First Memory of Books or Reading— #OpenBook Blog Hop

     This week we're talking about our first memory of books or reading. Spoiler alert: I can't remember ever NOT being around books. Being the fourth child in a family of nine, and having a mother who loved to read, books were always present in the house.
     Even before I started school, I played "school" with my older sister. I would have been three or four at the time.  And I remember both my sister and my two older brothers  reading to my mother as part of their homework. Those sessions normally took place in the kitchen as my mother washed the supper dishes. Obviously, I stuck around and listened but I can't tell you if I learned anything.

(not me and my sis)

   
   I can tell you exactly when I started reading myself. First grade. I didn't go to kindergarten, but started first grade when I was five. And we learned to read using the standard Dick and Jane books. See Dick run. Run, Dick, run. No kidding. And I can't forget the dog, Spot, either,
     So soon those sessions in the kitchen included me practicing. And ever since, I've always had books around. During grade school, I helped the librarian with checking out and returning books. I was reading a book a day at that point, and not easy books either. If memory serves me correctly, I was reading at a tenth grade reading level when I was in sixth grade.
     I thought I'd get a degree in library science in college, and even majored in library science one semester, but life ended up sending me down another road. I did spend several years working at the library in the small town where I lived after getting married. In my spare time, I did what came naturally—read. I wasn't always the first person to read new books when they came in, but I had an inside shot at it!

    I suppose it makes sense that eventually I started writing my own books. Although I didn't expect that the first book I'd release would be a paranormal; romance—and the romance wouldn't be the primary story line! My first attempts at writing were standard romances. Then I figured out I was better at writing action than romance.
   So thank you, Mom, for always having books in the house and encouraging us to read.  And thank you Dick, Jane, and Spot. And thanks to all the teachers along the way that recognized my love of reading and helped me develop it further. (Including teaching me how to open the school library without a key on the days the librarian was running late.)  My life has been fuller and richer because of all of you.

To find out what other authors remember about books, click the links below. And feel free to tell me your story in the comments.

#Books  #Reading


"April 4, 2016 - Your first memory of books or reading.
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
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3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants' blogs.
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