I am an avid reader and I was filled with nostalgia when I some other reviews under this topic. Like our readers here, I too grew up reading books... a very large number of them. Where my friends used to watch cartoons on television, I used to be curled up on the sofa with a book. I have always been a fast reader..I guess I used to finish 8 books a day on average. As a result, I used to always score very well in English at school. Other subjects were easy as well, since I had to attempt almost all of them in english. I got an opportunity to play with words, owing to my reading.
Some of my kiddie favourites I list below:
My first books were.... CHAMPAK, AMAR CHITRA KATHA, TINKLE DIGESTS, NODDY, DISNEY COMICS.... I started reading at the age of six. I remember, at that time, there used to be many words which used to go over my head, but still resolutely I used to plough on. I ended up reading some books over 20 times!! But, gradually I got the hang of understanding words by relating them to the contexts. I read a lot of moral stories, some real ones as well.. [AMAR CHITRA KATHA]..My favourites in ACK were Buddha and Krishna.
Then came.... ’ENID BLYTON’... I was nine, when I saw this book at a market titled ’The Mystery of the Invisible Thief’. Now, I have always loved mysteries..So, I bought it [obviously] and I just couldn’t wait to get back home so that I could start reading it. I really liked it, so I went and got another one of the same series. Like this, after a few months, I was the proud owner of the entire series of fifteen books. I can say that I must have read each book atleast 70 times...I believe I can actually recite some parts by rote. Then came ’’THE FAMOUS FIVE’’. Again I got the entire series of 21 books and they became another of my favourites. I also used to read the secret seven [only few], but I found too many characters in the book, so I didn’t like it that much. The best thing: I was learning a lot of words and their correct grammatical usage and this helped a lot at school. Tintin was another fave during this period, I just loved every character.
Growing up.... continued. I then graduated to HARDY BOYS and NANCY DREW. I was 11 and a half years of age then, and I remember how excited I used to get seeing NANCY DREW books at the markets. Now, I possibly wouldn’t glance at one, but then it was a great ACHIEVEMENT for me chuckle. I learnt that it wasn’t possible to get the entire NANCY DREW series, because there are just about a million of them available...
I was hooked.... on to HARRY POTTER next. I read my first one when I was 13 [or 14] and it was a mindblowing experience. From the moral fables and mysteries, it was a beautiful, different magical world for me. I fell in love with the whole concept of the wizarding world and I wanted to be a part of it. It cost my folks a small fortune but they ..er.. didn’t complain much. I have religiously followed the entire series and now am a proud owner of the entire series of Harry Potter books. And I eagerly waiting for the next one.
Now-a-days, I’m reading heavy novels and stuff, but the beginning of this journey has been wonderful, I’ll always cherish the good old memories.. I’m really grateful to my family and friends who have throughout encouraged me to read. I now have a small library of my own, having over 400 books and I’m really proud of my babies. I’m getting really nostalgic now, .. I guess I’ll go and read one of childhood books which I do occasionally..when I get emotional like now...
Well, I can go on for another 20 pages [nothing to say about 50] , so I guess I’ll stop here for now. I’m only 18 now, so I still consider myself as a child lol... Maybe in another 30 years, I’ll grow up, then I’ll come and update my review...
BLESS