We all know I'm a major book worm now, but the truth is that I wasn't always such an avid reader. I have always loved books, but it wasn't until my twenties when I became a read-everyday kind of person.
Now that I consider myself a real book worm, I look back at my childhood and can reflect on the evolution of a budding bibliophile in the making...
- During our school's book fair, I would hide my favorite books behind other books so that when I returned the next day with money, I knew I would have a copy hidden away just for me.
- I grew up in a small town where I could ride my bike into town alone. The place I frequented the most was the library. I can still remember the smell of that particular library as well as it's exact layout.
- I was a huge fan of the original American Girls. Molly was my favorite. Samantha was my second favorite. It was never about the dolls back then. It was about the books.
- Once I reached high school, I was less inclined to read books and more inclined to read scripts and plays. I went through a pretty serious Shakespeare phase and felt somehow connected to him after learning that we shared a birthday. (I was a teenager, don't judge)
I memorized most of Romeo & Juliet, all of Ophelia's lines in Hamlet and the entire "to be or not to be" soliloquy. I was pretty dead set on becoming a screenwriter or playwright when I grew up.
- The book that turned me into an everyday reader was In the Country of the Young by Lisa Carey. I read it in 2006. Before that I only read books sporadically and not everyday.
- I read Twilight during the week that the last book came out. It wasn't nearly as crazy as it became a year later. I was on a road trip to California with my friends, and they were constantly yelling at me for reading instead of talking to them.
- The first Jane Austen book I read was Northanger Abbey, and I hated it.
- I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but didn't finish it and picked up the original P&P instead. It was the first classic novel I read just for fun, and I actually enjoyed it.
- My favorite classic novel is still Jane Eyre.
- I listen to audiobooks while I clean. My house is usually a lot cleaner because of it.
- I bite my nails and play with my hair while I read.
- Nobody can be touching me while I'm reading. (weird, I know)
- I tend to mimic the characters' facial expressions. If the character squints, I squint. If the character sighs, I sigh. If the character pouts, I pout. I'm sure I look crazy to anyone watching me.
- I do the majority of my reading in bed or the bath. If I read in public, I have to have headphones in or I get distracted by people talking.
- I have read 3 times more books in 2012 than I did in 2011.
- My favorite genre is still YA and I don't care what people think of that. My favorite sub-genre is dystopian. My favorite YA dystopian novel is The Hunger Games. My favorite adult dystopia is The Handmaid's Tale.
- I hope to one day write a novel of my own. Next year, I will complete my degree in creative writing and finally be on track to doing what I know I was always meant to do.
(Ironically, I don't intend on writing a YA or dystopian novel)
Well that was fun! I love looking back and seeing how I have become the avid book lover that I am today.
I hope you join! Write up a post with your nerdiest book confessions and share them with us.
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As for next week...it's that time of year again! The best of 2012! I want to hear the best books you read this year. Or share all the books you read this year. A year in review in terms of reading...
13 Comments
i would hide books at the book fair too! :)
ReplyDeleteI loved reading as a child. I hope to instill the same love in my daughter!
ReplyDeleteThe code below your button has the wrong image URL =) It has the Dear Santa photo linked to it.
ReplyDeleteI was so excited that they had a book fair at Noah's school but more excited that he loved it just as much as I used to.
I've never listened to an audio book. I'm going to give it a try though!
Love this topic!
YA dystopian novels are my favorite too!
ReplyDeleteI've always been a reader, and I always have a book to read. It's been hard since the baby was born to keep reading, because sometimes I'd rather sleep!
ReplyDeleteI love books! But I've always been an avid book reader! I found your blog via the Blog Hop Party on Thrifty Chic! Glad to find another book reader!
ReplyDeleteEve
lovealwayseve.blogspot.com
I used to hide books at book fairs too! I spent most of my time as a kid at the school library and city library. Ah, library days.
ReplyDeleteHahaha love your confessions! I particularly love how you and Shakespeare became so tight in high school. It was the opposite for me. I had an extreme loathing for him growing up, and only really began to understand his impact in literature as I got older. I can't say I *enjoy* reading his work but I can certainly appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI seriously debated writing a second round of book confessions for this book chat but I think I'm going to wait and just link up next week and focus on exam studying for the day. I can see myself getting carried away with blogging today, LOL. :)
My mom was an elementary library, so I got first dibs on all of the book fair books. I'd hide my stack in her office! :P
ReplyDeleteMolly was my favorite American girl too! I wasn't huge on the dolls, but I loved the books so much that my mom got it for me for Christmas one year. I loved that she wore glasses like I did. :P
Jane Austen has never been one of my favorites. I've tried so hard, but I just never can get hooked. I think it's because I was forced to read Jane Eyre as a freshman and hated it. But I think I'd really like it now. :P
I found you at the blog hop over at Little Inspirations. Following you now and would love to have you follow my blog as well. Please leave a comment so I'd know you stopped by. Thank you in advance!
ReplyDeleteLabrijoy @ Reality Strikes Mommy
I was just telling my husband that I used to read really smutty novels in high school. You couldn't get me to open a classic until I was in my 20's. Now, I wouldn't be caught dead reading a Danielle Steele book!
ReplyDeleteOh fun! I did a similar post a few months ago. :)
ReplyDeleteMolly was always my favorite, too, followed by Samantha. I loved the books but also thoroughly enjoyed "reading" through the magazines and seeing the dolls. I never got a doll, but it was fun to see all the stuff!
Great confessions! And that's an awesome reading picture of you. :) Also, I had no idea you were getting a degree in creative writing. That is so amazing! Good luck finishing your novel. A few other notes: I really wish I would have read Twilight before it became popular; maybe I would have liked it more. I was really fortunate to begin HP the first year it was released in the US, but I always wonder if I would have liked it as much if it were already popular because I can be kind of a book snob that way. ;) Finally, audiobooks while cleaning is a great idea. I listened to my first audiobooks this year when I had to make long road trips alone, and I loved them!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Eve. (I'm just now going through my Reader from the past month, so forgive me if I barrage you with comments!)
P.S. - Are you seeing Les Mis tomorrow?! I won't be back in the US until next week, but I'm definitely seeing it as soon as I get back!
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