My Life in Books

Childhood:

Some of my earliest memories are of me sitting in the lounge with my pile of Ladybird books, reading through them one after the other, often to my dolls or teddies. We must of had at least thirty of them which unfortunately I ruined by putting purple ‘for sale’ stickers on the front covers whilst playing pretend shop.

My favourite Ladybird book, the one I read over and over, was called "Lost at the Fair" by A.J. Macgregor and W. Perring. It told the story of the Dormouse family, who went to the fair with the field mouse they found crying on their way and took pity on. Mrs Dormouse gave the children a penny each so that they could ride an elephant. Whilst riding, Dan Dormouse tried to grab an acorn from a tree they were passing but ended up dangling from the tree instead. The other two children went for help, but in the end a blackbird rescued Dan and took him back to his Mother. I loved the story and the pictures that were so beautifully drawn and coloured.

Some of my other favourite Ladybird books were "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" by Anne McKie and the "Garden Gang" series by Jayne Fisher. When I was slightly older, the "Puddle Lane" books were released, and I found them so different from other books. There were different series in the set and each series was a different colour. There was even a t.v series to go with them, "Tales from Puddle Lane". My favourite books were the green-coloured series, which were about the ‘Gruffle’.

At around the age of eight my mum read "Return of the Antelope" by Willis Hall and Rowan Barnes-Murphy, it was based on the the t.v series of the same name. The story was about three lilliputians – the land from Gullivers travels, who try to make the same journey that Gulliver made two hundred years before. However they are ship wrecked in a storm and found by two children Gerald and Philippa who are on holiday with their grandfather. The book follows their adventures and trying the rebuilding of their ship ‘Antelope’ so they can return home.
I thought the book was magical and I wishing that I could of discover some little people. I made my mum read the story over and over until she got sick of it.

Whilst at primary school the funniest book I ever read was "Superfudge" by Judy Blume. I had chosen it for quiet reading on the carpet lessons, but the book was so full of wit and laugh out loud book moments, that I found myself more than once being told off by the teacher. I was so engrossed with the story that the more I got told off the more I was determined to read to the end.

My last few years at primary school and into my early teens, were spent reading the Anastasia Krupnik books by Lois Lowry. I bought my first Anastasia Krupnik book with a gift voucher that I had won at school. Six of us were taken into the the city centre during the school day to choose a book as a treat for winning a competition, though I couldn’t tell you what the competition was these days. I loved these books. They were the first series that I had ever read and I remember being excited every time a new book was released, rushing out to my local book store to buy it on the morning it was released.

Teenage Years:

The first classic novel that I read was "The adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. I had this very stern, posh English teacher who started off each lesson peering over her glasses scanning the room for that days narrator. I wasn’t very good at reading aloud, jumbling up the sentences and stumbling on certain words which gave the teacher enough reason not to choose me.

After Tom Sawyer, it was the turn of "Jane Eyre". Boy I loved Charlotte Bronte’s book! I remember getting an A* for my essay that we had to write once we had finished the book. Jane Eyre speaks volumes and is a love story, but not in the classic sense of the word, with an air of mystery. I think over the years I must of read it about five times.

We then moved on to Shakespeare and I was apprehensive. I wasn’t, and still aren’t much of a theatre lover, so I wasn’t sure how I would take to the style of writing and the old fashioned dialogue. Surprising though I thoroughly enjoyed it, not enough to make me pick up Shakespeare again, but enough to keep me interest until the end.

Adult:

At the age of 18 I had my first child, and with looking after a small baby and working long hours, for a good few years I rarely picked up a book, choosing the lighter option of magazines to read instead. One book that I did manage to get through though was "Far and Away" by Sonja Massie, based on the film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. I loved the movie and wanted to see if the book went further in to detail about the life of Joseph Donnelly and Shannon, not realising at the time that the book was written after the film and based on the script, not the other way around.

Entering my 20’s with a toddler in tow meant I was constantly on the go and my one saviour was getting lost in a good book. "Message from Nam" by Danielle Steel was one such book. The story is so powerful, following the life of Paxton Andrews who I admired. Her approach to life in a time when women were expected to be the house maker and wife at home was commendable. She trusted her instincts and followed her heart, even if it took her to places she never expected.

Scanning the shelves at my local library I chose "Let’s Meet on Platform 8" by Carole Matthews. Her books, full of romance and light-heartedness, brought me together with an author I will cherish for the rest of my life. To date, I have read all barring one of her books and chose her as my first "Author of the Week", in recognition for her keeping me sane through a period of my life in my early 20’s that I hope to never go through again.

At 24 I met my husband and soon after baby number two was born. We lived in a little cottage flat with the most horrendous neighbours you could imagine. I used to take my son whilst he was asleep and my eldest was in school, and sit in the park with a good book to get away from my so called ‘home’, which I loved and hated at the same time. I would absorb myself and lose track of time and just let all the stress dissolve away. I remember an old woman sitting down next to me once on the park bench and looking confused at the book I was reading, enquiring what it was about. The book I was reading was "The curious Incident of the dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon. I suppose it does have an unusual title, but once you start reading the book you understand why. I have read this book twice, second time after one of my sons was diagnosed with autism. The story is so close to my heart. It helped me understand more about my sons behaviour than any ‘autism help book’ has ever done.

At 27 I gave birth to my 3rd and final child. My son however was a sick baby and spent most of his early life in and out of hospital, meaning long nights sat in a ward with nothing but a book to keep me company once my son was asleep. I can’t remember the number of books I must of got through but they all took me away from my current environment and placed me in a world of passion, love, joy, action, other peoples hurt, conquests and bravery. My son now 9 still spends periods in hospital due to having a rare incurable illness, and I always have a good book to hand.

I don’t really have one genre that I prefer over another. I choose books that speak to me, that will engage me in the story and will keep me entertained from the offset. If a book can make me laugh, cry, arouse my emotions or have me on the edge of my seat, then that’s the novel for me.

I commend all you authors out there for the dedication that you show to us readers. To the hard slog that you go through not only to write but to get published and recognised for your contribution to the literary world, and for at times keeping me on a level peg when I needed you most. Books are the most loyal friends anyone can every have.