Books #14 Reading Chats

[LellsBells]

Omg I adored the Louise Rennison books. They genuinely made me laugh out loud so much.

And yeah all about heroin!! My mum obvs had no idea what I was reading if I remember correctly the main character ran away from home or something and ended up living with people addicted to heroin. And I have the same memory like since seeing it mentioned I can vividly remember reading it and being all shocked, even tho it was so long ago

Was it ‘Go Ask Alice’? I loved that book

 

[StrawberryBanana90]

Probably niche but did anyone read the diary of a chav series I loved It in high school

 

[PiesAndLattes]

I was a huge reader as a kid! My Dad is a big reader too so it was heavily encouraged.

My faves were:
- The babysitters club
- Sweet valley high
- The saddle club
- Harry Potter
- Paddington Bear
- Clifford the big read dog
- Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent as I got older.

 

[ToolaRoola]

Was it ‘Go Ask Alice’? I loved that book

I've got this on my wishlist.

I actually wrote my GCSE English exam paper on Go Ask Alice and Trainspotting god knows what my teachers must have been thinking

 

[docmum]

I love how many posters have mentioned the Saddle club. I genuinely to this day haven’t met anyone face to face who has read one or even heard of them. I used to dive in to book shops at any given opportunity as a kid to see if they had any of the book numbers within the series that i hadn’t read. Happy memories.

Thanks to this thread I’m also on book 3 in just over 24 hours and have added KU as a reward to myself for it. Once again am so grateful for helping me find my way back via the housemaid.

 

[capriallie]

I was so fortunate growing up that I was encouraged to read. I still remember going to visit my grandparents for summer holidays and they would have a pile of books they had got me from the local charity shop to read during the summer. I also have very fond memories of going to the local bookshop as a treat to choose a new book at birthdays. I hammered the library service and still do
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I loved the Princess Diaries! funny and easy reading. i remember I got so into the stories and characters, I wonder if I would still like them now.

Yes I downloaded the first on my kindle and really enjoyed it

 

[smellsofbiscuits]

Sounds perfect to me! If you’re right and she just wants to spend some time with you then where better than somewhere you’re definitely going to enjoy? Is your mum a reader too? Maybe you could have a wander round Waterstones and share some recommendations with each other? Or if she’s not you could suggest something you think she might want to try.

My parents both really encouraged my reading when I was younger. However my mum is very much a creature of habit and doesn't read new books. She read Shuggie Bain after I passed on my copy but that was probably the first time in years! It would be lovely to talk to my mum about books but I don't think our reading tastes overlap very much But never say never, she may pick up a book or two

 

[justonemorepage]

I was lucky in that my mum and my nan would read to me from birth. They'd tend to read me fairytales like Hans Anderson and Cinderella - my mum said from about two years old if she was tired she'd cut bits out and I'd know and tell her to go back and do it properly my nan used to make up stories for me which I loved because I felt like I was the only person in the world who knew them. They'd usually centre around farm animals. I remember the first book I read myself was spot the dog and I'd trace the words with a pen to teach myself how to write.

From about 6 I'd start reading Enid Blyton and my nan gave me her copies from the 40s. They are probably still in my parents attic, I should probably dig them out. Then I progressed to goosebumps and then from the age of 10-11 Stephen King. I couldn't get enough of his work. Then around the same time Tolkien. I also loved crime thrillers like Ian rankin etc.

I studied English Literature in school and university so my love for reading then expanded into the classics. Favourites of mine were To Kill a Mockingbird, King Lear and The Handmaid's Tale.

 

[smellsofbiscuits]

Loving the nostalgia on this thread! I think I started reading as soon as I could and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I loved Enid Blyton books, Jacqueline Wilson, Goosebumps, Harry Potter, Sweet Valley High, Babysitters Club.

I remember these and have distinct memories of the case with all the yellow tapes in. Did anyone have these?

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Omg complete memory triggered here! Apparently I got into audiobooks from the age of 3 and that's when I told my parents I didn't want them to read to me anymore Had these for years stacked up under my bed long after I had grown out of them. It's funny now as I'm not into audible books as an adult and would much rather chuck on a podcast.

Aw seeing those little carry cases has really brought back a lot of memories. Thank you!

 

[make-mine-whiskey]

Another Jaqueline Wilson over here Then Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Divergent Series, Maze Runner, kind of the dystopian trope. Then 50 shades Now I read a bit of everything

 

[epl000]

Catching up on this thread has been a real trip down memory lane this morning. I loved stories on tape when I was younger, and I've always been a reader. I've got an older sister who also loved reading and my mum is an English teacher so there were always plenty of books around and I remember visiting our local library being a highlight of my weeks as a kid.

 

[Pinkii]

Finished the audiobook of Lillian boxfish. Took a while to get into it, but really enjoyed it by the end. Adore Lillian.

Makes me want to go talk to lots of old ladies and hear their life stories

 

[Oohthedrama]

This thread is just….. 🥹

 

[SwizzleMalarkey]

I find it interesting so many people have picked up their love of reading from their parents as I’m the only person in my family who reads, always have been!
My mum definitely encouraged my love of reading and would take me to the library every week, but it was something that was very much ‘my’ thing. Like everyone in the family would buy me books for my birthday and Christmas (which I loved!) but they always did it as if it was some kind of niche hobby!

 

[nbt]

I find it interesting so many people have picked up their love of reading from their parents as I’m the only person in my family who reads, always have been!
My mum definitely encouraged my love of reading and would take me to the library every week, but it was something that was very much ‘my’ thing. Like everyone in the family would buy me books for my birthday and Christmas (which I loved!) but they always did it as if it was some kind of niche hobby!

Although my mum bought books for me from a young age, it was definitely more at my grandparents house that I remember reading. I used to go for a weekend a month and we’d all sit for a while just reading our own books. I’m so pleased I grew up at a time where that was enjoyable for me and I wasn’t distracted by phones and tech.

I’d say it’s been in the last few years that I’ve properly started reading again and in the last couple where I’ve constantly had a book on the go. Before that I always needed a break of at least a couple of days.

 

[justonemorepage]

I find it interesting so many people have picked up their love of reading from their parents as I’m the only person in my family who reads, always have been!
My mum definitely encouraged my love of reading and would take me to the library every week, but it was something that was very much ‘my’ thing. Like everyone in the family would buy me books for my birthday and Christmas (which I loved!) but they always did it as if it was some kind of niche hobby!

Although my mum read to me from a young age, she never read herself which I find odd. Even now she's retired she doesn't. The only book she's borrowed from me and actually read was gone girl and the thoroughly enjoyed it so I've offered her others but she tells me she has no time to read

 

[ordinaryjelly]

My mum always had a book on her lap, she still does. She goes to the library, takes out the maximum number of books and blitzes through them in no time. We didn't have a tv in our house so reading was just what we did. My mum and I enjoy similar books so often talk about them and share recommendations.

One of my fondest memories is of my Grandma taking me on the bus to the shops and us going to the bookshop. She said ouch whatever you want, I got all the What Katy Did..... books and a blue bookmark with horses on. I treasured those books. My mum kept most of my books and my daughter's read them now.

I also loved those Thelwell books, by Norman Thelwell about ponies. One of the copies is £269 on Amazon now!

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Ive been ill in bed for days. Have missed this thread.

Neither of my parents read my Mum signed up to a book club type thing in the 90s was like with cds where you got say 20 books or CDs for a cheap price but were then committed to buying a book a year for a month. Thats what got me into reading. I think I got The Famous Five and The Secret Seven.

When I was about 10/11 I discovered the Rebus books at the library and that was it. I was hooked. My mum would give me a lift there and back but would moan about it and moan I had to take them back.

 

[HoGi]

My mum used to have a different Mills and Boone book in every room

She would pick up her kitchen one while cooking, then move to the lounge and pick up that one and another at bed time. Probably whete I get my ability to have 5 books on the go at once lol.

She also said she could never deny us books. If we asked for toys or sweets she easily said no. But if we asked for books she wouldn't refuse I swiftly learnt this and became a bookwork.

I loved babysitters club, Jacqueline Wilson and Angus Thongs and full frontal snogging. The Nancy Drew books are what ignited my love of a crime/who dunnit.

And the book at started my love of reading was the Phantom Toolbooth by Norton Juster. The idea of falling into the doldrums and the effect words can have on people was simply magical.

 

[ScoutFinch]

Does anyone remember the scholastic book fairs? I remember a book bus coming round and our parents would send us in with money. I once bought a book called Yob and it was about a dog who’d took a knock to the head and all his commands were backwards

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