First Books

Shalini asked about the first books you loved and hated today and I think this is really interesting.  If you want to answer too, you can copy the questions, answer them here, or go over to her post.

First Book I Loved

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I think I’ve told this story before, but one time when my mom took me to visit my grandparents in Arizona (just the two of us! She took one kid each year.), she saw her childhood copy of Little Women and gave it to me. I read it cover to cover in a day or two and I think that’s the day I really really fell in love with reading. I was a kid/toddler who always loved books and spent a lot of time reading, but I’d never been transported quite like that before. 

First Book I Hated

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

This was an assigned book in high school and I absolutely HATED it. I didn’t feel like there was an actual plot, just a collection of bad choices/profanity all thrown together for the sake of being shocking. I don’t mind shocking if there’s a point, but there seemed not to be.

First Series I Read

If you’re talking FIRST first, a series about a young “detective” named Ned written for 2^nd or 3^rd-grader-ish ages. They were probably learn-to-read books or something and my elementary school had an entire shelf of them. I liked them a lot. I just spent 10 minutes googling combinations of “Ned” “detective” and “youth” or “elementary”, but I’m coming up with nothing. Anyone know what I’m talking about?

As far as older series go, maybe Little House on the Prairie? (Next shelf over from Ned!) I can’t remember, though, I might have read The Boxcar Children first. I also really loved Nancy Drew.

 

First Fantasy/Sci-Fi Book I Read

Hmm. I think I read a Madeline L’Engle or two back in middle school. My best friend loved her books, but I don’t like fantasy/sci-fi. Other than Harry Potter (that’s fantasy, right?). 

First Book That Made Me Cry From Laughing

No idea. I can’t really think of any book that’s made me cry from laughing. I guess I rarely find books that funny. I’ve read Tina Fey’s biography, one of Chelsea Handler’s books, and a Bill Bryson or two. They’re funny, yes, but I don’t LOL.

First YA Book I Read and Loved

Does this mean Little Women? I also read tons of Lurlene McDaniel books in middle school and those are definitely YA. I vividly remember being reading The Face on the Milk Carton by Carolyn B. Cooney. I think that was the first book I bought myself from one of those book order forms they do at school.

First Horror Book I Read

I don’t like horror. R.L. Stine was as hardcore as I got with that (meaning: not at all). 

First Book I Was Completely Obsessed With

I’m stumped. I’ve always read a lot. At least a hundred books a year. I become obsessed with a lot of books, but there are so many they do start to run together over time.

(All book images in this post are Amazon affiliate links.)