This week topic is
Top Ten Best Bookish Memories
All those sweet beautiful memories with books... Even the most horrible ones make me smile! Spending hours in the library picking out books, all those hours reading them. As a little girl I went nowhere without a book. It's almost unbelievable I spend a couple of years without reading! I have many bookish memories, but here's my Top Ten!
1. My first memory
When I was around 4/5 years old I already loved books, especially Jip & Janneke (a Dutch children's book). My parents read it to me so often I new the first chapter by heart and thought that I could actually read. Every time I think about this moment I still feel proud, although now I know I couldn't read it for real! I still now the first few sentences!
2. My first "grown up" book
I've always had the habit to be the first with everything. So of course I had to be the first with reading a "grown up" book (I was 12). A horrible experience (that's why I love YA so much now;)). At first I walked row after row of library books without having any clue what to pick and than finally went home with a horror book. My mother musn't have checked what I brought home, because that book still gives me nightmares!
3. Harry Potter
When I went to secondary school (it's called middelbare school in Dutch) I stopped reading. I just had so much homework and other things to do. I haven't read in six years. Except for Harry Potter. When the hype started I loathed Harry Potter and said to everyone who wanted to hear it I would never read it. After seeing the first movie (why I went to see it I have no idea:P) I was hooked and read the first four books in a row.
4. The Lord of the Rings
In the same year I started to read Harry Potter I also read The Lord of the Rings. My grandfather had been a big fan of J.R.R. Tolkien for many years and he took me and my little sister to see the first movie. Just like with Harry Potter I was hooked and wanted to read the books. It took me a whole three months to get through them, but it's awesome to finally understand what my grandfather quoted all these years!
5. What would have been my first bookish event
When I was 16 the fifth or sixth Harry Potter book was published in Dutch. There would be a big event in the bookstore my grandmother worked and she arranged for me to be there! I was so excited and was nervous weeks in advance. I had to work first and then she would pick me up. Unfortunately I managed to slice my finger pretty bad (the top almost came off, the horror!), so I never got to go. It still breaks my heart!
6. Twilight
Yes, Twilight is one of my bookish memories. After reading almost nothing for years my grandmother gave me Twilight. She got it from a colleague, but it didn't interest her, so she gave it to me. I put it with the few books I did have on my shelves. One Sunday afternoon when I was bored I picked it up and started reading. And I haven't stopped since!
7. Getting my credit card
I never thought I would get a credit card, but when my boyfriend introduced me to the wonderful world that calls itself amazon/bookdepository I got one myself so I could order all the books I wanted. There aren't many bookstores in the Netherlands with a good English books section, so this was like heaven!
8. Working with books
In the last years I've mostly had jobs that evolved around books. Or in a bookstore or at a publishing house. I'm currently working in a bookstore again and I can't tell you enough how amazing that is. This is one big happy memory.
9. Book signings
There aren't many book signings in The Netherlands with authors that I love, so I don't really go to many of them. In the first bookstore where I worked there were a few signings. I've seen authors sitting at a table for an hour without anyone showing up. So sad! I wanted to hide every time that happened! Of course there were also many successful signings where authors had cramps at the end ;).
10. Meeting Tahereh Mafi
This is my most recent and favorite bookish memory! Meeting Tahereh Mafi last November, it was amazing! She's so nice! There was also a meet & greet and she's so patient answering all the questions. It would be amazing to go to more signings and bookish events!
That's it for me! What's your Top Ten this week?
I remember reading The Boxcar Children with one of my best friends when I was 10 yrs old. I loved them and we would share books and check out as many as we could from the library. I think those were the 1st books that I ever loved.
ReplyDeleteI love all the Harry Potter love today! It's so great to hear how many people actually got to reading thanks to those books. And I wish we had more bookish events here in the Netherlands too!! I feel like we're missing out on such amazing things.
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I am so sorry that your first adult book was a horror book. I think that would have scared me too. :)
ReplyDeleteold follower
my TTT
http://kimberlysnovelnotes.blogspot.com/2013/02/top-ten-tuesday-8.html
Harry Potter <3 I'm so glad to see that every list has HP on it! It's amazing that these books can give everybody happy memories. My introduction to the wonderful world of the books depository is something I will remember too. It's such a shame that we don't have that much signings and bookish events here in the Netherlands :(
ReplyDeleteMel@thedailyprophecy.
Great memories! Working with books must be amazing - that's my ambition one day :) and yay for Potter! Thanks so much for stopping by my TTT and sharing your post :) have a great week!
ReplyDeleteSarah @ TotalTeenFiction
Oh, poor lonely authors sitting there by themselves. I've seen that too and it scares me. It's one of the reasons I don't want to publish in Montreal.
ReplyDeleteNew follower. Here is my TTT
Gah! I should have added working in a library to mine! lol :) Great list!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my TTT. :)
Brandy @ A Little of the Book LIfe