Where my love for reading began!

Today’s post is a little trip down memory lane. I was thinking about how my love for reading began and wanted to share it.

My family have always called me a bookworm and when I look back on where my love of reading began I can understand why. I remember learning the alphabet thanks to the Letterland book. I would sit and find the letters hidden in pictures for hours upon hours.

Being at primary school helped my love for reading begin properly. I was given the Biff, Chip and Kipper books to read in primary school, they weren’t my favourite books but they helped me branch into reading different books. Every night my parents would read to me any books I owned. I picked up the Mr Men & Little Miss, Jolly Pocket Postman and the Large Family books more than any other books though.

One of my favourite memories is going to the book and stationary shop WHSmiths with my Grandma every Saturday and leaving with a Mr Men & Little Miss book and as I got older any Jaqueline Wilson book I could find. I loved reading stories with my parents and grandparents before bed every night.

My primary school used to have the book fair come to the school every so often and I would have to be pulled away from looking at all the books. I always left the book fair with at least one book in my hand and read them repeatedly.

I used to love visiting the local library as I got older. My Grandma used to take me on a Saturday and during the school holidays. I always took out the maximum number of books I could do, I would read them all, go back to the library and do it all again. Every Summer my local library ran a scheme in which every week of the six-week Summer holidays you had to read one book. At the end of the six-weeks you were given a few prizes (a bookmark, notepad and pencil as I remember) and a certificate. I would always read more than six books in the Summer holidays but they never gave anything extra if you read more. I didn’t care I just loved reading books and the prizes were a bonus. The books I remember reading from the library were, The Story of Tracey Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson, A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket and the Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging series by Louise Rennison.

When I was in high school my love for reading seemed to take a nose dive. I would take books out of the school library but only read them sporadically. I owned a lot of books but only read them occasionally. It seemed weird to not have a book to read all the time. I only read a book every few months. I have no idea why but I was never in the mood to read.

Whilst in high school was when my love for the Harry Potter books begun though. The books had been out for years but I had never bothered to pick them up. I think the reason behind this is whilst in my first year of primary school they showed us the first Harry Potter film. I was liking it until Hagrid broke down the door and I ran out of the classroom. Obviously, Hagrid isn’t a bad guy but little me thought he was and never touched a Harry Potter book or film after that. I watched the last film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 before reading any of the books. I had never watched any of the other films so had no idea what was going on but it made me want to read all the books immediately. My high school was selling the entire series of Harry Potter books for a £1 each and I bought them all. I read through the series quite quickly and then watched all the films. To this day it is one of my favourite book series ever. Even though my love for reading didn’t completely vanish in high school I certainly didn’t enjoy reading as much as I had done.

When I started college, I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and my love of reading reappeared and was even better than it was before high school. I had a book in my bag every day at college and read at any free moment that I got. Sometimes I even had a couple of books in my bag in case I finished my book whilst at college. My local town centre opened a Waterstones store whilst I was in college and I visited it at least once a week. I would spend my free time between lessons in Waterstones browsing the books and always leaving with several new books. The staff at that store were amazing and always recommended books to me. This store shut down in my last year of college and I didn’t know what to do with myself. So, I visited the Waterstones store on Deansgate in Manchester as often as I could to pick up YA books. This is how my love for YA books began.

During the Summer between college and university I had the idea to start a book blog. I am so glad that I did this because I joined a community of people with a love for reading and a love for sharing books with one another. I love sharing my thoughts about books with other bookworms. Thanks to starting a book blog, I have made so many new friends and been to so many amazing book events. Book blogging has also given me a lot of opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise.

My love of books has only grown stronger over the years and I’m sure it will continue to grow. I am going to need a room only for my books if it does though!

Sorry for such a long post, hope none of you mind! How did your love for reading begin? Let me know in the comments below!

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Until next time,