when i think about my family, one memory that comes to mind is how we all love to read.
my dad, my mom, my brother, me.
we have our favorite “type” — novels, magazines, comics, instruction manuals (hah!). we have our favorite reading spot — in the family room, on the deck at the cottage, in the bathroom {wink!}, tucked into bed at night. we love to read and learn and daydream and laugh, to enjoy the time passing slowly and simply relax with printed words nestled between our hands.
when i think about reading i almost always think about my family and how we share this hobby. over the weekend i spent a lot of time reading, so naturally i thought of them.
it was gorgeous here in minneapolis… the sun was hot, the breeze was cool. bauer and i took full advantage of the quiet time: he napped in the shade and i read in the sun. with zack gone to ohio i knew i wanted to enjoy a hobby-filled weekend, too.
i thought about reading a book by angela thomas but i passed… then i remembered another book i recently borrowed from the library, safe haven by nicholas sparks. mom, if you’re reading this i know this isn’t a surprise ;D
yes, that would be the book i would read ~ the book i’d spend most of the weekend reading.
as the sun warmed my back saturday afternoon i turned page after page, and memories of reading at our family cottage filled my heart.
i love reading and am looking forward to spending more time this year doing just that.
SHARE WITH US: do you love to read? did you grow up with your nose stuck in a book or was reading more of a punishment for you? if you love to read, who’s your favorite author? tell me below…
xoxo
YES!
I’ve been a reader since I could turn the pages and sound out the vowels.
I loved the classics in highschool (charlotte bronte, jane austen, charles dickens)
but since I run my own business now its more about grabbing a minute here, a minute there….so I love
books that have been recommended as a good read…
like Hunger Games :)
I have been a book worm for as long as I can remember. I also was/am a quick reader so books never seem to last very long with me. :) Each time my parents would give us our allowances I would ask to go to the book store. Back then I was all about Sweet Valley High/Twins and Babysitters Club. Ahhh memories.
My current {fiction} authors of choice: Neta Jackson {Yada Yada Prayer Group series}, Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, Charlaine Harris {Sookie Stackhouse series}, and Karen Kingsbury. Non-fiction wise I am loving Holley Gerth’s book “You’re Already Amazing”, and pretty much anything by Beth Moore.
Jodi Picoult is another favorite of mine :) And The Baby Sitters Club, TOTALLY my favorite as a tween! xoxo
I love to read! I like Nicholas Sparks too…I mean, what is there not to like? I have a friend that is in a book club (I should join a book club) and I always ask what they are reading…trying to broaden my horizens. Right now, they are reading “Still Alice” which they are giving rave reveiws so that is next on my list. I have to admit, I’m a sucker for anything that is free or 99 cents on my Kindle. Yes, I made the switch which I thought would be hard as I love how a book feels in my hand but I must say, I now have hundreds of books with me at all times…tucked inside my purse. Knowing that is pure bliss!
I’m afraid if I had that many books nearby I wouldn’t get anything done… Sounds like a dream ;)
I love, love reading. I grew up reading almost too much [is that even possible??].
My favorite fiction author is Charles Martin. I’m sure you would love When Crickets Cry.
perfect — added it to my list at the library!
I’m totally a reader from birth I think. When I was six, my mom caught me reading an issue of Reader’s Digest cover to cover. My reading choice has improved a bit since then. :) I’m loving Grace for the Good Girl {Emily Freeman}, The Shack {seriously one of the best books I’ve ever read}, and Organized Simplicity {Tsh Oxenreider}. On a totally unrelated note, thank you so much for recommending Bend-the-Rules Sewing! I am loving it :)
you came into this world with a set of mini books, i came into this world with a purse on my shoulder ;)
Ha! Exactly!
Yes! I was that very awkward child who had more book friends than real friends. My mom had to kick me outside and MAKE me go play because I would have been happy to read my books everyday after school.
I always have a book or my kindle with me (you can check books out from the library on a kindle, too!) and I’m usually in the middle of 2-3 books PLUS an audiobook (new obsession!).
And what do I read? Pretty much anything, although I tend toward Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Spy thrillers, literature (like: Water for Elephants, The Red Tent, etc.) and some non–fiction (history, women’s history/politics) and memoirs.
So glad you were able to spend the weekend reading!
I have The Red Tent and my uncle saw it on our bookshelf and started reading it… it was then I realized it’s a little bit… graphic? I haven’t read it yet but I hear it’s good. Hah!
I looooooooove to read! Always have, I read TONS when I was in school, I wish I had more time for it now but I get to it as often as I can. Books on CD help a lot when I really want to get into a story but just don’t have the time to sit & read, I can just pop it in the car on my way to work; I rented a few of those from the library too. I really love the classics & political revolution stories. My latest favs that I think are here to stay, are Asian culture. I’m reading a series by Lisa See right now that is amazing! The rituals, history & traditions are just fascinating to me.
Yes, I also came from a family of readers. I love it and I love Nicholas Sparks. There will be a Safe Haven movie…so looking forward to that. It was one of my favorite books of his because it had a little suspense tied in.
REALLY? oh, i’m excited now! i just finished the book last night and wish there was a sequel to read ;D
I always had my nose in a book growing up. When the 4th Harry Potter book came out I was on a camping trip and would spend hours sandwiched between two friends (with only one book between us) saying, “Wait, don’t turn the page yet!”
I’m a slow reader. I take notes in all of my books (for no reason – I just highlight things that resonate with me).
My mom has picked up the habit of borrowing my books instead of library books. She says she likes to see my notes!
oh that is the sweetest!
haha, YES! i had to comment because growing up, my sister and i read and read and read and read. to this day, if i go to that library, they recognize me!! awkward? ha. my dad would take my sister and i every single week to the library, on mondays when my mom had her ladies Bible study. good memories. :)
my favorite author is hands down, jodi picoult. if you’ve never read any of her books, DO IT! a good one to start with is “nineteen minutes,” my favorite!
my first Jodi Picoult book was The Pact, did you read that one??? so good! i read a few other books she wrote but haven’t found one that was as good as The Pact.
I loooove this post!!! When I was growing up, I was a HUGE reader. I mean, I read all. day. long. As I got older, my interest in reading simply grew less and less. Well, I wouldn’t say my interest, but I didn’t think any series’ would really excite me. I was used to children’s stories. It wasn’t until January, actually, that my love for reading completely blossomed into a new passion. Well, for novels anyway – I started reading and loving manga in ’10.
After I started reading again, so did Jen. So now I’ll read a book, than hand over said book to her, she reads said book and than we dish on EVERYTHING. *wink* I can’t tell you how much fun we have with this!!!
I love to read- always have! I’m one of those people who says ‘just one more chapter’ and then the next thing you know it’s 3 am. =) I get caught up in series’ books, all of the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, etc. I love children’sand young adult books (I had big dreams to become an illustrator, hence by BA in studio art and graphic design followed by a Master’s in elementary education). A few random favorites include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Last Lecture, and Noisy Nora.
I love to read, too! Anything by Elizabeth Berg–she’s great. I have a weekend home alone myself this weekend, and I plan to do just that–read!
I LOVE to read and have for as long as I can remember! Some of my favorite authors are: James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman, Lisa Gardner, Emily Giffin, and so many more!!
I just finished reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and am currently reading The Girl Who Played with Fire. Great books! I can’t wait to read the 3rd in the series, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.
Ok quick question (I’m sure I could google this but I’ll just ask you) is “the girl” in each title the same character in each book? If so I *might* start the series. I say might because the violence in the first one nearly did me in and I’m not sure if I’ll ever sleep again if I read another. But I loved the character!
She is the same character in the first two books and I’m assuming she’ll be in the third as well. It took me a while to get through the first book, but I think it’s because I saw the movie so I knew what was going to happen. I have been flying through the second one. They are a bit violent, but they’re great books!!
I just LOVE to read! Nicholas Sparks is def one of my favs! I like a good mystery too like John Grisham books. And of course all the Harry Potters and Twilight books! When I was a kid I liked reading VC Andrews books (like Flowers in the Attic), at the time I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the books but I re-read a few and they are a little bizarre! haha but I still like them! If you haven’t read any of the series, give it a try, they are an interesting read!
Amanda that happens to me too! I’ll read just a few more pages and it’s 3am! :)
As a young child reading was very difficult for me, in fact I almost had to repeat 2nd grade due to poor reading skills but then something happened. Exactly 1 month prior to the end of the school year we moved, across an ocean to a small town in Louisiana. My teacher was truly appalled at my reading skills and informed my parents I was as far behind as her worst readers were at the beginning of the year…. but she would work with me. And she did. In fact so much so that in that months time I caught up to the lowest level readers in her class (she was truly amazed and so proud of my progress!) That summer I went to summer school to further improve my reading skills. The next year I was placed in the higher reader classes and I’ve had my nose in a book every since! As I child I read ALL the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, Encylopedia Brown, and Nancy Drew, as a teen Grace Livingston Hill (my mom owned ALL her books) & Shakespeare especially the comedies, young adult Grisham, Clancy, Storey publications, and now Twilight series, Beverly Lewis, Jane Austin, and recipe books.
ok, i kinda want to re-read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books now!!!!!
Love to read! Lately, all of the teachers at my school have been obsessed with YA fiction. We’ver read some really good ones – I recommend Divergent by Veronica Roth or Matched by Ally Condie….Happy Reading!
I LOVE to read! I love to take a bath at night and get in there and read for 30 minutes or so. It makes me sleep good. Nothing like a good book! My dad could sit down with John Grisham and read the entire book on a Saturday afternoon. He loved reading. I guess I got it from him. I enjoy Nicholas Sparks, though most of his books have become pretty predicatable. I love going to the Goodwill and browsing the books. Truthfully, if the cover is enticing, i’ll buy it. I’ve found some really great books simply by JUDGING A BOOK BY IT”S COVER! ;)
girl, i’m totally with you. and target does a fantastic job at convincing me to buy their books ;D
Target does a fantastic job at convincing me to buy ANYTHING!
My younger sister and I are the only ones who like to read on our family. I read all the time. RIght now I am reading The Princess Bride.
I love to read! I used to live at the library when I was a little girl. My dad read the newspaper front to back. Because of my love of books, I chose to get my degree in English Lit. I always wish I could read 3 books at once…well I’ve done that before, having 3 books going at the same time. My girlfriend and I started a book club 11 years ago and most of the members are still with us and read some incredible fiction and non-fiction. Currently reading “The Distant Hours” by Kate Morton, author of “The Forgotten Garden”, which was an incredible read. I feel naked without having a book with me at all times because you never know when the opportunity to sneak in a chapter will arise. Thanks everyone for all the good suggestions. Going to check them out.
My nose has always been stuck in a book since I learned to read. I can easily devour a Nickolas Sparks book. I mostly read fiction and tend to stay with best sellers but I like most everything except sci-fi. My latest reads are The Hunger Games, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Cutting for Stone, and The Best of Me (of course, Nickolas Sparks!). All great books.
Oh yes I do! It’s a little tough when the semester is in full swing but Im trying to read 5 books this summer
Oh, how I read. Boxcar children, Pony Club, Babysitter’s Club, Nancy Drew, Mary Higgins Clark… I could go on. My brothers used to wave their hands in front of my face and yell, trying to distract me. Just made me stronger :)
I love, love, love to read. You can see a teaser for my newest read here : http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2012/03/teaser-tuesdays-32712.html
There’s also a new post today featuring the books I read in the past week :)
I don’t remeber reading much as a kid, or if it was tough or easy for me. I do remember getting lost in Christopher Pike books. Chainletter, was the first book I devoured. I loved the mystery and creepiness of it. Plus my family was spilting up from divorce, so i could relate to the person feeling alone, facing something scary and not knowing what will happen. I found writing in High school helped me deal with a lot. I could make up stories to express myself instead of feeling rejected or trapped or just plain bored. I still have a couple of them!
When I was 19 I was introduced to the book ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel, about his time in a concentration camp. It was the first time I chose to read something that was real. I was living away from family working as a nanny, and it was the first time I thought about how MY life connected to the outside world…not just the world or place I lived and the people I chose to be around. In my Mid-20’s I read the “Left Behind’ series. It changed my life in terms of finding Jesus, finding a church and trusting in a relationship that God brought to me. I started doing bible studies…the ealry ones were exactly what I needed. Later ones I felt it was more the people connecting then the material. (Which is when I met Miss Molly) I read a Frank Peretti book, oooooohoooo scary. It took me a lone time to be able to sleep after that. My favorite books are Harry Potter series, this story is like no other, and for a girl that came from divorce…it was healing. I read Twilight, good story, but I didn’t go crazy over it. Kristin Hannah writes “girlie” books, ones that dig deep into emotions…it takes me days to recover from her. But after you read her you feel like you went through something BIG, and can make it through anything. I am re-reading the Hunger games series. If I like something I fly through it, then go back to play closer attention. They are good.
I also read Vince Flynn, whose local. His books make me want to go out and kick butt. It’s GIJoe on speed. Awesome. I also read another local Gal Julie Klassen, she writes period pieces think Jane Austen stuff. I do like Nicholas Sparks, but I’m more into action, drama, mystery. Love stories are good, but for me, watching my parents divorce was like realizing Cinderella didn’t exist. I didn’t recognize true love walk in to my life and I nearly missed it…
I love to read. One of my favorite things.
When I was in Elementary School my grandma would give me a penny for each page I finished. Maybe that is what got me into actually liking it. ;) When I was a teenager though its all I really wanted to do and now its not really different. I don’t have as much time, of course, being a mother, but I still make time to read. My favorite author is Karen Kingsbury. Her books are so hard to put down, but I also enjoy re-reading books I used to read when I was younger, such as books by Judy Blume.
I.LOVE.TO.READ!!
Right now I am reading The Hunger Games triolgy. I have a rule with my boys…if there is a book read it first then we can go see the movie. Since the movie came out this past Friday I thought I should pick it up…I am totally addicted now and just starting book 3.
You should have seen my older 3 boys fly through the Harry Potter books. The only down side is that I have to fight my oldest son (16) on who gets to read the book first. Usually its me because I buy the book!
Since we dont watch alot of TV this is our entertainment! All 5 of my boys are readers and I so happy this is something my parents gave to me and I have in returned pass on to all of my boys!
Happy Reading!!
As a child, I would sneak out of bed to read on the floor by the glow of my nightlight :)
I love and always loved reading. When I was in school I read books and books during the holidays. I cried and laughed with the characters and when I was not particularly in the mood for helping with something in the house I escaped to the bathroom with a book. Even with books that one can read on the PC I prefer paper books – to sit outside in the shade and to lie in bed reading – my special treat is to read my favorite magazine in the morning sitting in the bed.
My favorite authors is Danielle Steel and Barbara Taylor Bradford. Because I am Afrikaans speaking I love books in Afrikaans. I really cannot imagine my live without books. With books you can travel the whole world.
I have studied for a long time and I think that also helped with my love for books.
I love to read! Historical Fiction is my absolute favorite – The House at Riverton by Kate Morton is a current favorite of mine :)
OMG, I LOOOOOVE Kate Morton. I have the one book I haven’t read by her on my nightstand. I think she’s going to be my new Philippa Gregory (I’ve read everything she’s ever written and stalk her for new novels!).
I am SO the wrong person to ask if it’s graphic…I researched some, ah, graphic things for my master thesis, so I tend to have a higher level of not noticing those things after talking to so many people and reading so much. I do remember that there was some detail related to “that time of the month” and child birth, but I don’t remember anything else. If you’re OK with that, though, the book is SO SO good.
Well, I’m not sure why this didn’t thread to the comment I’m replying to, buuuuut……
I absolutely LOVE reading! It’s definitely one of my favorite things to do!!! My hubs’ jokes that if he wanted my attention he should’ve been a book! I argue that he would only have my attention for a short time, since I breeze through them so fast! haha. My whole family loves to read too! I really think that having parents who love to read is what helps a kiddo love to read! I grew up watching my mom and dad read their books beside one another in bed at night, so I learned to put myself to sleep with a good book!
I love reading, I always have, but I am known to be more of a boring reader, self help type of stuff, haha, but I think if I’m going to read it needs to benefit me, its hard to find good books that you can learn and grow from and also be entertained at the same time, those kind are my favorite, and the best author for them is Paulo Coelho, every single one of his books are amazing!!!!
I love to read now but wasn’t a big reader til highschool. They put ne in the resource room in elementary cuz I had a speech problem…and totally messed with my reading ability :( At 24 I still have trouble with reading somethings but I enjoy it more now :)
My favourite book right now is still “cockeyed: a memoir”. Highly recommend checking it out. Its by Ryan Knightly (or Knight?), a vancouver professor who started going blind as a teen due to a condition. It’s his journey and is full of laughs..and of course some sad parts.
I don’t have a fVourite author though, I like to read a variety of books so I often don’t read more than one by an author.
Note to self: do mot use iPhone to leave comments. Haha
Books and reading are a favorite of mine. The book I’ve read most recently that knocked my socks of was “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck. As for favorite authors – it really depends on whether I want something “fluffy” or more intense. Lately one I’ve been enjoying is Ayelet Waldman. I do a monthly “report” on what I read if you ever want to stop by…
Growing up I was a reader. I loved the Babysitters Club, then I started ice skating and found a series of books that was based on Ice Skaters. Then my reading switched to nonfiction and self help books. I read a lot of books on behavior & raising kids & marriages & relationships & boundaries & small businesses etc. I know, real party animal here. I hate to sit still so I don’t read a series of books if I’m not going to learn anything from them and if it’s not going to benefit me.
I also don’t watch movies either unless it’s something like a chick flick and hubs brings it home. Even then he has returned a lot because I don’t have an interest in watching them.
I did watch The Help & I did read the book but only because it was based on a real story. It was history and I would learn something from it!
Ha! I spent my Saturday in a similar fashion! I’m also in Minneapolis, and it was soooo gorgeous out this weekend! I spent a significant amount of time, lying in my hammock in the sun with my Nook. :-) I’m a reader, and I enjoy lots of genres. Right now I’m working on “Devil in the White City,” a nonfiction book juxtaposing one of the architects behind the Chicago World’s Fair and a serial killer during that time. It’s a fascinating read.
Oh Nicholas Sparks, you know how to woo me.
I’m working on collecting them all, and have done a pretty good job at finding them at Goodwill! This one is next on my list to read!
Reading! I was in a school the other day and a student asked the librarian what to read and she replied, “Well I can tell you what I like but reading is kind of a personal thing…what do you like?” So true reading can be really personal! It is definitely one of my favorite memories with my oldest sister, we’d race to see who could finish the Babysitter’s Club fastest. And today it is one of my favorite hobbies with my fiance! I had to work really hard to become a good reader and now I can’t get enough of it! I just read a book I think you may enjoy called “The Art of Racing in the Rain” the narrator of the story is the family’s dog =)
Oh my family loves to read, all of us! A common family date night when I was in middle- and high-school was for us to stop at Panera for dinner then go to Borders… we’d all lose ourselves for a few hours then meet to check out at our scheduled time. I love to read… I have a book group with my girlfriends.
Favorite author is tough, but I’d have to say C. S. Lewis. Tolkien, Jane Austen, and Dickens are all not far behind.
This book, Roller Skating With Rickets, is an incredible true story of a woman living with terminal illness. She was t supposed to live to see her 10th birthday due to the disorder (this is what my patents were told as well!) and celebrated her 30th birthday 6 months ago. Her lessons and gratitude for this life are achingly perfect. She inspires me to take the good out of each day, and run with it! ;)
http://www.lulu.com/shop/jessica-jondle/roller-skating-with-rickets/paperback/product-18956894.html
Oh I love to read too and have past on this love of books to both my daughters who leave books all over the house and read at every opportunity. I’m not sure whether I could pick a favourite author though but 2 books I have read recently are “The Help” and “One day” which I cannot recommend enough! Love them both!
i haven’t read The Help but i did see the movie, and i loved it!!!!!! i’ve heard so many great things about the book, it’s on my bookshelf — i should make more of an effort to read it soon :)
I *love* to read! A few weekes ago, I read the entire Hunger Games trilogy over the weekend. I bought the eBooks for my Kindle on Saturday morning, and off I went into the land of fiction. John Irving and Jodi Piccoult are my favorites, but I’ll read just about anything and I think my early years reading are what inspired my love of writing.
This is such a great post, sharing a wonderful hobby that so few people are actually involved with now.
I am definitely a reader and always have been. I constantly had my nose in a book growing up. I don’t have as much time to read these days, but I still love it. I love the Harry Potter series, the Hunger Games series, all the Nicholas Sparks books I’ve read (which is most of them), Beverly Lewis novels (the Amish community fascinates me), and I really love the book Divergent by Veronica Roth. The second one in the trilogy comes out next month and I can’t wait to read it!
Yes I AM reading this and I’m forever grateful that you and Matt love to read as much as Dad and I do.
Looking forward to many hours of reading this summer on THE DECK perhaps while enjoying some “strawberry juice”…..
Hugs to you,
Mom
yes, i’m a reader. in fact, in college, after a few failed majors, i chose english. i finally finished college because i could read for my homework! :) i don’t know that i have a favorite author, but i do love mitch albom. he has short, inspirational books that are all true. and he writes for the detroit free press too, so, i just like that about him. :) and, just recently, my friend reminded me of a program through Pizza Hut called Book-it, that you would get a free pan pizza if you read like 10 books. I certainly cashed in on that as much and as often as I could!
BOOK IT = the best school program ever invented! i totally loved that and loved earning my 5 stars just so we could go to Pizza Hut! ;D
There is something for eyonvere in this collection. English and Armenian speaking kids alike can enjoy these classic stories with a comical twist. The books in Armenian are an excellent read for kids in Armenian School programs. The illustrations are engaging and since the stories are familiar, our kids are more eager to read these in Armenian and reinforce their Armenian speaking and reading skills.