10 Day Book Blog Post Challenge #3: How I Started Reading Books

Does anyone else remember the moment words on a page suddenly made sense? Like, one minute they’re just symbols, the next you understand everything?

I want to say this happened while reading a Dr. Seuss book. I know I was 5, living in Japan, and late for kindergarten. I tried telling my mom about my newfound superpower; she was busy getting my little brother out the door.

Those days when my dad was at sea sure were fun!

That’s the moment I remember learning to read. After that, I can pinpoint a few series and interests that helped me keep my reading streak alive.

Horse literature

Most impactful series: The Pony Pals by Jeanne Betancourt

Fun facts:

• This series has 44 books
• I’ve read ALL of them
• I used to check these out from the library before I properly knew how to read
• It bummed me out to look at the pictures but not know what was going on
• This series fueled a horse obsession that lasted almost a decade
• Apparently some fan developed a ROLE-PLAYING SITE INSPIRED BY THE SERIES in 2010
• Obviously I am going to join

Poetry (ish)

Most impactful series: Dr. Seuss books

Fun facts:

• My parents read these out loud a million times
• They avoided ones, such as The Lorax, with heavy social commentary
• Fox in Socks is my favorite
• Not a big fan of Cat in the Hat
• This was the first fantasy world I ever wanted to be a part of
• And yet I refuse to see Seussical the musical…

Fantasy

Impactful series #1: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

I mean, obviously.

Fun facts:

• This is the only series I enjoy hearing read aloud
• My first-grade teacher read The Sorceror’s Stone to our class
• My parents banned me from reading these books because “they gave me nightmares“
• I read them in secret (on a dare from a friend)
• In 7th grade, my teacher lent me her copy of The Half-Blood Prince two months after its release to increase my social capital
• I finished the book in 3 days and sobbed on the couch during the last chapter
• After years of me begging, my dad finally agreed to read the series in 2007
• Protecting him from spoilers was a full-time job
• My dad once saw a bus that read, “Dumbledore died…but Jesus lived.” He asked me, “Is that a spoiler?”
• I was pretty livid after all my hard work
• My dad got so fed-up with the series, he asked me, “Just tell me: does Harry die at the end?”
• He got mad when I told him, “Well…yes and no.”
• I complain about 800+ page fantasy books, but I used to reread The Order of the Phoenix on a whim
• Thanks to Ron Weasley and a “friend” who criticized all my opinions, I haven’t touched this series in 3 years

Impactful Series #2: Unicorns of Balinor by Mary Stanton

Fun facts:

• I tried to hide the fact that I loved unicorn literature from my friends
• Yeah…that was the thing I chose to be embarrassed about
• I would casually summarize the plot with all the magical elements removed
• “It was just a normal horse barn…and the normal horses…lived in a valley…”
• I went from loving this series to hating it with a vengeance
• It…is not very good
• Princess Arianna was my first Mary Sue

Impactful Series #3: Avalon: Web of Magic by…multiple people (I don’t want to talk about it)

Fun facts:

• I did a book report on Circles in the Stream in 4th grade
• “And then the girls saved the purple panda with the help of their pet ferret!”
• My teacher made the class wait to go to recess until I finished my sick presentation
• I was really cool back then
• This series had everything I love: a girl squad, magical animal sidekicks, jewels that corresponded with each girl’s personality…
• I used to love Emily Fletcher, but cheerleader Kara Davies is my forever favorite
• NOT an Adriane fan
• A sequel series was planned for 2011 but never released
• BUT I recently learned that series would have focused on Adriane, so IT’S FOR THE BEST
• WEIRDEST NEWS YET: an animated TV show has been slated to premiere THIS YEAR
• I can’t find a ton of information on it, but I THINK it’s happening?
• ALSO RACHEL ROBERTS WROTE A MANGA SERIES!?!? I HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT!!
• I’m getting nostalgic. Time for a reread?