Reading has always been something I've enjoyed. Growing up I was the first of my cousins to learn how to read. I was the oldest and have great memories of being at my grandma's house, surrounded by cousins and piles of books. My grandma had a monthly book subscription and we'd all flock to her house to see what new titles came in the mail that month. My grandma also had a collection of books that my dad and aunts and uncles had read growing up. Books like Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and Archie comics.
Looking back, I can see how these early years shaped the kinds of books I now enjoy reading. Along with mysteries I also read plenty of romance, historical fiction, children's books, and young adult books. I am one of those people who will put a book down if it's just not grabbing my attention. I think there are sooo many books out there, that there is no reason to slog through one I'm just not that into. I have found that sometimes I will go back to a book I've put down. Sometimes you just need to be in the right frame of mind for some stories.
If I had to make a list of my top 5 favorites books of all time, the list would look something like this:
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Persuasion by Jane Austen
- The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood
- If I Stay by Gayle Forman
- We Are in a Book by Mo Willems
Mary, I am right there with you when it comes to putting a book down if I'm not enjoying it. There are just too many things on my "to read" list for me to bog myself down with something I am not liking! Is If I Stay the book that inspired the movie that came out a few years ago by that same name? From your list it sounds like you would enjoy Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte -- I only just read it over the summer and loved it.
ReplyDeleteYes, If I Stay was turned into a movie. As with most movie adaptations it wasn't as good as the book. But I always think it's fun to see a book come to life on the screen. As a teen I went through a Bronte and Austen phase. I think I've read most of their works a few times and watched many, many of the movie versions.
DeleteI have such a hard time putting a book down if it's not grabbing my attention. I always feel...guilty but if I'm not hooked by the first two chapters or the first 100 pages, inevitably it winds up going back! Part of the reason why I NEVER buy a book without reading it first and will always get it from the library first. Some people think that's weird but if I don't like a book, at least with the library I can just return it and not have spent money on it!
ReplyDeleteI too read Nancy Drew as a child growing up. Nancy was my gateway into more mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. It's always interesting how what we read as kids tends to influence our reading choices and patterns as we get older, no?
I used to feel guilty about not finishing a book as well. I think it goes back to the idea of having to finish what we start. But I decided that life is short and there are just soooo many other books out there :) I totally agree about reading a book from the library first before committing to buying it. A book has to be really good in order for me to buy a copy for myself. I want a collection of books that resonate and are ones that I will go back and reread.
DeleteYes, it is funny how our early reading years influence our reading choices as adults. My mom had a stash of romance books that I discovered in my teens, which I can now see lead to my love of romance novels.
Mary
I have such bad guilt about not finishing books. If it's for a book club I'll try to power through it - otherwise I will pass on it. Great profile!
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