How did you become a reader?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by danskmacabre

Anyway eventually my oldest sister saw I was taking an interest and and gave me a book to read. It was called "Black beauty", it was about a horse (I think it was part of a series). Actually I hated that book and she quickly gave me "The Hobbit" to read, which I absolutely loved.

I love both. Perhaps you should give Black Beauty (by Anna Sewell) another go! It's really rather good, but not particularly intended for children.

[ghostyjack]

I vividly remember when I became a proper reader, it happened when I was 15 years old. Up until then I didn't do much reading, some for my school work and the odd comic.

As I said, I was 15 years old. My dad just died and I had just about managed to complete my GCSE's in school, wasn't easy as my heart wasn't really in it at the time for obvious reasons. To take our minds off my dad, one of my aunts took my mum, sister and myself away on holiday (only Tenby in south-west Wales, but it was nice and quiet, surrounded by lovely countryside).

I was bored, so I wandered into town and ended up at a book shop, there wasn't much else for me to do, so I decided to by a book. I ended up buying "Domes of Fire" by David Eddings.

Since then I was hooked.

[crossi]

My mother was a reader and she always read us bedtime stories which I loved. I still remember my first time I read a word. It was "cat" from the Cat in the Hat. It was a revelation and I never looked back. Even early in grade school I was a voracious reader. We had a set of encyclopedias and I would take a volume and read the entire thing. The bookmobile which parked a block away let you check out as many as you could carry. I'd get a stack from my fingertips to my chin and have them all finished 3 weeks later when it came back.

[maianhvk]

When I was 3 I always asked people to read comics for me, and although I had absolutely no idea what the words meant, I memorized them so well that I could recite exactly every speech balloon, including "Boom!" or "Vroom"

And then dad subscribed a children weekly magazine for me.

And also, I had an older sister who read all the time (so bad she doesn't any more). I remember going through all of her textbooks (literature only).

And then, The Count of Monte Cristo... I guess that's what defined my taste in books. I always prefer romantic stories.

P.S.: I hated my schools' libraries. Every single one of them. The librarians were cranky. I spent my days sitting in bookstores instead.

[Dee Q]

Hi MaiAnh, you're 2 years younger than me but for sure you read far more books than me. I really admire people like you!

[crich70]

Originally Posted by maianhvk

When I was 3 I always asked people to read comics for me, and although I had absolutely no idea what the words meant, I memorized them so well that I could recite exactly every speech balloon, including "Boom!" or "Vroom"

And then dad subscribed a children weekly magazine for me.

And also, I had an older sister who read all the time (so bad she doesn't any more). I remember going through all of her textbooks (literature only).

And then, The Count of Monte Cristo... I guess that's what defined my taste in books. I always prefer romantic stories.

P.S.: I hated my schools' libraries. Every single one of them. The librarians were cranky. I spent my days sitting in bookstores instead.

I loved the library as a kid. During the summer they'd have a reading program where you would set a goal of how many books you were going to read over the summer holidays and at the end you got a certificate of achievement if you reached your goal. I don't know what you got if you fell short. I imagine there must have been some sort of recognition for having participated, but I never did find out if that was the case because I always went zipping right past my goal. They also had field trips to the zoo or museums or some other such activities. One time they had a trip to a theater to see a play of Treasure Island with an all female cast.

[sophie1rachel]

I was born one . I always have had a knack for reading and now Kindle made me a rigorous reader and a writer as well

[xendula]

^ How did the kindle make you a writer? Because you read self-published books and realized you may be able to do it as well?

[ereadingdotcom]

Well, I grew up in an abusive household and books were a great escape for me. I was also a skinny, beanpole of a kid (hard to believe today, from anyone who knows me) and was a complete nerd.

I grew up during the heyday of D&D; but by then I was already reading stuff that made traditional Sword & Sorcery look rather simple by comparison. So I found myself engrossed everyday in everything from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Zane Grey and Pat Conroy to Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Louis L'Amour.

As I evolved into my teens, I would take the bus to Santa Monica to see the authors I was reading speak at the late, lamented A CHANGE OF HOBBIT bookstore. That was the genesis of me becoming a writer...or a typist, depending upon whom you ask

[MickiTee]

I've always read. I can remember being taken to the library when I was five or six and borrowing the Thomas the Tank Engine series. I haven't stopped since.

These days I read to pass the time during the daily commute and at home to relax.

[mrscoach]

My mother always told me that she would drop anything she was doing f I brought her a book to read to me. My sisters would, too. They weren't sure when I learned to read because I had all the books memorized, but then they realized I was reading the Sunday comics by myself.
Mom was always reading, so I had a great role model.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by mrscoach

My mother always told me that she would drop anything she was doing f I brought her a book to read to me.

What a great mother!!

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

What a great mother!!

I agree. I still remember my own mother teaching me some basic knowledge. For learning one of the days of the week she asked me "how does your dad like his eggs?" The answer was Fried = Friday. A good mother does teach her children at least some of the basics I think. My own got me a library card when I was 3. It was still a few yrs before I learned to read, but she laid the foundation.

[voracious71]

Originally Posted by crich70

I loved the library as a kid. During the summer they'd have a reading program where you would set a goal of how many books you were going to read over the summer holidays and at the end you got a certificate of achievement if you reached your goal. I don't know what you got if you fell short. I imagine there must have been some sort of recognition for having participated, but I never did find out if that was the case because I always went zipping right past my goal. They also had field trips to the zoo or museums or some other such activities. One time they had a trip to a theater to see a play of Treasure Island with an all female cast.

I really wish my local library had done this when I was a kid..I would have surpassed the goal too.

[voracious71]

Originally Posted by mrscoach

My mother always told me that she would drop anything she was doing f I brought her a book to read to me. My sisters would, too. They weren't sure when I learned to read because I had all the books memorized, but then they realized I was reading the Sunday comics by myself.
Mom was always reading, so I had a great role model.

That's fantastic! My parents always made reading fun and read to me all the time. I also picked up reading on my own- they gave me the newspaper to find out if I could read though. I think I learned because it wasn't presented as a chore, reading was presented as a fun activity.