Today is my birthday!!
Yes, my blogoversary and birthday are that close together because I started my blog as an early birthday gift to myself.: ) So, to celebrate I thought it would be fun to have a personal post. I wanted to talk about the books that made me love reading.
One of the first books I read was The Babysitters Club.
I read several of them throughout my childhood but it took me a while. I remember my friend and I would pretend to be in a babysitters club.although we had no kids to watch.
Ohhh, to be that young again!
Then, like so many other kids, I loved Goosebumps. Although I was completely scared of everything, I still read these books. Why? I have no idea! R.L. Stein is just an amazing author and his books always gave me nightmares, but I couldn't put them down.
And remember those chapter books where you pick where the story goes? I can't remember any of the titles now but I loved those! Sometimes I would cheat and look ahead but it was still so much fun! Anyone know if they still make those?
Then there was my first ever series. The first series that I followed. The first one that I looked for at wal-mart every time we went there (I lived in a small town with no bookstores). I would get so excited to see a new book on the shelf. I remember spending my entire summer reading these books. I think that this started my true love of reading. I read these books long before they were turned into a TV show so I was able to really connect with the characters and imagine who they were.
Here is the amazing part of this story. I now know Melinda Metz, the wonderful author of this series. Okay, maybe not"know" but I have talked to her AND she sent me a signed copy of Roswell High: The Outsiders. This is priceless to me! Priceless!! I will get to show my daughter this book and tell her how I have spoken with the author! How cool is that!? Not many people get that opportunity and I will treasure this gift forever.
That is the part of blogging that amazes me the most. We get a chance to talk with authors we have"known" for years. We can spread our love for their books and hopefully help others develop a love for reading as well. What better thing to share with people than a passion for something?
After that amazing summer of reading, I picked up several other books and slowly built a collection. Once in high school, I wasn't able to read as much but I always missed it. I didn't start reading again until July 2008. I went to the bookstore wanting to find a great book and what do you think I picked up? Twilight. I didn't know anything about the series but the cover grabbed my attention and the summary peaked my interest. I fell in love! I immediately grabbed New Moon, and Eclipse, and thankfully Breaking Dawn had just been released so I read it too. I read all four books 2 times and then decided to go to the bookstore to find more amazing reads. I did find several books that I loved. The Evernight series, Vampire Academy, House of Night; pretty much anything vampire related. I admit I was stuck on paranormal for a while.
Now, I read anything I can get my hands on but my love is still in young adult books. I still enjoy paranormal, but now I love dystopian, contemporary, romance, and more! I'd much rather read than watch TV. It's interesting to see how our reading habits change over time.
So, what is my new book obsession? Divergent, by the amazing Veronica Roth. This book is everything I enjoy wrapped up in a nice, pretty package. If you haven't ordered this book, do it! It's out now.
Many books are all amazing in their own way. But it takes a lot to really grab a reader. Certain books always seem to stick with me and it's impossible to get the story and characters out of my head. But isn't it great to feel so much passion towards a story? I'm amazed at the talent writers have and I'm thankful for all the work they go through to share their stories with me.
What were some of your book first-loves? What book are you obsessing over now?