Writers as Readers

1. In order to be comfortable by reading I need a really quiet/calm environment. I don’t want a completely silent room though. I can listen to music and be completely fine but the second someone starts talking I can no longer read. I love love love reading when there isn’t too much light. I used to have Christmas lights in my room and I loved reading when they were on. Eating doesn’t really matter to me when I read, there’s nothing specific I like. I just like to be alone and read in a peaceful place.
2. I honestly will read anything. I’m not a huge fan of nonfiction just because it bores me, and I’m also not a huge fan of like sci-fi or anything. But, if I need something to read and someone gives me a sci-fi book, I’ll read it. My favorite books are books that make me cry or that are just sad. I don’t really know why, I just prefer those over sappy love stories. I guess that may just be because I think sad stories are more realistic. I’ve always liked sad stories and it’s just interesting to me that someone can write something so powerful and moving. Stories about people I don’t know and people that don’t even exist can make me so sad and interest me so much.

5.   There have been several books that I just haven’t wanted to put down. I can never start a book          and not finish it. No matter how awful a book is, I have to finish it. I specifically couldn’t stop reading Willow. I wanted to know what was happening and what would happen. I felt like if I stopped reading I would miss something important. Which I know sounds dumb, considering it’s a book so the story isn’t going anywhere. I kind of got so caught up in that story I forgot it was just a story and none of it was actually happening. The books I have a really hard time finishing are books I’m forced to read for school. Honestly the books that are required aren’t even that awful, it’s just the fact that I’m being forced to read them. I just want to read what I want. 1984 was an awful book just because I procrastinated on reading it and just didn’t want to do it anymore. I don’t think I’ve ever truly hated a book, just didn’t want to read it for silly reasons.

6. Mr. Mendenhall wasn’t my first reading teacher but he’s honestly the only one that made a huge impact on my life. I had him when I was in 3^rd and 5^th grade and we still talk. He had both of my siblings and he’s seriously the greatest. I remember him so much because he made reading fun for me. When I walked into his class, I was too shy to even speak, and when I left at the end of that year, I wouldn’t shut up. Mendenhall basically helped me see reading as a way to escape everything that was going on. He also helped me become interested in writing because he helped me write down my thoughts and feelings since I was too shy to talk about them. Of course I had other people teach me and read with me but he just talked to me like I wasn’t just a little kid, too stupid to read or write.

7. The first book I ever remember reading is the Dick & Jane series and that’s solely because the second day of kindergarten I got up and read in front of the entire class because Mrs. Jouret found out I was the only one that could read without needing too much help. So basically I loved reading since I was little, I just never wanted to be seen as that nerdy kid. This definitely stood out to me because all the kids thought I was cool for reading and that’s the only time I can remember any classmates thinking reading was cool. It was the only time I ever felt comfortable standing in front of a class.