Reading Counts

Like most writers, my love of books began at an early age. When I was small, my mother read to me. Constantly. Once I was old enough to read by myself, I read anything I could get my hands on. In my room, I had a small walk-in closet that housed a white bookshelf. This bookshelf was filled with my favorite books and my favorite book series. I remember hiding out in my closet for hours, surrounded by books and words and stories. Stories that took me to faraway places and into the lives of characters I loved.

I remember this book! source

Loved this series. source

I spent many hot summer afternoons curled up on my blue comforter, reading Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley Twins, and the Babysitters Club. But once I hit high school, the reading stopped. For some reason, I became too busy to read. Too busy with things like cheerleading, soccer, show choir, honor society, class offices, and other clubs. The only reading I did was for English classes, and then I devoured the Shakespeare plays and The Grapes of Wrath. Others complained about reading and bought the cliff notes, but not me. (Okay, maybe I did get the cliff notes once or twice, but ONLY because I wanted a BETTER understanding.)

Needless to say, college wasn't much better as far as "finding the time." And then I was married and had small children. When you're wiping poopy bottoms and cleaning up slop off the floor, there isn't too much time for reading. But when my husband was in law school, there was a group of women who had a book club and that got me back into reading. Then more children came (and more children came) and all the while I WAS reading. To my children every day and every night. Books like Goodnight Moon and DinoTrux and Where the Wild Things Are as I raise my own little "wild things."

And then I heard the truth. If I want to be a better writer, then I HAVE to read. What a great excuse to pick up a book and immerse myself. And when my husband comes home from work, I get to have a conversation like this:

Hubby looks around the untidy house. "What did you do today?"

I hold up the book I've been reading. "Research!"

Can't get better than that!

What were some of YOUR favorite books as a kid?