The Random World of Reading discussion

Who inspired you to start reading?


My mom first got me into my love of reading with gothic romance novels. She kept all of her Phyllis A. Whitney and Victoria Holt books from when she was a kid and I spent hours reading those. My pushinshments were always taking away one of my books because I would try and sneek it down to the dinner table.

For school, I had to read a book called "How to Read a Book." It's about critical reading (remember critical thinking?) and completely changed the way I read books. After "How to Read a Book", even textbooks are interesting.

I was an awful reader -I used to fall asleep while reading out loud during class. Then in the 3rd grade at a new school, I made the mistake of sticking up for that kid that always got picked on by the whole school. Thus beginning the worse 3 years of my life. Reading took me away from that. Now, I use those experiences in my writing and a few familiar names might pop up as random a-hole characters that get their butts kicked by main character >.>

What, me petty? Perish the thought!

I would say both my mom and dad, my mom would read to me a lot when I was younger and my dad is still an avid reader. I also tended to have friends who liked to read so that kept me interested as well!

emily_oriley wrote: "I was an awful reader -I used to fall asleep while reading out loud during class. Then in the 3rd grade at a new school, I made the mistake of sticking up for that kid that always got picked on by ..."

Though your explanation is brief, you sound like the most beautiful character in the story. As (damn who said it) said "The right thing to do, and the hardest thing to do, are often the same thing." You go, keep reading. -From a fan -Felix.J.Nickolas.

I have read ever since I learned to do so, I guess it is because my parents read for me every single night before sleeping.

I started reading when I was young but no one influenced me. I began reading because I was the only girl in my family and the baby so my brothers often didn't have time for me or only participated in sports and their friends. Reading helped me have something of my own and it was a great escape from my shyness. Later I grew out of my shy state and became active in sports, choir and social activities but reading was always my own little outlet away from everyone else.

My Gran used to sit reading to me when I was little. When I was a bit bigger she would sit and listen to me. I can't ever remember her not wanting to. When I was at school my dad limited the TV to one hour a day - books were my alternative entertainment but I only ever read the normal school kid stuff until a teacher at school told me that the best way of improve my very poor spelling was to read as widely as possible, didn't matter what. Next to her was the class bookcase. I decided to start on the top left and read everything. What a revelation!

I was always read to as a child and was taken to the library almost every weekend and as i got older i just continued on reading. I think being exposed to it so young gave me a love of books. I'm hoping to do the same thing for my son and he seems to already love to look through books.I don't know what I would do without books and the different worlds they take me too.

I think my grandmother was the one who got me into reading....

My family is a family of readers, but what sticks with me the most is the Emily Dickinson memory. My grandmother used to recite "I'm Nobody" to my mom, who then recited it to me as I was growing up. I didn't know what the poem was until I was in high school, and when I read it for the first time in the classroom, I suddenly felt like I had tapped into a literary history that was both much larger than me and something that I was a part of.

I wouldn't say a person so much as a book influenced me: the Adventures of Holly Claus around third or fourth grade. My mother's side of the family are all readers, though , so it was only a matter of time before I caught the craze.

I've just always loved to read....I learned at an early age so I'm gonna say my mom but no one else in my family reads so I don't know.

I don't remember exactly. However I DO remember being SUPER excited about the R.I.F (Reading is Fundamental) bus coming to our school when I was in like 2nd through 4th grade. You you were allowed to paw through a ton of books & pick out 3! It was better than Christmas for me and I don't think I've stopped reading since! If something is not in a book, I probably don't know about it....LOL.

My mom is my inspiration. When I was a tot she always had some romance novel in her hand and had this look of utter rapture on her face. I want to know what could cause so much concentration, so when I was deemed old enough she let me read one. My life has forever been changed.

No one, I am the only avid reader in my house

I don't ever remember not wanting to read except when i have my migraines but other than that i read about 12 hrs a day which the other hrs i spend sleeping.

I started reading after buying a bunch of Magic Tree House books at a book fair at my elementary school. I've read ever since!

My mother is the one that got me into reading. She has always been an avid reader, and spent many hours with me when I was very young, poring over books. Since my initial introduction to books, I have never stopped, even going so far as to earn a Bachelor's Degree in English, and get a job as a librarian. :)

I introduced to reading my a special lady who lived next door to me. I would go over to her house every day after school and together we would pick a new book from her library that allowed us to escaped into a different world. It was a very magical time, gave me my love for reading.

My mom got me interested in reading, and she took my siblings and I to the library several days a week. It was a great free outlet to take 6 kids to, and we were able to immerse ourselves in books and records. Yes, records. They had some listening stations, and I remember choosing books to take home and then stopping to listen to a couple songs before heading home. The library has kept me reading my whole life, and it has always been a great outlet for me.