1. How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?2. Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?
When I first read this, I thought I would probably not respond, because I can't decide if I have a single favorite author, or if I would be able to have a short list, as opposed ot a long one.
Thinking about it some more, I decided that I did have an answer. I decided that I would write about the first time I became aware of an author that I really liked.
A bit of background: my parents were avid readers. They were also the type who felt that it was OK for us to read whatever was around to read. (For example, I am willing to bet that I was the only grade-schooler to read Valley of the Dolls; OK, I didn't finish it, because I thought it was boring, because why would someone keep taking medicine???) I had very few "kid" books, other than the Little Golden Books, and the Readers' Digest Abridged Classics, which were hand-me-downs from my sisters.
But one year for Christmas, when I was around 8 or 10 years old, my parents gave me a copy of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I remember devouring that book! It was the first thing I had read that was "epic" and dealt with so many primary characters over a long period of time. I decided then that Louisa May Alcott must have just been a fascinating person, and though I did not/have not read everything she wrote, I did read at least two more. When I was older, I read a biography of her (the title of which escapes me), and found her family interesting as well.
One year when we made our annual summer pilgrimage to visit my mother's cousin in Boston (she was the rich relative), she took us to Concord, and we got to tour Louisa May Alcott's home. I just loved that, and felt like I was walking through the book!
10 comments:
That's really cool that you got to visit her home! Little Women was a favorite of mine as a child too. My daughter read it last year, in 4th grade, and loved it.
Have you read "March"? It's the Little Women story told from the perspective of the father. I haven't read it yet, but I've been told it's excellent.
You lead a pretty cool life there girlie! I read the Exorcist when I was 11-slept with the lights on for weeks. I love how how you took these questions and made them your own.
What a great story! I tend to let my own daughter try just about anything if it holds her interest.
I've only seen the movie of "Little Women" (and I love it!) but never read the book. That is one of the thing I promise myself I'm going to do when given the time :)
What? Exorcist was made into book?! I didn't know. But than I was so scared and chicken when I saw the movie of it
Happy BTTs - I hope you've a good days/weekend ahead
Oh god, my mom left everything lying around: I remember Sidney Sheldon, Leon Uris, and various bodice-rippers. It all came to a crashing halt when I found "Helter Skelter." I'm still not over it.
On a lighter note, I, too, loved "Little Women" and remember vividly the scene where Meg wanted to host a lavish lunch and ended up using salt instead of sugar and wanting desperately to hire a "cherry bounce." :)
And she got to write on her walls, something I feel to this day kept me from being a great novelist.
My parents wer the same way. I don't understand banning certain books. What's the point?
You'd stoop to any level to make a Jaclyn Suzanne reference, wouldn't you...
Little Women completely captivated me too! Did you ever see the movie? I couldn't bring myself to. I don't see how it could live up to the book.
I'm LOLing at Julia's comment about the Exorcist- they didn't make the movie into a book, silly.. it was the other way around!
I would have to say my Mother has introduced me to my favorite authors. C.S. Lewis as a child and Austin as an adult. Other than that the local bookstore was my best resource!
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