Confessions of a reader
Posted by Samar | Posted in Reading | Posted on 20-05-2009
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As writers, we have a lifelong affair with books. We read more than we write and secretly think anyone who doesn’t read voraciously isn’t worth spending time with.
I’ve read countless books. And along the way, I’ve amassed quite a few ‘reader secrets’. I’ve decided to spill the beans on my mostly normal, idiotic and mildly embarassing reader secrets.
The birth of a reader
1. I wasn’t interested in reading as a child and didn’t start reading my first book till I was 12.
2. It took me 2 years to complete that first book.
Growing pains
3. By the time I’d turned 15, I’d gone from reading Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, assorted kiddie romantic stuff like Sweet Dreams and Love Stories to Barbara Cartland, Jeffery Archer and Sidney Sheldon.
4. The number of classics I’ve read can be counted on the fingers of one hand. It’s something I’ve never been able to rectify.
5. Shakespearean English drives me insane. I avoided it in school and picked up my younger sister’s “Shakespeare for kids” to read it in plain, everyday English just so I knew every play’s story.
6. The only reason I love Pride & Prejudice so much is because I read my sister’s copy which she was using for her English Literature class. All the difficult words had meanings written above them by her. I didn’t have to pick up the dictionary once.
The blessings of reading
7. I never had to learn vocabulary because of my addiction to Harlequin historicals and Judith McNaught’s novels. The vocabulary used in romance novels is at the SAT and GMAT level. Even if I didn’t know the exact meaning, I knew the context they were to be used it. Piece of cake in a multiple choice question exam.
8. Enid Blyton’s ’St. Claire’s’ and ‘Mallory Towers’ series was the reason I loved school. Moreover, it was the reason I loved my all girl school.
9. I never studied for any of my English Literature exams and always scored high. My secret? The characters in the novel were my best friends.
The curse of a voracious reader
10. I’ve read pretty much everywhere. Bathrooms, planes, trains, cars, cafes, weddings (mobile books rock!), in class, seminars – you name it.
11. Two months after reading a book, I forget it. It’s a blessing. I can read my favourite books again and again.
12. When Lord of the Rings came out, I read the entire unabridged novel and loved it. I haven’t been able to bring myself to read it again.
13. I couldn’t stop reading even during exams. It was standard practice for me to have a fiction book hidden inside my larger course book to fool my mum into thinking I was studying. Mum was of course, rarely fooled.
The oddities
14. I love Harry Potter and hate the Twilight series.
15. I read romance novels. Trashy romance novels. It’s my choice of bed time reading.
16. I will probably never read Stephen King’s fiction books again.
17. My favourite thing to do at the dentist is to sit beside someone who’s reading and read from their book/magazine. I’ve mastered the art of reading off of other people’s books discretely while listening to music.
Do you have any reader secrets? Care to share? Or am I the only freak in town? 
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We are not freaks! You are not alone! Anything else I need to say? LOL Seriously, I’m a voracious reader – always have been. My secret is my love of trashy novels – give me Kathleen Woodiwiss any day! (The Wolf & The Dove – my favorite) I have three books going at the moment, one SciFi, one horror and one drama. The only books I don’t like to read are fantasy. I love that you can forget a book within months and enjoy the re-read – I do the same thing. I have one book that I simply adore, and read it once a year – and have for almost 20 years
Swan Song, by Robert McCammon. It’s a sci-fi horror that is quite simply my favorite. Oh lord, here I go again, waxing on about books 
If only we could convert everyone – what a wonderfully well read world we would have (how’s that for alliteration?).
I love this post Samar. Soo many head nods I think I’m going to get RSI in my neck
I was actually the other way around as a child. I read *constantly*. Famous Five, Secret Seven then onto Hardy Boys and even the Star Wars EU.
Then I stopped.
I don’t know what happened but I didn’t pick up a book for years.In fact it was just before Lord of The Rings was released that I decided to pick up a book (Tolkien’s book) again.
I’m still not reading as voraciously as I once did but at least I’m reading again.
Right now it’s World War Z and it is simply an outstanding book. A must read if ever there was one.
Oh and for any iPhone users reading this, buy the Classics application, 20 classic books in their full and unedited glory!
Marc – WelshScribe’s last blog post..Spreading Myself Too Thin
LOL, I love Harry Potter and hate Twilight too. I was just saying to Cindy the other day that I couldn’t believe its popularity. Totally ridiculous.
@ Charlene – Amen!
And all hail trashy novels 
I scour the internet for free e-books. Harlequin had a great promotion a couple of months ago. They had 16 free e-books! 
I don’t like sci fi and fantasy romance either. I’ll have to look up the two writers you’ve listed.
@ Marc – I’ve read Enid Blyton extensively, read her to my youngest sister too
I was reading her even during my days of reading Sheldon. My mum says that she didn’t see me without a book in my hand for 2 years after I finally started reading. Her favourite threat when I wouldn’t do chores was “I’ll keeps your books for a week!”. Nothing struck more terror in my heart than the threat of taking away my beloved books.
@ Writer Dad – I agree. I don’t know if it was just me but I thought the book had weak editing. There were words that were repeated too closely too often etc. The book also didn’t have the polished feel that HP has.
By the way Sean and Samar did either of you watch the movie Twilight or were the books so awful it put you off?
Oh and Samar get the Wordpress subscribe to comments plugin already
@ Marc – I actually saw the movie first and didn’t like it at all. So I decided to read the book and see if the movie didn’t do the book justice or it was actually that bad
And I’ll get that plugin asap!
Samar’s last blog post..Confessions of a reader
Well I watched the movie last weekend. Have to admit it wasn’t all that bad, a little too long and not enough werewolves for my liking but watchable.
I hear the next one is meant to be better though
Wow, Sean and I are the same Myers-Briggs personality type, but I will confess that I do like stories in the Twilight series (not their editing)(and of course adored Harry Potter). I doubt I see those books as others (fans or unfans) do, but that’s another subject (and enough parenthetical statements).
My husband and I were just talking about our reading histories this morning. He didn’t start reading until middle school. I started reading for real in the 2nd grade, probably, and was tackling things way over my age level by the 5th grade. Never looked back, either. I can only remember about 5 books in my lifetime that I didn’t finish (didn’t like them or didn’t find them interesting). I own a ridiculous number of books but can’t seem to part with any, you know?
B J Keltz´s last blog ..Now This is Awesome