Friday, February 20, 2015

My Favorite Book: A Timeline


          In my last blog I was asked what favorite book was and as I thought about it, I realized this was not going to be a straightforward answer so I decided to dedicate my next blog to the question.

          At first I tried to narrow it down to my all-time favorite book, but eventually came to the conclusion that it’s impossible for me to do. So instead, this blog will be a list of the books that have been my favorite at various points in my life. Everything from Dr. Seuss all the way to Nora Roberts.

          We’ll start at the beginning. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom reading me a bedtime story. In those very early years, my favorite books were the Dr. Seuss books, like The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. I even had a Green Eggs and Ham board game. Little Golden Books were also some of my favorite books at that age, especially The Poky Little Puppy and The Monster at the End of This Book.
 



 
          A few years later, I had progressed to the Junie B. Jones books, my favorite being Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake. I’m pretty sure I got it through a Scholastic book order. By this point I was learning to read by myself, but bedtime rituals were sacred things not to be messed with, so Mom had to read them to me. I loved this series because it was so funny. Not only was I laughing, but my older brother would listen in and he would laugh too.
 
 
 
 
 
          I can’t remember any favorite books in particular for several years, but by the time 4th and 5th grade rolled around I was reading Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. I can thank my older brother for introducing me to these books. I remember being bored out of my mind with nothing to read, so I decided to snoop through his room to see if I could find anything interesting. And I did. I started both series because I couldn’t find anything better to read, and I am glad I couldn’t. To this day, both series hold a special place in my heart.
 
 
 
         In the next few years I discovered a whole new genre, romance. I spent one whole year reading all the Nora Roberts books that were out at the time. Eventually I got sick and tired of all the straight up romance. I learned that if I was going to read a romance, it had to involve new elements and genres. Whether that took the form of mystery or supernatural didn’t matter as long as there was something besides the romance. I found a new author named Sherrilyn Kenyon who put a new twist on vampires and combined it with world mythology and bad-ass characters and I am still a big fan of hers today.
 
 
          Eventually, I started reading YA novels. It was at that point that I started the Percy Jackson series. They in turn led me to The Mortal Instruments and Cassandra Clare.
 
 
 
          This brings us to the present point. Since I’ve started college, I haven’t had as much time to find new authors and books to fall in love with. I’m lucky if I stay caught up with all the book series and TV shows I’m watching.
          I hope you all enjoyed this blog and check back next week for another installment. Leave any questions or comments below! Thanks!
 

4 comments:

  1. I remember reading the Junnie B. Jones books when I was younger! I have also read the Harry Potter series, the Percy Jackson series, and the Mortal Instruments series.I have been sticking pretty close to the YA/fantasy genre since I was in 6th grade so my tastes in books has been the same for a long time. It is cool to see how you went through different phases with your reading preferences.

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  2. My favorite book ever is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand! It is an instant classic to me, and despite its immense volume I plan to read it over and over again! It just speaks to me, like it has helped me realize who I am, what I believe, and what my purpose in life is! That is a POWERFUL book!

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  3. Several of the young adult fiction novels that you listed are interesting to me as a future teacher. I believe one should not sacrifice the importance of a "captivated audience" merely to instill within the minds of students the facts of a certain topic. The evolution of what interests a person from toddler years to adulthood is relevant in the lives of students as well. By exemplifying this in your blog, you revealed the gravity of utilizing a variety of sources, such as fiction novels, within the classroom.

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  4. Some of my earliest memories are my mother reading to me as well! I think that it is so important that parents read as much as they can to their children to encourage a love of reading. My mom and I read the American Girl doll books together for years, and then moved on to the Little House books. Unfortunately, I got so impatient to know what happened that I started reading ahead without her knowing!

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