What are some of your favorite reading memories?
Do you, like me, remember the time and place you read the book when you recall something you read?
Here are some of my favorite reading memories.
For the longest time, I only read comics. My uncle's comic book collection was extensive. My favorites were the three "Famous Five" comics my mother got me from Vellore. They were expensive and I used to call them "precious books" as a child. I loved reading them best on my bed, with a bowl of freshly cut sugarcane. I'd have another bowl beside me to spit the waste into. I can still hear the crunch of the sugarcane, the flap of the pages turning and taste the sweet juice bursting into my mouth when I recall this book. I started reading chapter books later, but the combination of freshly cut sugarcane and books never let me down!
My mother's parents lived in Kerala and we would spend at least 2 weeks every summer with them. It was a long train journey - ODC to Madurai by bus; Madurai to Kollam by train; a 2-3 hours wait at the Kollam station; Kollam to Thiruvella by another train and then finally, Thiruvella to my grandparents home by car where there would be a hot Kerala brunch waiting for us. I used to look forward to the transit at Kollam because that is when Appa would take me for a walk till the end of the platform and back, we'd talk about the "gothic style" doors at the station, how Kollam won the cleanest railway station award, how the steam engine works and then Appa would buy me a Tinkle comic from the Higginbothams books stall, A 'Vanitha' for Amma and a 'Frontline/India Today/ The Week" for himself. We would sit on the benches outside, sipping hot vending machine coffee, reading, watching the sunrise and waiting for our connecting train. Sigh! Those were the days!
I have more memories. These are just the first two that came to my mind. I think I might start a series of posts on this topic. Feel free to join me.
I haven't figured out how to get people to put their links up on my blog, but I will soon. So for now, please put your reading memories as a comment on this post, or type in a link to your blog.
** All images sourced from Google Images.
MY childhood takes me to the school girls picture library. Ever read them? My mom read them as a little girl and she had several hard bound volumes that I loved reading.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.comicvine.com/schoolgirls-picture-library/49-29961/
Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of books I read or that were read to me. I still make a bee-line for my favourites every time I go home. Here's a link that you asked for - Reading Together. And Patricia St. John was probably my favourite childhood author too!
ReplyDeleteP.S. And Twice Freed is a book I still return to! (in response to your comment on my post)
ReplyDeleteI remember the Nancy Drews and Enid Blytons (especially all the Malory Towers, St.Claire's series)that my grandmother would buy me as presents when we went to see them for holidays- again in my grandparent's home in Tiruvalla. And the old old Reader's Digest and Guideposts that I would read over and over again. Good books don't come like those anymore! Like you said, Deepa- those were the days! I wish I lived in Nevernever Land!
ReplyDeletePriya
anything printed - encyclopedias, Times of India, Readers Digests, National Geographics.... but most of all stories - all of Enid Blyton, CS Lewis' Narnia stories (later on Tolkein of course), plus Sherlock Holmes, and a whole series of biographies of missionaries that I think Moody press put out. We also lapped up obscure US series like Danny Orlis and the Sugar Creek Gang books. Patricia St. John (like Arpit) and then later some of the Hardy Boys series too.
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ReplyDeleteYour post just took me back to my childhood days.... I loved reading anything and everything except for newspapers...:)... it really disapoints me that I do not have time like before to finish a book in a day... but in rare occassions, I do try to squeeze in some reading time which now includes newpapers too...
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I remember looking forward to our annual vacation trip to Thiruvalla CLS bookshop(now I think CSS). I would lose track of time, being immersed in all those titles. To this day, I always have a book at hand, no matter where I am. I love Grandfather Reads' saying - 'Books are like good friends- you can never have too many'.
ReplyDeletetinkle all the way... and i have tons of memories from Kollam railway station
ReplyDeleteHaving Russian folk tales read out to me by my dad - Northern Lights, Shurik and a whole bunch of others. My sister was a bookworm - she weaned me off the nonsense Nancy Drews of the world to "big people's books". I remember her laughing out loud to "My Family and other animals" by Gerald Durrell. Thats what started off my reading habit. When I thoroughly enjoyed that one, she put me on to "Rosy is my relative" - that I introduced Serenity to. He said ppl on the train probably thought he was crazy because he'd laugh sometimes! I can totally credit my reading habit to my family... and my sister most of all. I try to give that to the children who visit our home by stocking children's books that I love! :) My folks never bought me comics, since I read pretty fast (again, thanks to my sis!) and a comic I could finish in half an hour didnt justify lending library charges! All the comics I read as a kid were borrowed - except for a couple of tinkles bought on trains!!
ReplyDeleteChech!! I remember our vacations at Ammichi's! And i remember reading some of your Secret Seven and Famous Five as well!! I read them in Zambia as well and watched the movies.I think we used to borrow Archies from Aneena chechi right? I dont really read, but one book I think you should read that I have read is Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton!
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