Quote:
Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer
My grandmother always wanted her grandkids to read. My sister and I read a lot, even as children, but not the books she thought were "quality children's literature" (e.g. Thea Beckman) but we both preferred mysteries and scary stories (Griezelbus!).
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Thea Beckman is the writer who got my interested in historical fiction... Two of my favourite writers at that age were she and Evert Hartman....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer
My grandfather, on the other hand, didn't care what I was reading as long as I was enjoying myself. He always made sure my sister and I got book gift card for our birthday and Christmas instead of books picked by my grandmother which we wouldn't read.
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That's the right mindset. I don't care what you read, as long as you read...
I remember at high school, we had to read all those literature books for Dutch class. I hated it while I love reading. In English class we also had to read 10 books (if I remember correctly...). But the only catch there was that they needed to be of a certain length (not too short). I read, amongst others, Shogun by James Clavell, Clan of the Cavebear by Jean M. Auel, but also 1984 and Animal Farm. Not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
I've not read many Dutch books since, while I devour English books (exceptions are the books by Thea Beckman and Evert Hartman, who I still read even though those are "juvenile" fiction...)