# What got you reading?



## Olly Buckle (Jul 16, 2020)

I was reading the 'What book most inspired your writing' thread and thought 'Yes, Kipling has influenced my writing, but it was Arthur Ransom that really got me reading'. I started with 'Winter Holiday' and 'The Big Six', only got around to 'Swallows and Amazons' later, but it was the first time I obsessively went through book after book by an author. Our local library only allowed two children's books at a time, I took two back late one afternoon and the librarian commenting that I had only taken them out that morning and I was supposed to read them. I can still remember the look on her face when I told her I did and related the stories to her   Leon Uris, Exodus, came out in 1958 when I was 13-14, probably my first obsessive adult read.

So what started you off really reading?


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## Taylor (Jul 16, 2020)

Nancy Drew. 

 I had one copy that had a list of the whole series on the back with boxes in front of each title.  I checked them off as I read each one.  But I was just reading on Wikipedia that the books were updated in 1975.  Apparently, overt elements of racism had been excised and they took the tomboyishness out of her and made her more agreeable. 

   I would have read the original version.  Interesting....

Mid teens it was Ayn Rand.


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## Bloggsworth (Jul 16, 2020)

Biggles and Arthur Ransome. Talking of A R, a couple of years ago, when wandering the back streets of Horning on the Norfolk Broads, I spied in a small sub post-office, a complete set of 11 of the sailing adventures about which he wrote, including a couple of 1st editions - £100 well spent. Ransome lived near The Butt and Oyster in Pin Mill, just where our senior cross-country course turned right up the hill to Chelmondiston.


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## ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord (Jul 18, 2020)

Kid's Discover and Ranger Rick magazines, encyclopedias, atlases, pretty much anything science/nature. I didn't really read much fiction other than picture books, Jules Verne, and _Pagoo_ (my favorite, a book about a hermit crab that was somewhere between science book and story). In middle school I got into the Warriors series, C. S. Lewis, _The Hobbit, _some newberryish stuff like _Bridge to Terebithia, _a little Frank Peretti and eventually Michael O'Brien. 

What got me into poetry was The Kalevala, sophomore year of high school.


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## Turnbull (Jul 26, 2020)

I would say it's my parents.  They had books in the house, and thus we kids just picked up the habit without being consciously aware of doing so.  We had also a bunch of weird books, like we had this Christian space series where the entire world was controlled by a computer program called the Sphere, and people had children based on who the computer said were the best matches.  The MC was a young man looking for his parents and doing other heroic stuff.

Stuff like that got me into science fiction and weirdo stuff, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich got me into reading about Cold War history, which has made my writing more deep and complex than it would otherwise be.


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## BrandonTheWriter (Jan 8, 2021)

A lot of the film adaptations of Stephen King's books got me in to properly reading. I wanted to see how the books would compare to the films, and they were much better. I noticed myself being far more invested. Some of the adaptations are very hit and miss. Although Misery was a great one, some of the best casting I have seen. Plus Shawshank and Green Mile were amazing.

I also would credit English lessons at School for pushing me in to enjoying reading, too. We often picked a book from the library to read, and I always picked up the horror ones and loved them. Especially Goosebumps by R. L. Stine. Loved The Haunted Mask.


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## Theglasshouse (Jan 8, 2021)

Lord of the rings (read it slowly over a summer) and the hobbit (read this next) which made me want to read more. The first book I read that exposed me to science fiction was the left hand of darkness. Some more classics such as by alfred bester's best known novels.  Then I bought a whole slew of novels.


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## Llyralen (Jan 10, 2021)

My mother read to us every night and we loved it so much that this was true until I got my own room when I was 14.  It was the best!  She researched what books we would read and after several years decided to go through every Newbery book.   If my father was there with us or instead he would often make up stories and these were good! I believe he wound in lots of the radio adventure stories he knew from his childhood— it was usually about finding secret passageways and out maneuvering booby traps in Egyptian Pyramids or doing some type of Monte Cristo escape from prison and finding treasure.   They paved the way for me doing all of this with my own kids but mine only let me read to them until they were 9.... lol. My son said “We are too old to be read to anymore.”  In the middle of _Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nymn_!  I’m still sad about it. There’s so many years that this was the best thing between my parents and my siblings ans myself that they are missing!  My son is very conscious about what his friends are doing and age-appropriateness.  I can’t force my experience onto my kids, but at least they remember the years we had very fondly. They also remember the stories we made up together...and that is so precious.


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## Olly Buckle (Jan 10, 2021)

Llyralen said:


> My mother read to us every night and we loved it so much that this was true until I got my own room when I was 14.  It was the best!  She researched what books we would read and after several years decided to go through every Newbery book.   If my father was there with us or instead he would often make up stories and these were good! I believe he wound in lots of the radio adventure stories he knew from his childhood— it was usually about finding secret passageways and out maneuvering booby traps in Egyptian Pyramids or doing some type of Monte Cristo escape from prison and finding treasure.   They paved the way for me doing all of this with my own kids but mine only let me read to them until they were 9.... lol. My son said “We are too old to be read to anymore.”  In the middle of _Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of Nymn_!  I’m still sad about it. There’s so many years that this was the best thing between my parents and my siblings ans myself that they are missing!  My son is very conscious about what his friends are doing and age-appropriateness.  I can’t force my experience onto my kids, but at least they remember the years we had very fondly. They also remember the stories we made up together...and that is so precious.



My mother read to me, she taught literature among other things so was careful about what she chose. I read to both our girls, but halfway through the first JK Rowling the younger one learned to read well enough to shoot ahead and didn't want to be read to any more. After that I used to say, "Get into bed quick and I'll tell you an interesting fact." Quite hard work finding one every day, but fun.


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## Tiamat (Jan 10, 2021)

My grandma. She had a library in her basement and pretty much always had her nose in a book. I wanted to be like her, so when I was about 13, I asked her if I could read some of her books. She handed me a stack of 90s-era high fantasy novels--George R. R. Martin, Robert Jordan, and Terry Goodkind. I've been hooked ever since, though I've managed to branch out into other genres.


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## Foxee (Jan 10, 2021)

Learning to read in school was one of my very favorite things, I was hungry for stories. It didn't matter if we were reading the little reader stories or if the teacher was reading *Charlotte's Web*, My grandmother started reading me *The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe* from The Chronicles of Narnia to me but reading to little kids wasn't really more than a passing fancy so it was up to me to pick it up and read the rest of the book and then the rest of the series myself.

 The 'piano room' in Nonny's house was a pretty place with a tall bay windows, lace curtains, a nonfunctional fireplace, the promised piano, and a library corner with a wingback chair. This was where the *Journeys Through Bookland* (collection of stories and classics) was temptingly arrayed. In my grandmother's house reading was encouraged but also not really allowed. When I would slink into the piano room, select a book, and choose a story no sooner would I start to get into it than my grandmother's voice would float in from the far side of the house telling me to go outside or come help in the kitchen. For all that reading was supposed to be good, I had the idea that it was also somehow considered to be a waste of time.

I liked old-looking books so when I found a copy of *The Princess and the Goblin* it looked practically magical to me. It read magically, too, that might have been one of my favorite reads growing up.

We didn't have a TV after my parents got rid of it when I was somewhere around 8 years old but that's okay I had *Lord of the Rings*, *The Black Stallion* books, *The Princess Bride* (before the movie even happened),* A Wrinkle in Time* and other books by Madeline L'engle and thank goodness for the local library. When summer vacation started mom would take us there to load up. The school library was awesome, too, much more fun than actually sitting with other people at lunch.

There were old books like *The Harvester* and *Freckles* by Gene Stratton-Porter, mysteries by Dick Francis that centered mostly around steeple chasing, the *Sunrunner series* by Melanie Rawn, the *Dragonriders of Pern* by Anne McCaffery, *anything by Frank Peretti* and he needs to write more books, *Prey* might have been my favorite Michael Crichton book though he had a ton of good ones...

Good lord, I keep thinking of titles and authors and this post is already a book. I have to go make supper!


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## clark (Jan 11, 2021)

My Mom left Dad and me when I was eight, and he didn't re-marry until I was fifteen, so for seven years Dad and I were a 'bachelor couple'. We became very close, esp during the first couple of years it was just the two of us. And the primary parts of the glue were the stories and novels he read to me that whet my appetite for Story and the richness of language. Here's a poem I wrote a few years ago. It springs pretty directly from my own experiences as a boy. I rarely do that. but I'm going to get into it.


Learning to Hear

When he was a boy, perhaps about ten,
winter Sunday mornings were reading magic
in his Dad’s big bed, smelling of sweat and tobacco
and well-oiled leather from the old inlaid headboard.

Shivering into the warm sheets, cuddling the old man,
cigarette with long ash, chest hairs singed
in ragged half moon from the ones that dropped
the pungent aroma of coffee—always that—
smoke curling slowly in thin tendrils
above his Dad’s great barrel chest.

The boy would carefully place ear and cheek
tight to the bare left chest (keeping his nose
away from singed hair) and the old man
would let the magic unfold—sound came
from that rumbling barrel not as words
but as drum beat, flowing rhythm, a river. . .

Kipling always Kipling Mowgli among the wolves
Baloo and his wise counsel, Baghera the sleek protector
Sher-khan the evil one then
the Elephant’s Child and the Crocodile
by the banks of the “great grey green greasy Limpopo River”
and just so many more rumbled tales
then Kim, Pip, Mr. Dick, Scrooge, Stevenson
swaggering pirates eye patches
curved swords clenched in rotting teeth
as they ravaged the seas from shrouded islands
veiled in the mystery of breathing and rhythm and sound.

The magic of those wondrous tales
was transferred whole, absorbed
through the translucent skin of his imagination
rumbled from the bones and hollows and tissue
of his Dad’s barrel chest
direct to the boy’s blood
his senses rapt and seduced and knowing.

After an hour
sometimes two
once three
the mystery that they shared would simply stop
then the boy would leave the warmth of the sheets
to stoke coal or feed dogs or chip ice
off the frozen water  buckets
lined up

on the back porch


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## BrandonTheWriter (Jan 11, 2021)

Foxee said:


> Learning to read in school was one of my very favorite things, I was hungry for stories. It didn't matter if we were reading the little reader stories or if the teacher was reading *Charlotte's Web*, My grandmother started reading me *The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe* from The Chronicles of Narnia to me but reading to little kids wasn't really more than a passing fancy so it was up to me to pick it up and read the rest of the book and then the rest of the series myself.
> 
> The 'piano room' in Nonny's house was a pretty place with a tall bay windows, lace curtains, a nonfunctional fireplace, the promised piano, and a library corner with a wingback chair. This was where the *Journeys Through Bookland* (collection of stories and classics) was temptingly arrayed. In my grandmother's house reading was encouraged but also not really allowed. When I would slink into the piano room, select a book, and choose a story no sooner would I start to get into it than my grandmother's voice would float in from the far side of the house telling me to go outside or come help in the kitchen. For all that reading was supposed to be good, I had the idea that it was also somehow considered to be a waste of time.
> 
> ...



I think the only thing I didn't like at School was when you all had to go in turns reading a part of a story. If I remember right it was mostly plays though. You would all get a character and have to read your lines. I remember just dreading my turn coming up. None of my teachers really understood social anxiety so it sucked.

I much preferred quiet reading time in the library. Picking out a book you actually wanted to read, finding your own little spot and just getting lost in it for a bit.


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## Olly Buckle (Jan 11, 2021)

The lists of favourite reads reminded me of My Friend Mr Leakey. By JBS Haldane, I thought to look it up, Amazon have two new paperback copies at a bit over £1,000 each, that's of the 2004 edition, don't know how much the original edition we had would be worth now, but I'm afraid it disintegrated from use. Haldane was an award winning biologist, who just made the one excursion into children's literature. I loved it, Mr Leakey was such a down to earth, believable magician.


Edit, Then I thought of the web, and it is there, come and read about Oliver the octopus, a lovely trip down memory lane.
https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/haldane...0-h-dir/haldanejbs-myfriendmrleakey-00-h.html


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## The Cynical Philosopher (Jan 12, 2021)

I was born in 1985, so I was the perfect age to get into reading with the *Goosebumps *books by R.L. Stine. I was also the perfect age to be obsessed with the *Jurassic Park* movie, which got me to read the book by Michael Crichton when I was 9 years old. Ever since then I've always loved reading.


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## The-90's-Sucked (Jan 30, 2021)

Childhood: Diary of the Wimpy Kid and various other picture books.

Adolescence: Nisioisin novels such as the Zaregoto and Monogatari series.


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## druid12000 (Jan 30, 2021)

The Hobbit. 

It was summer, all my friends were away camping or visiting relatives. I made the mistake of telling my mother I was bored. Her go to: read a book! She happened to have The Hobbit in her immense collection of books so I spent the rest of that week exploring a new world that I never dreamed existed. Literally changed my life.


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## Taylor (Jan 30, 2021)

druid12000 said:


> The Hobbit.
> 
> It was summer, all my friends were away camping or visiting relatives. I made the mistake of telling my mother I was bored. Her go to: read a book! She happened to have The Hobbit in her immense collection of books so I spent the rest of that week exploring a new world that I never dreamed existed. Literally changed my life.



I think it had that effect on a lot of people.


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## thepancreas11 (Feb 11, 2021)

The Young Jedi Knights series of books about the Solo twins and their friends Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Zekk, y'all!

EDIT: I actually remember in school getting in trouble for not reading enough. Up until about two years ago, I used to say, "I only read two books in high school: 'The Hobbit' and 'The Great Gatsby'." I was very wrong. I read the entire X-Wing series (Rogue _and_ Wraith Squadrons, for those that were asking--which is no one), I read the Black Fleet Crisis, the Han Solo Trilogy. I look back and realize I must have read a hundred Expanded Universe novels. I never gave myself credit for them because they're not exactly masterpieces, but hey, they're a huge part of the reason I'm here.


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## Turnbull (Apr 4, 2021)

I was reading from a very young age, so I don't really remember not reading.  One of my childhood favorites was this one where a little girl and her mother go shoe shopping, and she explains to her mom why she needs a pair of Cinderella shoes.

As far as really becoming the type of reader I am now, that's due to One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.  Have been obsessed with the Cold War ever since.


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## Olly Buckle (Apr 4, 2021)

thepancreas11 said:


> The Young Jedi Knights series of books about the Solo twins and their friends Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Zekk, y'all!
> 
> EDIT: I actually remember in school getting in trouble for not reading enough. Up until about two years ago, I used to say, "I only read two books in high school: 'The Hobbit' and 'The Great Gatsby'." I was very wrong. I read the entire X-Wing series (Rogue _and_ Wraith Squadrons, for those that were asking--which is no one), I read the Black Fleet Crisis, the Han Solo Trilogy. I look back and realize I must have read a hundred Expanded Universe novels. I never gave myself credit for them because they're not exactly masterpieces, but hey, they're a huge part of the reason I'm here.



I always feel it doesn't matter what you read, so long as you read and enjoy it. The thing is that if it is enjoyable you will go on looking for more things. It's people who are made to read things they are not interested in because 'They are good for you' who grow to hate reading. People may start out reading weekly magazine stories, romances, cowboy stories, space opera, anything. As long as it is entertaining they will go on, look for more entertainment , and find new things.


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## indianroads (Apr 4, 2021)

Recently finished The Circle by David Eggers: I hated it, but finished it anyway in hopes it would get better... it got worse.
Currently reading Summer of Night by Dan Simmons: so far I’m loving it. Beautiful descriptions and great characters.


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## Irwin (Apr 4, 2021)

I'm currently reading The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer. Fantastic writing, and the fact that he wrote it when he was just 24 years old makes it all that much more remarkable. I just finished his book about Muhammad Ali. Not quite as good, but it was enjoyable and a quick read.


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## Matchu (Apr 6, 2021)

Aged 4 they used to put you on to _Janet & John_ in the UK.

Then Holland I read Tintin in Dutch & also Lucky Luke.

In Iran there were monthly comic deliveries plus two things I'd like help in tracking down: firstly the easy-reader version of the classics for people learning English.  So I read dozens of Tom Sawyer, Silver Arrow, Robin Hood - so much 19c stuff...but accessible to an eight year old...and then at the international school I'd like help re-discovering 'Lions & Tigers' 'Dinosaurs' from the US curriculum, also the US schools newspaper.  I remember the headline '55 Miles per hour!'

All best


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## davidaller (Apr 22, 2021)

I've started to reread _To Kill a Mockingbird, _​I read it in childhood, but now I look at things there another way.


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## Sinister (Apr 25, 2022)

Impatience, intellectual vanity and jealousy.

-Sin


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## Parabola (Apr 25, 2022)

Pet Sematary. King's effectiveness with language and ability to create a haunting, profound slow burn surprised me. Didn't expect that at all, and I've yet to find something in his oeuvre that competes with it. Michael C. Hall's narration actually elevates the work, and you're right there with Louis Creed as he descends into madness. The increasing sense of disconnection is painted beautifully, something that Hall is made for imo.


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## indianroads (Apr 25, 2022)

What GOT me reading?
Being an only child, growing up in La Honda California, 2 miles from the nearest neighbor with kids was the motivation. My uncle visited us and started teaching me to read when I was 3 years old. Through him I learned by memorizing the shape of words. The first book I could read on my own was Peter Rabbit.
From there I was off to the races.


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## S J Ward (Apr 26, 2022)

I don't remember learning to read or what books they were. I read Shadow the Sheepdog by Enid Blighton then Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. The famous five all, in hardback, then W E Johns' and onto Agatha Christies. Obviously what came before can't have left much impression on my young mind. Janet and John probably didn't get up to anything adventurous. Masterpieces aren't created with blunt crayons.


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## K.I.Edward (Apr 26, 2022)

Parabola said:


> Pet Sematary. King's effectiveness with language and ability to create a haunting, profound slow burn surprised me. Didn't expect that at all, and I've yet to find something in his oeuvre that competes with it. Michael C. Hall's narration actually elevates the work, and you're right there with Louis Creed as he descends into madness. The increasing sense of disconnection is painted beautifully, something that Hall is made for imo.



Um, I've recommended and doled out my Audible password to no less than ten people so they can listen to Pet Sematary read by Michael C Hall. It's beautiful. His solemnness adds to the story in a magnificent way.  When I read the book the first time I remember being horrified. When I listened to it, I felt sadness and understanding for Louis's decisions.


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## Parabola (Apr 26, 2022)

K.I.Edward said:


> Um, I've recommended and doled out my Audible password to no less than ten people so they can listen to Pet Sematary read by Michael C Hall. It's beautiful. His solemnness adds to the story in a magnificent way.  When I read the book the first time I remember being horrified. When I listened to it, I felt sadness and understanding for Louis's decisions.



Yeah, great way to put it, "solemn." Hall is incredible with this because he somehow manages to sound increasingly grim as the book goes on. Organic feeling, masterful. I've listened to a few very high quality audiobooks, yet none have quite matched this one, imo.

The only good thing about Dexter ending is it frees him up to do more narrations (not sure if he'll go down this road but hope he does).


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## Gyt Kaliba (Jun 19, 2022)

I've been reading for so long that I honestly can't even remember what really got me reading. It's just sort of something that I've always enjoyed doing, thanks to my mom being a big bookworm as well as trips to our local library a lot when I was young.

The first series I can remember getting obsessed with though was definitely K.A. Applegate's Animorphs, and I still feel like it's an incredibly important series that's sadly forgotten a lot nowadays. It tackles a lot of serious and darker issues in a way that children can really understand and resonate with, all while telling stories with characters that are just plain fun to follow as well.


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