Where it All Started

It has been a super busy week for me and I apologize that your Friday update is coming on a Sunday, but here it is. I wasn't really sure what to talk about this week. I thought maybe I would talk about where this love of reading came from.

When I was little my mother used to read to my brother and I before bed every night. She read things like, The Christmas Shoes, The Children of the Red King Series, and she even started Harry Potter. Even with books in my childhood, I hated reading. I was terrible at it. I mixed up letter constantly and it took me the longest time just to read regular, everyday words.

For some reason me brain knew the word, but I just couldn't seem to say it out loud. All of this just burned a fire of hatred for books. I didn't understand why everyone loved them. However, through all of this, I still did read a little. During the summer our local pizza parlor did this reading challenge for kids. It was if you read so many books you got this small free pizza. Naturally I wanted the pizza so I swallowed my hatred for reading and just kept at it.

In my middle school years I didn't read at all unless it was something I had to, like a textbook or something. Yet, when my Freshman year of high school finally rolled around, I met one of my friends that loved reading. She talking about it all the time and I thought maybe I would give it another go. Still as a Freshman it was a little hard for me to get into it.

It was difficult to focus on a line of text. My eyes were constantly jumping around the page and never really reading the words. Then Sophomore year came around and I met one of the girls I call my best friend. She told me if I wanted to get back into reading, which I was never into, that I should read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

It really seems like the rest is history. After that book I was hooked, I read every single day. It's like my eyes had been cleared to this mystery. Still to this day I have trouble with reading, especially out loud. I have gotten better, but it's still hard sometimes. I don't think I will ever give it up though. It's weird now to think I hated it.

That's a little bit about me. What got you guys into reading? Did you hate it at first? I would love to know your stories. I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and as always, happy reading.