I have always been an avid reader. I read a wide variety of books and I’m usually open to suggestions. I enjoy a good old fashioned romance, historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, biographies, and a host of other things. I’m not big into self help books, but I have been known to pick one up from time to time. I also enjoy reading someone else’s opinions on a wide variety of subjects as well. I just like to read.
Recently while browsing different topics on Pinterest.com, I came across some of the old Dick and Jane books. My sister must know me pretty well because that was also one of the things she gave me for my 50th birthday. But looking at all the different posts it brought back a lot of memories. Good memories.
I remember reading those books in Mrs. Gill’s class in first grade. When you read the pages now they seem simple and silly. But an extraordinary thing happened to me as I looked at those posts on Pinterest. All at once I remembered the excitement of learning to read. As I looked at each post and smiled to myself over the simplicity of the page, I suddenly sort of felt the excitement of learning. The adventure of looking at the page and understanding the words that were there. The knowledge that I was reading a story.
I’m glad to say that my reading skills have much improved since the first grade. I have moved on to wordier books with fewer pictures. Some books I’ve read over and over. One book, “Gone with the Wind”, I only read to a certain part and then I pretend that they lived happily ever after. I’ve read most of Anne Rice and I’ve reread most of them as well. But my three most very favorite books are “Gone with the Wind”, “The Stand”, and “Jane Eyre”. Sometimes characters in a book become so real to me, that I have to read them again. I only get this from reading the book. I have seen all three of the movie versions of my favorite books and they can’t hold a candle to the story that the author weaves.
Sometimes I’m a little sad when a book ends. The characters become so real to me that I want to know what happened to them after that. Sometimes after finishing a book, I have to greive just a bit that it has ended. Sometimes I have to wait several days before starting a new book because I haven’t let go of the characters yet.
What are some of your favorite books?
Ha I know exactly what you mean, that great feeling its not exactly a memory, a kind of warm feeling. We had Janet and John over here but I have read Dick and Jane, I wonder how? Great post 😉
I just found the Stand and gave it to Christopher to read – he is 14 and isn’t that the age we were when that came out. I remember thinking S.King had to have had the ending before the beginning of the book. I don’t read as much as I used to but I am going to get back at it – you have inspired me! Christopher’s thinks that you should pick up the Ender’s Game — (is one in a series) he says if you have not read you should ck them out.
good post
I looked it up and it was originally published in 1978. So we may have been a little older. Still a good book for someone his age and with his love of reading!
One of my favorites is The Time Travelers Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
Thanks! That’s one I totally forgot about and wanted to read. Now its on my list. I like Anita Shreve’s the Pilot’s Wfe. Totally different kind of book, but the names are similar!
ooh….just looked up The Pilot’s Wife, and definitely need to add that to my reading list!