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I'm always interested in finding out others' reading habits and histories. Were you always a big reader, or did you come to it later in life? Do your parents and siblings read? What about your husband and kids?
Please share anything you'd like to say about your favorite pastime.

My parents were both big readers and so there were always plenty of books around the house to choose from. My dad loved detective novels, but every summer he would choose a particular author - Hemingway, Faulkner, Steinbeck, etc... - and read EVERYTHING they wrote. My mom read whatever was popular at the time. They let me read anything I wanted and never tried to stop me from reading something that might be too "mature" for me. (And for that I will be eternally grateful!) They also let me order whatever I wanted from the Scholastic catalogues the school sent home.
Friday nights were big in our household. First we went to dinner at either George's Pizza or the Hamilton Restaurant. (I didn't care which, because I had a foot-long hot dog wherever we went. I think part of my childhood died the day they replaced the "foot-longs" with 2 regular hot dogs!) Then we would head for the little bookstore downtown and everyone would get something.
I read a lot of trash in my high school years - horror novels, movie tie-ins, and this series of sleazy teenage sex novels by Jack W. Thomas. (As I recall, they had very "moral" endings, where the slutty, druggy girls ended up in rehab, jail or dead!)
I majored in Art at college, which didn't exactly open too many doors career-wise. I eventually wound up working at B. Dalton Books. (Probably as close as I will ever get to Heaven!) Employees were encouraged to borrow bestsellers so we could promote them to the customers. Paperback books that had reached the end of their "shelf life" were to have their covers sent back, then be destroyed. Of course we ignored the second part of that directive, and all of us had vast libraries of stripped paperbacks! Why did I leave this job? Well, I married the manager.
Aw! A bookstore romance - still together after 20 years! My husband came from a family of nonreaders. I'm not sure there was a single book in their house, yet they were all highly educated people. They just did not read "for fun." My husband reads about 52 books a year - but he claims that if he had married someone else, he probably wouldn't read at all.
My sons read, though they'd both rather be playing video games.
I pick up a book whenever I have some free time and no matter how tired I am, I can't fall asleep without reading a little first.
To me, life without books would be simply unimaginable!

I just wrote a huge reply and it disappeared! Forgive me if this is a duplicate.

Melki, thanks for the question and sharing your memories! I especially loved the story of going out for dinner on Friday and then going to the bookstore! I worked at B&N myself (I agree, a dream job!), so I can relate to having tons of stripped books at home. What a great place to meet your mate!

Reading seems to skip a generation in my family. My grandmother, who lived with us, was a huge reader, and I got my love of reading from her. She would take me to the library each week and we would load up on books. I can remember her sitting in the corner of the living room reading, reading, reading her mysteries while everyone else watched TV. She had to mark the books because she couldn't remember which ones she had read!

But I think the time I really decided I was a reader was when I was in second grade and I didn't have any friends in the neighborhood. I can remember determining that my books were just as good as friends, any day. I devoured the Nancy Drew books, and my grandmother would always buy them for me--in order--so I would have the next one ready. I also loved to read under the covers with a flashlight. I have reread some of those books because they were so special to me. Books by Elizabeth Enright, Beverly Cleary and Elenor Estes especially. I will never forget my first "adult" book (no, not that kind!). I was at the school library when I was in middle school and asked the librarian for a suggestion. She put Rebecca in my hands. Wow, what a book! It is still one of my favorites.

Now I work in a school and do remedial reading groups, which I love. But the best thing is that I get to read with children. If I have a little free time, I have the divine pleasure of going to a classroom and saying, "Can I read to the children?" The teachers are always delighted to have a couple minutes of break, and I get to share my love of reading and books with the little ones! The best thing of all is when a child comes to me a few years later and says, "Ms. Devlin, I remember when you used to come to my room and read all those books." Or when I see someone come out of the library and they come show me the book that they chose and it was one of the ones I read to their class. I may not have instilled the love of reading to my kids (I think they take after their father!), but I like to think that maybe I ignited a spark in one of the kids at school.

Melki, thanks so much for the stroll down memory lane! I hope I didn't go on too long--as you can see, I have a lot to say about reading! I can't wait to hear everyone else's stories!

My mom & I were the big readers in my family. We were at the library at least once a week visiting the different branches of the library. My favorite one was in an older brick house - lots of rooms and nooks & crannies and a window seat. My sister loved to be read to, but didn't read much on her own. I think she reads a bit more now. Dad read the paper all the way through & magazines. Didn't see him with books too much. My son used to be a big reader, but not so much as he has gotten older. Depends on what's going on in his life. When he was little one of the things he liked to do when he had a day off school was to go for a "library tour" - we would visit branches in 2-3 of the local towns. He loved the one that had a comfy couch in the Children's section. My husband has started reading more now that he's not working. He prefers non-fiction or something with a lot of research like James Michener. He really enjoyed "Water for Elephants" once I finally got him to read it too. All three of us are faithful readers of the local paper. I'm always a bit amazed at people who don't & often don't watch the news either. I will admit I don't read every article - some don't interest me & others I know will just make me angry & frustrated. But books are my favorite. I always get edgy when I know the library is going to be closed for an extra day - what if I run out of things to read?!? Like I don't have shelves of books at home. LOL! They've been closing between Christmas & New Years the past few years too.

This is nice! Been waiting all day to get here and read your histories and thinking about mine.

Reading always a part of my life. Earliest memories are of the a library being near the grocery store. So grocery shopping coincided with library visits.

I distinctly remember a book about a guy who sucked a lemon on top of school house. If anyone knows the title of this book I'd love to know!!

My mom read me Little House every morning before school. My father I remember reading those reader digest collections or least him napping with one resting on his chest.

Loved the story of Helen Keller and the usual Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing and Henry and Ribsy.

Fell in love with S. E. Hinton books in early jr. high.

Once I moved away from home and was married with a small child my sister sent me a huge box of her old historic romances which I devoured.

Two more kids later she introduced me to Jurassic park by Michael Crichton and opened a whole new world to me.

Then my brother said I should read Hart's War (I'd already seen the movie) changed my whole outlook on reading a book after I'd seen the movie. Use to disregard them. Never do that again.

Somewhere probably more years ago than I realize I found Fiction Lovers at iVillage and WOW reading has never been the same for me since. So many genres and authors I probably would have never discovered If it weren't for the wonderful women there, many of you.

Now Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ; it is truly a blessing. I find myself more and more excited by reading!!

My parents would let us stay up past our bedtime if we were reading a book. That was an incentive that quickly took on a life of its own. My mom had a bunch of Nancy Drew and Bobbsey Twins books, and I remember Cherry Ames and Donna Parker. Plus I loved our little local library and have never stopped being a patron of the public library.

Theresa - I remember doing that with my son. Bedtime was 8:00, but if he wanted to read in bed, he could stay up until 8:30. Of course there was the night I was late going in to make sure his light was out & discovered him still reading at 11:00!

Theresa & Liz - I remember that as well! I come from a family of readers - my mom was a huge reader, and so we all ended up being readers as well. As adults, I think out of my siblings I'm a bigger reader, and remember taking my son every weekend to the bookstore - we'd do the circuit of farmer's market, bookstore, coffee shop, playground. I started reading the Harry Potter series to him and by the end of the series, he was reading all the books himself! Now he loves the fantasy genre, and has developed his own reading preferences. My gram is also a huge reader, although her eyes don't allow for book reading I still bring her audio books of any books that I find for her. It's definitely a family trait that binds us!

We used to read to our son 30 minutes every night before bed. Then one day he was old enough to do it himself! Imagine! Like his parents, there is always a book he is currently reading, but like his father he reads one at a time. When I asked him how he wanted to spend his birthday (yesterday), he quickly decided that he'd like to browse around at Barnes & Noble. It was a fun afternoon.

Books have always been a huge part of mine and my family's lives. My parents and my grandparents houses were always and still are covered with bookcase jam packed with books and now my own place it rapidly going the same (I actually had to move into a 2 bedroom flat so I'd have space for all my books...the second bedroom now being a library...and I've still got plenty left in my old bedroom at my parents house).

We were always encouraged to read and to read whatever we wanted so I was reading adult horrors as a kid when my friends were stuck with the usual children's books (which as great as they are can be a little restrictive, especially if you're an avid and fast reader like I was and am). Now I can't imagine my life without reading playing such a big role (and I really don't understand my other half when he says he has to be in the mood to read...I mean surely people are always in the mood to read?!?!?!?)

My dad was the big reader in our house - he loved Westerns and thrillers and always had one or two in his snap bag (lunch Pale)for work. He taught me to read by the time I was three and I have never looked back.

Our special night was also Friday, we would have fish and chips from Ruby's which dad would bring home along with a Ladybird book which he would read to us and by the next week I could read it by myself and was ready for the new one.

On starting school I caused chaos nnd mayhem when I refused to take home flash cards to learn to read and my parents were called in and had to explain I could read! I was kind of left alone to read what I liked by the teacher, she had no time for me.

Dad bought me books or we went to the library together to choose something every Saturday. He bought me my first copy of Jane Eyre for my 9th birthday and although I didn't understand it all I fell in love with Mr Rochester and it is still one of my favourite books.

As a pre-teen and teen before leaving home at 16 I read every day, my english teacher disppaired of me when I finished the allotted books in the sylabus long before any of the class and my sister, who I shared a room with never knew I read by the lamp outside the house with my curtain back and the book in the lamp light! My books followed me to my first job in London with the Salvation Army and then onto my digs in East Ham before joining my young husband (both of us 18) to our first married quarter in Wiltshire. They were even packed up and went to Germany with us.

Sadly dad died in 1989 aged 58 and to this day I miss him terribly as we would sit and talk books or read together when we could. It would have been his 81st birthday today and it has been a funny day for me. I am glad to tell you about my love of reading which came from my dad.

I don't remember a time I didn't like books! As soon as I learned to read I would stay up late reading, much to my mother's dismay.

As for my family, my parents both were English majors in college, so it seems love of English and literature are in my blood. My parents both read, but I don't remember seeing them read (they died when I was young), just that they always had books on their nightstands and bookmarks in those books, and my dad's favorite author was Dick Francis.

I have three sisters and none of them seem to like to read as much as I do. I also was the only one to earn a degree in English in college.

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "My dad was the big reader in our house - he loved Westerns and thrillers and always had one or two in his snap bag (lunch Pale)for work. He taught me to read by the time I was three and I have nev..."

My father died in 1988 at age 58. I was almost 11. :*(

hmmm, I've never replied to this! Probably because I don't come from a family of readers(5 kids). I'm the ONLY one that reads(including my parents). One year I bought beautiful books for everyone, you know the coffee table books with gorgeous pictures and end of century books with cool pics and memorable moments? I ended up returning them all. It was a good effort anyway.

On the bright side I now have my own family and my kids are crazy about books....it just warms my heart to see them sneak their light on after bedtime to read :)

I'm sorry you lost your father at such a young age, Caroline. I was 30 when my dad died, but it's still a real punch in the gut, no matter when it happens.

Melki wrote: "I'm sorry you lost your father at such a young age, Caroline. I was 30 when my dad died, but it's still a real punch in the gut, no matter when it happens."

Punch in the gut is right.

I first feel in love with reading when went into a class taught by a really scary male teacher at the age of 8. In fact one of the best teachers ever and the reward for being good during the day was a section he read out load of The Hobbit.
I always loved reading from there Enid Blyton famous Five secret seven
hardy Boys
Then read Lord Of The Rings which still best book ever depending on time of day and which way wind blowing.
I always have a book with me or read leaflets or back cereal cartons.
My job involves waiting around a lot sometimes but will be reading whatever I keep in my bag.
I have been seduced by my i phone over past 3 months which was a new toy BUT the old mistress of a book is coming back into my life and I can judge this as battery life of i phone now up to 2 days rather rthan half a day
Some of you may have read this rant before so sorry for boring

BoB

I love this thread; everyone's stories are so interesting. I was born in 1969 to a pair of very young hippies. As such we didn't have a television, so every night after dinner my mom would read to my dad, my sister and me. The book I remember most vividly from this time is The Hobbit. She always had a book in her hand and books, magazines and newspapers were all over the house. Legend has it that when I was three years old I was sitting on the floor next to the newspaper and started reading it aloud. My first grade teacher Mrs Topalian, kept me in line by offering me the full run of the elementary school library, bless her heart. I remember being obsessed with a series of books about forest animals with major personality. I think the author's first name was Thornton. Anyway, I also read them to my sister who is 2 years younger. Later, after my parents divorced, we lived with our dad who encouraged our love of books with weekly trips to the library and lots of books under the Christmas tree. He also supported our right to choose. My fifth grade teacher called him in for a conference when she "caught" me reading Forever by Judy Blume. He responded to her concern by saying "If she doesn't understand it, it can't do any harm, and if she can then it can't do any harm either." When my sister and I had an apartment together as young women, we read every morning with our coffee and sometimes even at meals. To this day, the three of us talk about books,trade books and occasionally argue about books. I am happy to report that the reading bug has also been transmitted to the next generation of our family.

I read "Battle Cry" by Leon Uris when I was in High School. It was a book of my Dad's. That got me hooked on reading. Also read some of Hemingway.