I was an early reader. Comic books and The Little Golden Books (cheap picture books) were the mainstay of my childhood. I was around 4-ish (maybe a little earlier) when I was reading aloud to my mother, who was listening while ironing (remember ironing?). She realized that I wasn't making up the words or just repeating what I'd memorized when I stumbled over a word, spelling it out.
"Sound it out," she said, echoing generations of parents and other teachers.
After several tries, I managed, and continued reading.
At that point, she started setting aside money from her household budget to feed my new addiction. She picked up the illustrated encyclopedia from the grocery store - 1 new volume a week, and found other inexpensive sources of reading material.
By the time I was 7, we had moved to another house, and this one was only about 5-6 blocks from the library. Practically next door. She marched me in, signed me up for a card, and turned me loose. I was in at least every Saturday during the school year, and several times a week during the summer.
I'd wake up, read while I ate my breakfast, then meander over to a couch or chair for a lazy morning. Sometimes, I'd put on skates for a break, before heading inside for lunch and another book.
In the afternoon, I'd grab my towel and swimsuit, and head outside for a swim at the local pool. That was my favorite summer day.
Once back home, we'd eat, and I'd pick up a book. Sometimes, part of the family would watch TV. I was very good about ignoring the noise, which made the addition of another couple of kids (born when I was 10 and when I was 12) barely a distraction. Mom always said I could sit in the middle of an artillery battle and not notice a thing.
I was a careless child, reading in odd places, and occasionally mislaying a book or two. As a result, a sizable part of my allowance went to paying off overdue book fines.
The librarians were kind. They gently told me I could renew a book, if I needed more time. I didn't know quite how to tell them I'd always manage to knock off at least one book on the trip home. I didn't need more time, I needed more organization.
Somewhere around 5th grade, I had reached the end of the alphabet, and had read just about every book in the children's section (this was a big library, in Lakewood, OH). I glanced through the door, and saw that there were a lot more books on the other side. I wandered over, and managed to find the fiction section.
I'd skipped right over to the adult section. As it was closest, I started with the W section, and methodically plowed through to the A's. I actually don't remember whether I ever went back to the end of the alphabet.
As a result, I never read YA lit. Not unless it was assigned at school.
Around 6th grade, both my mother and I got addicted to Agatha Christie. Cheap paperbacks were widely available, and we shared our stash. Mom and I both read through the most popular mystery writers.
My father shared his love of "The Saint" stories. Also, Scientific American, Science Digest, and science fiction. I learned to solve logic puzzles, gained a decent science vocabulary, and, with the help of my father, who dabbled in electronics, prepared myself for much of my work in computers and science.
My brother loved fantasy; I never got into it much. With my younger brother and sister, I read the Dr. Seuss books I never had before.
As an adult, I was always reading. One boyfriend introduced me to Solzhenitsyn, and kept me from falling into the pro-Leftist track. To be fair, my social studies teachers were largely Korean vets, and NOT overly impressed by the Left.
Kindle, and e-readers, changed my life. At my fingertips, and with a paltry weight for the device, I had access to EVERYTHING ever written. Much of it free or very low-cost.
Thank you, Project Gutenberg!
Amazingly, I know some very nice people who have almost NO reading material in their house. I cannot imagine what that would be like. Almost always, I have a Kindle, tablet, or phone with me, and always have books loaded and ready.
Today's science writers are amazing - it's a gift, the ability of being able to explain complex concepts in terms that the newb can understand. Andy Weir's The Martian was an amazing book that didn't avoid the actual science needed to understand the predicament, but put it in everyday terms. In Physics, try reading The Physics of Superheroes - it's an overview of the basics, explained in terms of the DC universe and Marvel stories.
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