This entry was posted on Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 10:11 am and is filed under By the Numbers, I Have Fun Sometimes, Let's Get Personal, Writing & Reading. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
It began innocently enough: a brand new copy of Goodnight Moon and a pair of parents patient enough to read it to me night after night after night. But Goodnight Moon was the gateway drug for many of my generation, and I soon turned to more hard-core reads, such as Pickle-Chiffon Pie and Little Rabbit’s Loose Tooth.
In elementary school, our librarian fed us a steady supply of Shel Silverstein and Beverly Cleary. Once a year R.I.F.* spread shiny new paperbacks on the school library tables and fed my addiction with one free book. Many a child joined the leagues of reading addicts after those visits. I was in love — obsessed, even. Libraries, bookstores, Scholastic fliers — I couldn’t get enough.
In middle school, melodrama ruled the day, usually with a good dose of paranormal phenomena thrown in. Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan kept me company every evening. My school work began to suffer. I neglected my friends, my family. I begged for one more chapter, one more paragraph whenever the outside world demanded my attention.
By high school I had turned to stealing books from my parents’ shelves. I smuggled battered Harlequins, travelogues, and classics to school, getting my fix between every class. Until I earned my drivers’ license. Then any book in the public library was fair game.
In college I majored in English, and learned to hide my addiction. I took to carrying classics and slim volumes of poetry to literature classes filled with snobby students who looked down on genre fiction and, like me, pretended they did not read themselves to sleep each night with a good novel.
I’ve gone through other phases: young adult lit in grad school, mysteries after that. I found others who share my addiction. I no longer feel shame when I crack open a paperback in public and smell the fresh paper, admire the shiny cover, delve into each seductive story, because I now know that I am not alone.
For most of us, an addiction to reading is not picky. Suspense, historicals, science fiction, classics, contemporary literature — we’ll read it all. In the end, even cereal boxes and shampoo bottles are appealing if there’s nothing else. Because after a lifetime of addiction, a junkie can always find the next fix.
*The R.I.F. program is now endangered. If you were influenced by them, too, please visit their site and see what you can do to help.
February 24th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Oh. My. Word. I love Goodnight Moon, and I still have multiple Shell Silverstein books sitting on my floor where anyone can reach them easily. Have you read Click, Clack, Moo - Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin? I had totally forgotten about Cleary, Pike and Duncan until I read those names here. And? The best? I’ve just recently started admitting to people how I used to sneak into my mom’s room and “borrow” Harlequins. LOL. I’m still not sure if she knows I did that. She used to have huge brown paper bags full of them, and I’d dig down to the bottom so the titles on top wouldn’t change. I’ve gotten so addicted to reading, that I’ve even started branching out into history and non-fiction. The cereal boxes, shampoo bottles and any informational flyer sitting in reach at the doctor’s office are the last bet, but they will do in a pinch. I’m off to check the R.I.F site.
February 24th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
i have to say that i mostly read literary fiction which focuses on coming of age but when King comes out with something new, i’m there, willing to pay for the hardback. i think that’s the only time i will buy a book brand new.
i do agree though, junkies will read whatever they get their hungry little hands on. My husband and i go to the Goodwill and i read every title. Often, i leave with five to ten books cradled in my arms like a baby- wee and precious. And i’ll read anywhere, anytime. i can walk and read, cook and read, eat and read.
And i actually have read the backs of shampoo bottles as well as toothpaste tubes and lotions.
February 24th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
i read some christopher pike in middle school too — did you ever read sweet valley high? good heavens, i read so many of those books!
February 24th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
LOL, Mizzz_K. It’s amazing how when we get around to revealing our shameful secrets, so many of those we tell have exactly the same ones! And thanks for checking out the RIF site. It made such a difference in my life, and in the lives of so many other children. I can’t believe the so-called “education president” cut funding to it.
C, I do that same thing! I can’t go to a bookstore without stocking up. And I, too, have learned to read and do most anything else. I used to read at every stoplight on the way home from the library. (This is why I finally broke down and bought my iPod and a subscription to Audible.com!)
Emily, I loved Sweet Valley High! Only, it made me feel so sad because I didn’t have a twin sister. I wanted a twin so badly!
February 24th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Or just anything at all. I once almost lost a job in college painting a couple of rooms because I couldn’t stop reading the old newspapers spread across the floor as drop-cloth.
They were from a decade earlier, and I couldn’t resist reading about events where I knew the outcomes
February 24th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
We’ve read at any opportunity. I recall all those authors but I also loved reading the Encyclopedia Brown books as well. Anything was fair game when it came to reading, even the grocery store.
I’m going to check out RIF site now.
February 24th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Hello, My name is Z, and I am a book addict as well! I have been addicted since kindergarten when I learned to read, and have developed a nearly book-a-day habit in the years since then. I just purchased two new books from my local dealer, Barnes&Noble, this afternoon and couldn’t even wait to get home to crack one open, leaving my fellow subway riders staring at the unusual sight of someone *reading a novel*
February 24th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I wonder how many addicts Good Night Moon has created over the years? I have it memorized, still reading almost daily to my 2 year old daughter. I’m just now beginning to realize the road I’ve put her on. But it’s too late for her, she’s already hooked on getting her nightly fix of stories.
My 2 older kids started on Good Night Moon too, and now they’re both voracious readers. What have I done? Would it have turned out differently for them if I’d started with Elmo’s ABCs or A Bear Called Paddington?
In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a red ballon
And a picture of-
The cow jumping over the moon
February 24th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Michael, that’s hilarious! Thing is, I know I would have had the same problem.
Dru, we loved Encyclopedia Brown, too! I had totally forgotten about him! And thanks for checking out RIF. I’m so angry that it’s being taken away from children who need books so desperately.
LOL, Z! I was wondering if someone would being a comment that way.
And “dealer” is the perfect name for Barnes and Noble. As for the people who aren’t reading on the subway, they are so missing out!
You’ve done it now, Adam! Their lives will never be the same as if they’d never learned to love reading. The horror of it. Now they’ll be forced to have better writing skills, grammar, and background knowledge. The things parents do to their kids! And, yes, I do have to wonder if other books would have had such an impact.
February 24th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Lois Duncan…good stuff.
You reminded me.
February 24th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
i was also a Sweet Valley High junkie in elementary school. There’s a fabulous wordpress recapping the books. If i may?
http://thedairiburger.wordpress.com
Also, i was a Judy Blume fanatic. i read Forever a billionty times.
Her adult fiction is positively sinful!
February 24th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Lois Lowry, Road Dahl, Cynthia Voigt, L. M. Montgomery, and yes, the cereal boxes and food labels (even as a 10 year old). I think I was the only person in my high school to actually read the yearbook (all those articles who knows who wrote). What can I say? In college I used to read while walking (I finished whole books that way, seeing as I didn’t have a car). My only rule was I had to stop while crossing the road. . . unless I could easily see no one was coming. I now teach high school English and can’t help but pick up a book between class. My students come in and say, “don’t you ever stop??” Of course not.
February 24th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Slouching Mom, I haven’t read anything by her since I was in early high school, but I admit that just typing her name made me want to pick up one of her books again. Lots of good times between those covers.
C, thanks for sharing that link. I love that there’s a blog dedicated to the Sweet Valley High books! And, yes, I loved Judy Blume, too. I think I loved that she was so honest without trying to shock.
Carly, I loved all of those, too. And Madeline L’Engle. And about anything published under the Apple Books imprint. As for reading between classes, that’s fantastic. Can’t set any better example than that! When I taught English, I used to read with my classes, too, and I loved to discuss books with my students.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:40 am
When I first opened a box of my Nan’s Harlequins as a teenager, little did I know my addiction to romance would result in me writing it one day for a living!
I adore all books…can never get enough
February 25th, 2008 at 4:56 am
My mom used to tell me that science fiction would rot my brain. But I couldn’t put it down. Nice little essay.
February 25th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I can so relate with this! I got hooked on Richard Scary books like Mr. Paint Pig.. classic stuff!
xox
February 25th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I saw people mentioned Sweet Valley High and Encyclopedia Brown which I loved. I also had a healthy obsession for CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE books, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy mysteries. My mom passed on her love of books and she too would read anything so I had a wide variety of contraband to smuggle from the bookshelf.
February 25th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I love books, my email addy actually says this in another language. I’ve never felt embarrassed by it I guess because my mom encouraged it so much. On a roadtrip - we often took many as a kid - my mom knew all I needed was a book and a book of crossword puzzles and not a peep out of me. Its riveting to me to find others who engross themselves in books, its truly a pleasure that takes your mind to another place. i must admit i shied away from historical fiction for a long time, but after reading some recent novels,March and the unknown world included - i just fell in love with the genre. I’m reading Empire Falls now and can’t wait to get a chunk of time to curl up in my fave blanket and get lost again!
February 25th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Nicola, I love to think about things like that. Especially since I never even considered a career as an author until a few years ago. Until then I was too scared to consider it as an option. Now I’m working hard to make it a reality after all.
Rick, that’s hilarious! I hate it when parents try to dissuade their children from reading–and after teaching English and working in a bookstore, I’ve seen plenty of it. No matter what they’re reading, they’re building their imaginations and improving their reading skills, grammar, vocabulary, background knowledge, etc. Good for you for keeping at it!
Heidikins, I love hearing what everybody loved to read when they were younger!
Liane, I’d almost forgotten about Choose Your Own Adventure books. Those were so much fun. Only, I always chose the wrong path and got killed right away. Usually eaten.
77free, I think it’s wonderful that your mother encouraged reading, too. It can make such a difference. And it’s nice to hear more good things about Empire Falls. I really do need to read it sometime.
February 25th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Ah, a kindred soul. My mother made sure I was never without a book, and now I am passing on that to my children. Thank you for the visit to my site. And if you don’t mind, I’ll be back. *g*
February 25th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
I loved the scholastic fliers. By the time I got home, I had tons of books marked and had to whittle my list to stay in Mom’s budget. I don’t think I could stop reading if I tried. As you said, shampoo bottles and shaving cream cans…. whatever is available.
I took speed reading in college, a move I’ve since regretted since I burn through books so quickly!
Thanks for visiting, I’ve enjoyed your site, including your stumble upon addiction. If only there were more time!
February 25th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
DId you ever see Matida? The little girl pulls her little red wagon to and from the library just piled high with books? Well, that was me, except I used a shopping cart and most of the times, at least until I was 10, my mother went with me. I would fill up my cart with 15 to 20 books every month. Yes I adore books and I loved this post!
February 25th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
RIF!!! Oh, it’s been years since I thought about that. I too have had a lifelong love affair with books. If I could live in a house with bookshelves for walls, I would.
February 25th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Oh, what a kindred spirit! I LOVED Scholastic fliers–still do. I think I’m more excited than my kids now when they bring them home. And school book fairs? Heaven! Now it’s mostly the library with a little Amazon action and some B&N/Borders thrown in. I’ll never get enough! Nor do I wish to.
February 25th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Bookmom, that’s a wonderful mother you had there. And please stop by any time.
I enjoyed your site and will be back, too.
Asthmagirl, those Scholastic flier days were magical! The only thing better than receiving a brand new flier filled with enticing books was the actual arrival of said books.
Ello, that is so me, too! I’m so glad my parents were so patient with my reading. They were very big proponents of trips to the library and the bookstore. My mom still makes library trips a regular part of her weekly routine.
Jess, I would, too! A nearby house has an actual turret that I hear is filled with books. I am so jealous. I’m still trying to figure out how to wrangle an invitation so I can stand inside it and bask in the glory for a while.
Alyssa, I’d completely forgotten about book fairs! I loved those.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
You’re so not alone in your addiction! If I could keep my nose buried in a book all day, I would. And Goodnight Moon…oh, one of my all time favorites!
Thanks for visiting my blog and talking about another kind of addiction today! Your site is great and I’ll be back.
February 26th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Hi, my name is Travis and I too am an addict.
February 26th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Caryn, wanted to stop by and say hi! Great place too. I LUV reading, and pretty much had permanent dark circles under my eyes in grade school and high school. I took a flashlight and book to bed with me most nights. Now, I can read as late as I want. LOL.
February 26th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I find myself addicted to books themselves. I love to touch them, sniff them, run my fingers through their hair. Don’t you just love looking at a bookcase full of books and enjoying the torture of deciding what to read first?
February 26th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Robin, I would do the same! Too bad the world has to intrude, isn’t it? And thanks for reciprocating the visit!
LOL, Travis! I wondered when that would come up.
Thanks for stopping by, LaDonna! I, too, had a history of sneaking in reading long after I was supposed to be in bed. It made for numerous difficult mornings, but they were worth it. Now the ultimate luxury is to spend an entire day on the couch with a book.
Daring One, I do the same thing. They are just so beautiful, so enticing, each with its own little world inside.
February 26th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
The cereal boxes! I’m not the only one!!
Everyone thinks I’m crazy because I will literally read anything with words nearby, including the cereal boxes and the back of my deodorant. It’s an addiction, definitely. I mentioned casually to my mother-in-law that I read about a book a week and her jaw dropped and she said something like, “Must be nice to have the time,” and I felt rather dejected. Addicts don’t have the time - they make it because it matters to them. Just cuz I’m currently unemployed, I do other stuff, too. I just prefer to read. ^_^
Thanks for the memories. Oh, Scholastic fliers.
February 27th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I will read the side of pencil if I can’t find anything else.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Caryn~
The CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE books often led to death. And then I’d try to remember exactly what I picked the last time. Led to lots of frustration but I learned how to ask the question “What if I did this?”. Which led to my writing.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
My book addiction came in stages. It started with Scholastics and stopped. The somewhere down the road, I accidentally stumbled into Christopher Pike. Again, it stopped. It wasn’t until years later that I finally picked it up again and decided to take it a step further by writing my own. I can honestly say I’ve stayed true to my “creepy” genre.
February 27th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Jess, it so annoys me when people imply that I have a lot of extra time floating around just because I read. My first response is usually to ask them, “And how much television do you watch each week?”
LOL, Allan! I’m the same way.
Liane, I hadn’t thought about that, but you know, I’ve heard lots of writers say that their writing begins with “What if…?”
Marcia, I’ve definitely gone through phases, too. Right now, for example, I’ve been doing so much writing and, yes, blogging, that I haven’t done as much reading as I’d like. But then, most of my hobbies are like that.