learning tool that enriches my mind and knowledge.

Nothing Better than Reading!!!

Purvika wrote: "The most significant thing for me was writing.... reading brought me closer to pen and paper and I started spinning tales filled with fantasy and magic... and another significant thing was ...it br..."


Of course! ;)

Akhil teja wrote: "the most significant thing happened to me is friends.. basically I am a loner.. these books became my friends and at the same time addiction..
the books that changed my prospect on people and soci..."

I think of books as my friends as well. And there are times where I feel much more comfortable having books as my friends instead of people.

The most significant thing in my reading life is, I think, the time when I read the Feluda series detective books by Satyajit Ray back in my 7th/8th standard. I was glued to the books and finished all of them within a very short span of time. After that I used to go and hunt for books in my school library and read them whenever possible. That's how I got acquainted with reading.
Another significant thing was definitely joining Goodreads. Here, I came across so many different genres and the vast collection of books! Plus here I got some friends who matter a lot to me! :)
Lastly, I think of books as my friends too, my best friends in fact. Besides being the source of happiness and knowledge, they are my way to escape the reality when I need to.

i don't have any significant moment or book because books are like my friends they are always with me ,in depression ,in my happy moments and the sad one they always guide me ,they make me lough, they make me cry and they are to rely

I have always read books but even more so as I was bullied alot In school and when I moved to my last school I still didn't really have many friends and I remember finding the house of night books in my school library and I always read during lunch breaks etc as I didn't have many friends, but I agree books are like my friends and I enjoy the places books take you to :)

As some of you've already mentioned, my books are like my friends. I've been reading since an early age and then when school started I was bullied. Just as @Emiliee wrote, I read during lunch breaks etc, that way I didn't feel so lonely. I had the fortune of being a part of a really tight family so most of the time I didn't really miss not having friends. But still, books were a way to get away, they never judge you and when life feels tough, you can loose yourself in another world at any time or place.

Quite interesting..:) I can't remember or quote so specific, but ya...when I was in class 7 or 8 (did not exactly remember), my mom gave me her library membership card, for routine exchange of her listed books . You know...I did not go home with a bag full of her prescribed choices, but picks of mine only. A bag full of Tolstoy's, Premchand's and few more thoughtless varieties. Since than books are my good friends. And, the turn-around moment came when I realized a writer's heart pulsating within me....:)

Now reading and writing both hobbies are killer of my loneliness for long travels, prolonged stays home away and week-end escapes.

Hey that was a beautiful probing question because It had taken retro---down the memory lane...:)

Answering a question that does not demand to be answered, is, to me, akin to exposing a vulnerability, much like having faith in the idea that your words will be perceived by a sympathetic audience, perhaps, the masochism of an artist.

I am not certain as to what role books have played in my life, however, I do know that such a life is difficult to imagine.

It is the wet of morning rain in a sunny noon, as you sweat profusely while you hold your darling book, not in discomfort, for you are away from the glare of the baleful sun, in some faraway land where a cool breeze blows and the raindrops sing.

I've felt joy that is indescribable in mere words, born from mere words breathing on a yellowing sheet of paper, the smell of their age lingering like the ghost of some dried flower.

Books are subtle seducers, that much I know.

Yep.

They be cool in their own wicked way.

It would be the moment when my father introduced me to Reader's Digest. That is the start of my affair with reading. :)

Nice answer nikhil

I cannot pick out a particular moment as such... But I could surely say one thing, the satisfaction you get when you read/re-read a good piece of writing is beyond words... :)

my most important thing that books gave me is quite literally my life...they helped me when i was going through a rough patch 5 yrs back & just wanted to end it all...but books gave me the strength to hold on to life & keep fighting...i wouldn't be here if not for them...

As a student, the most important book that i started were the Beverly Cleary books. That was where I really started to learn to read. they are so amazing, and from that point on, I was a huge reader.

I guess the most significant moment happened to me while I read my first book. Until the age of twelve I was an absolute hate-reading person and this habit sent my mom far away from me(her whole world revolves around books). Her greatest regret was that her own daughter didn't even touch books. And one day I came across an Enid Blyton classic in the library and just fell for it or rather reading.Since then I haven't been able to stop. This book has brought my mom closer to me and these days both of us use our free times analysing the characters we adore in the books.

The Kite Runner
A Thousand Splendid Suns
I have read them when I was 14-15ish, absolutely loved the experience
prior to this I have read many awesome books too :) It's really hard picking up favorites among favorites :P
I should say my journey started with "TINKLE".Love it!!
I can get hooked to it any given time :)

My mom used to always read me a story when I was little. And so I got interested in trying to read. With the help of my mom, I was able to start reading chapter books (like Junie B., not Harry Potter haha) when I was 5(: As I started growing, so did my reading ability, and I couldn't go a day without reading something because of how much I loved it! When I was 8 and 9 that's when I started reading the Harry Potter series. Those were the first YA books I've ever read, and since the Harry Potter books, I've been hooked on YA, fantasy, contemporary and all sorts of different genres! So really I'd say thanks to my mom haha. (I apologize if there are any grammatical errors, I was typing fast

Dark Knight is the best...

I think for me finding the love of reading came with several books: reading a book on my own for the first time. I remember the room and the chair, and the book. I remember the year I started reading classics, and not getting enough of them. I remember the year I discovered Tolkien, which solidified my lifelong love of Fantasy. I remember the year I bought a Kindle, and instantly falling in love with it, knowing I would have a library of books with me always.

I think my love for books really started because of how sheltered I was as a kid. I was not allowed to do what the "normal" kids were doing. I read a lot ever since I was younger. I guess with no actual social life out of school and there wasn't any social media back then (only few students had cell phones but everyone had AIM!) I kinda lived through the characters and the stories. That of course isn't the situation now but I don't love reading any less. I think reading has done a lot of good for me, but the most that I think of is how it made me literate. Growing up in a family of illiterate people with horrible, horrible grammar, and ridiculous ghetto talk, I think about this often. I can talk like an educated human because I not only learned it in school (that doesn't help some people) but also from reading. So I appreciate it a lot for that reason. Plus many more but this would be a novel if I listed it all!

It seems pretty simple but the most important moment in my reading life was when I discovered the Kindle. Up to that point, reading had been an expensive habit that took up valuable space and money. With the Kindle I was able to build a massive library that I never would have been able to achieve with physical books. I am also able to discover new authors and it finally feels good to know that I'm never going to run out of new books to read.

I don't know if I can pinpoint any particular moment or book... But what I can say for certainty is that there are piles and piles of books that've changed me, changed my perspective towards life and changed how I see other people.

There were two times my life and perspective changed.

First, when i picked up my first novel ever to read. I was in a lot personal tension and was looking for a new hobby. And then i came upon HP. These books taught me to be happy at the worst of times. Just as charles dickens said in the tale of two cities "it was the worst of times, it was the best of times".

The second thing i remember is the kite runner, this book taught me so much that my perspective almost changed.

For me it was discovering Anne Rice while I was in middle school 7th grade. I loved her book Interview With The Vampire and started to read the series. I loved her other series, The Witching Hour.

My significant moment has to be when I discovered Goodreads. I always liked reading but since having my account on Goodreads I have noticed that I love reading. My passion for it has since increased and so has my reading. During my senior year in high school I was in a reading funk and wasn't in the mood to read anymore. I have since realized it was because I was in a transitional state where I was going from teen fiction into adult. It was a little after that I found Goodreads and made an account and like I said I found love in reading.

I have been reading since I have had eyes, but it changed for me recently. It has always been something to pass the time instead of sitting in front of the tv screen. For the past year, I have been dealing with some difficult times at home. Reading for me now is an escape from all of that and a way to clear my head and distract myself from difficult situations.

Maina wrote: "For the past year, I have been dealing with some difficult times at home. Reading for me now is an escape from all of that and a way to clear my head and distract myself from difficult situations.

I'm sorry you've been having difficulties at home. I agree that reading can be a good way to escape.

Maham wrote: "the moment I started reading, the moment my mum was diagnosed with diabetes, the moment my dad was shot and was for 8 hours in the surgery then in ICU in critical condition, Harry Potter and Anne S..."

That's scary stuff : ( I'm glad you had books to help you deal with it.

I think the most important reading event was in first grade, when my mother bought me a book set of The magic tree house and read the first chapter to me. Before that, I hated reading, I would pick up a book. But I was hooked on that one series. Then, in secind grade, my aunt gave me the first Harry Potter book, and read the series in much less than a year. My love of books originated from The Magic Tree House.

The most important moment in my reading life was when my mother bought me a book called "Little Blue Eyes." It was the first chapter book I ever read, and opened a whole new world for me!

Of Mice and Men was a really important novel for me. I read in senior school and loved it. The themes and issues of the novel really made me see how powerful books can be. I remember finishing the book in class, and a boy in my class cried his eyes out. As you know when you're in school you think you're 'cool' and 'tough' so to see him crying was such a shock! Of Mice and Men made me realise how much I wanted to work with literature.

My most important moment was probably when I started reading my mothers Harlequin romance novels at the age of 12. I remember thinking to myself, "If this is love, then I can't wait until I am older" Today I am 26 years old and I have gone through so much heartbreak. Love is nothing like it is in the books. It is false and misleading, but to this day I still read them and they give me hope that one day I will get to experience a passionate, raw, caring love like in my books.

Bible says "In the beginning, there was silence'. I say, in the beginning, there were book.

I don't remember a time when there were no books! Books is me and I am books. Does it make sense-it will to a book lover? I learnt a lot more from them than from the people around, while growing up. They have been my silent and constant companions, whether life, friends, relatives, family, colleagues are with you or not-books are there. Through the goods times, and not-so-good times. Silently comforting. Taking away the sting.

Gosh, I suppose for me the first thing that comes to mind is The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. That was the first book that I ever read that made me cry (and by cry I mean ugly, irrational, sobbing). I think I was too young to really understand why I was so moved by it though. I don't hear people mention that book very often but it is so beautiful.

Actually being able to read and my first time going to the library around the age of 6 and picking a book and not wanting the story to end.

This is a really hard question, surprisingly enough. In my case, I think there were several moments that created one defining or life-changing thing. The first time I got my own library card and was thus able to create a relationship with books of my choosing. The first time I got completely lost in a novel and realized that books were an escape from a very unhappy childhood. And then the first time that I realized I could write my own, which really is what has defined my character and my life since then.

Too corny? That may have been too corny and dramatic. But hey, it's true. :)

The day I realized I could actually read the words in the speech balloons in comic books. I could read!!

Oh...gosh.
Definitely my very first library card. When my family moved, I was finally allowed to get my own personal library card, and I was really excited about it. I had to sign my name on the line, and everything; and it was my very own - I didn't have to share it with anyone. So that was a big step for me.

But the moment that most defines my reading life, hmm.
When I first read the Harry Potter series? Those books are amazing. I received the first four in a box set, for Christmas in elementary school, (I remember I was reading the third book during free reading time, in fourth grade...so I must have gotten the box set around third grade? Would've been 2003.) and by the time the fifth book released, I was caught up, so I'd go stand in line and wait to get a copy. :)
The HP series was the first series I read where I really felt accepted into the reading 'movement'. I learned to read at age 4, and was reading voraciously all through kindergarten, and early elementary school - it sticks in my mind so vividly. But once I got those HP books, I realized just how much other people enjoyed them. Ever seen just how many people turn up at a book release? It made me so happy. There were other people who LOVED reading as much as I did!