My Reading Journey

I didn’t learn to read until first grade when my teacher went on maternity leave and her mother-in-law took over. The elder Mrs. Boehm knew how to teach! That--and the fact that I needed glasses.

But even then I didn’t read as voraciously as I do now. What kid does? (besides Julie). My fav growing up was The Adventures of Reddy Fox series, which were published in the early 1900s! I wonder if my mother read them.

I also loved those Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My other favorite books from back then were the We Were There series: We Were There at the Boston Tea Party. We Were There at the Battle of Gettysburg. History books on my reading level.

[LEFT:] Reading with my brother, Casey (1959)

I have great memories of going to Cook Memorial Library right in the center of town. My siblings and I were very proud to have our own library cards.

We could ride our bikes there whenever we wanted.

The library opened in 1921 after the home and property of the Cook family were donated to the town to be used as a library and park. When you walked in it smelled of books and a wonderful mustiness. We could wander into different rooms upstairs and down, and hide in nooks and crannies to find a reading spot. It was quite the gathering for preteens in the 60s!

[LEFT: The original Cook Memorial Library in our hometown of Libertyville, Illinois]

My high school and college days were filled with mandatory reads only. Then I got married. It was 1973 and teaching jobs were scarce. Chuck and I were in San Diego where he was stationed in the Navy. I had nothing to do but swim and read.

I started reading Rosemary Rogers and her Sweet Savage Love series. Talk about hot romance! I still remember Steve and Ginny. Then, I moved on to Nora Roberts and Danielle Steele.

My mom and sister were always readers. It drove me crazy as a child! But now that I was reading, I joined them and we bonded over sharing books and what to read next. My mom got me hooked on the Clan of the Cave Bear series and authors like Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher.

My mother did not have a college education, but she was really smart, and I attribute that to all the books she read. Betty was such a dedicated reader that when her eyes began to fail her, she became a devout book tape listener (pre-Audible) courtesy of the Braille Institute. That was her saving grace.

[RIGHT: Reading at Betty's in Palm Spring in the 90s]

When Julie was starting kindergarten, we moved back to Libertyville. We started going to Cook Memorial Library and all the memories from my childhood came back when we walked through those doors.

We joined the summer reading clubs and read at night together even though she was reading on her own; it was part of our bedtime ritual. One of our favorites was and still is, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Now, of course, we share books all the time, and whenever she comes to visit, you can find us reading side-by-side on the couch with a glass of wine.

[LEFT: Reading with JuJu in the early 90s--she'll never forgive me for that haircut!]

I hadn’t taught for awhile, but I decided to start substitute teaching in Julie’s school after she was diagnosed with diabetes. I always told the school secretary, “Please don’t put me in kindergarten or first grade. It’s too hard!”

Eventually I went back to full-time teaching, and decided to get my master’s in reading and literacy to update my skills and earn a better salary. During my course of study, I realized that I wanted to see the “light go on” in little readers. I was hired as a Reading Specialist at my school and was assigned to the K-1 students. My last five years of teaching were simply heaven!

[RIGHT: My retirement! Although I had a little comeback once I moved down South.]

Now that I’m retired, I have even more time to read more books! Of course Julie and I share them all the time, but I’m lucky that Chuck and I can trade books too.

He and I both love Grisham, Flynn, Connelly, and DeMille--what Julie calls Cheap Thrills. He likes Patterson but I think they are too formulaic and creepy. I can rely on his reviews of books he reads first: if it’s “meh” then I know I can skip it.

As I age, my tastes in reading have matured too. I still read bestsellers, but I think about the quality.

Julie and I pay attention to strong writing, unique storylines, and well-thought-out style and details.

When we read 100 books in 2019, I discovered how much I loved nonfiction. Enter Erik Larson and Casey Cep! And now, I am searching for books that will educate me.

From a seven-year-old who could barely read See Spot Run to a trashy romance reading newlywed, to a narrative nonfiction lover in her sixties, I’m proof that your reading journey is unique to you, is always evolving, and is never finished!

How did you fall in love with reading? Let me know in the comments.

See also: Barb’s Favorite Books of 2019, Our Favorite Genre Doesn’t Really Have a Name, Cheap Thrills, My Reading Journey: Julie, John Grisham: Movie Maker of the 90s and Aughts