Friday, March 06, 2009

More about books...

I read a blog that is written by Susan Wiggs, who is one of my favorite authors. Her most recent blog post, as of today, asks what it was that got her readers into reading (and writing, if they are writers, which I am not). Here was my reply (which actually was a bit longer than her original blog post...ooops!):

"When I was in either third or fourth grade, my mom gave me some of her old Nancy Drew books. I was hooked on reading from that day forward.

I made my way through the Baby-sitter’s Club, Christopher Pike, RL Stine, and Sweet Valley High as I made my way through school. I then got really into historical romances (Linda Lael Miller, Judith McNaught, Jude Deveraux, etc.).

In college, I read ‘Outer Banks’ by Anne Rivers Siddons, as well as many of Pat Conroy’s books, and became a little obsessed with Low Country writers. Today, I have expanded that list to include Dorothea Benton Frank, Karen White, and Patti Callahan Henry.

After I graduated from college, I discovered Barbara Delinsky, who I think as more in the women’s fiction arena than in the true romance arena. I quickly followed her to find you (Susan Wiggs), Debbie Macomber, Luanne Rice, and Kristin Hannah.

I later spent some time reading a lot of chick lit (the Red Dress Ink books), but I have come around again and am reading everything I can get my hands on by you (Susan Wiggs), Sherryl Woods, Jodi Picoult, and Robyn Carr, as well as my traditional after-college favorites and the Low Country writers listed above.

And that is how I got to reading what I read today…perhaps a bit too long of a story for a comment on a blog!"

So what about you? Are you a big reader? And what made you that way?

1 comment:

lonna said...

I was reading by age 3. I don't remember not knowing how to read. By five I was going to the library with my mom every week and checking out the maximum number of books allowed (7). I read them within 3 days. I read every piece of juvenile non-fiction in our entire library within one year. Then, I also went with my dad to the used book store by us every month. He would trade in his books, and I would buy more books as did he. I read every Ripley's believe it or not book I could find. By fifth grade I had finished every SE Hinton book. I was also reading everything that my brother had to read for school (he's 3.5 years older). Then I went on a big Steven King and Agatha Christie kick during freshman year. I basically would read anything I could get my hands on. Late high school saw me read everything Kurt Vonnegut wrote within about 6 months. Before I had my son, I was always reading multiple books at a time - usually music history or film history books. Of course, psychology books have always fit in there too.