The Reading List

I've been reading since I was four years old. It was my desire to learn how to read that helped spur my parents to homeschool first me, and then all of my siblings. So I've been reading for a very long time.

In my lifetime, I've read many books that inspired, entertained, and challenged me. As I look back over the books that I've read this year (granted, I may have set my Goodreads goal too high and this two weeks of Christmas break might not be enough to finish it), I'm reminded of some of the most memorable books that I've read; whether I remember their titles or not.

I shared a bit of camaraderie with my boyfriend's son when he told me he'd had a Magic Tree House phase. This children's series by Mary Pope Osborn was one of my favorites, especially considering the historical fiction aspect. The premise of the series was that a brother and sister would travel through time in a magic tree house, enchanted by the Arthurian witch, Morgan Le Fay. They would visit medieval Europe, American battlefields, and even Egyptian courts. The series continued long after I stopped reading them, and I've seen them at bookstores and marveled at how many there were.

Another series that helped to kickstart my love of fantasy was The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. The series almost feels like a rite of passage for a young Christian reader, and I always loved to imagine that I was Susan, the eldest sister (there are four siblings there and four children in my family, so it just made sense to me). We were thrilled when a few of the books were made into movies, and I felt they were good adaptations.

My favorite author growing up was Frank Peretti. Though he was more well known for his adult spiritual thrillers, like This Present Darkness, I fell in love with The Cooper Kids series. In these books, an archaeologist and his two children would explore ancient sites and get into all kinds of situations, with spiritual undertones. The melding of my faith and adventure was so captivating to me, and I kept following his writing well into adulthood.

One day at the library, my mom handed me the first book of the Redwall series, by Brian Jacques. I was instantly obsessed. This was another fantasy/adventure series, following generations of talking animals and their adventures solving riddles and defending Redwall Abby from invaders. I distinctly remember one Christmas when my Dad had sent nearly ten books from the series so that I had my own copies and didn't have to borrow them from the library anymore. I didn't own the complete set until I was well into adulthood, but now they sit proudly on my bookshelf.

At a library sale one year, I bought a used copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and was captivated. I'd already read The Three Musketeers, encouraged by Wishbone (if you know, you know), so I decided to take a chance on this novel. The storytelling, the intricate revenge, everything made it one of my favorite books of all time and one that I will happily go back and reread.

I also currently have on my shelf two illustrated books that I always borrowed from the library; one on myths, the other on fairytales. I remember loving illustrated books such as those, or some about ancient Egypt (for a long time, I wanted to be an Egyptologist), or even one about Robinson Crusoe that I haven't been able to find.

At school, I found a copy of Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears, and I was immediately brought back to the white bookshelf in the living room where that book and many others sat - including, of course, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. My students didn't seem to know anything about either book, and I'll admit it made me a little sad.

When I was a teenager, the Lord of the Rings movies started being released. They soon became my obsession, and now the extended editions are all that I want to watch. But I didn't read the books until well after I'd seen the movie. I became obsessed with them as well, and found that there was so much lore and characters and backstory that I became immersed in that world. Tolkien is now one of my literary inspirations, due to his care and intricacy in creating Middle Earth which inspires me to do the same (not creating new languages, though; I think that's a bit beyond my skill set).

As an adult, I've broadened my horizons a bit. I've read and enjoyed a few biographies, even though non-fiction in general isn't my jam. I read fantasy, adventure, and various combinations. I've come to love N.K. Jemison's work, and I keep discovering more authors that write amazing works of fiction - Micah Yongo, Evan Winter, and Tomi Adeyemi, just to name a few. I've even found enjoyment in thrillers written by my fellow Mississippi State Alumni, John Grisham, even though I heavily lean towards fantasy.

I've been privileged in my life to not only have had a love of reading fostered by the important people in my life (looking at you, boyfriend who keeps buying me books), but to have access to books whether through the library, bookstore, or my Kindle. And I look forward to continuing to create memories through reading.

Maybe next year I'll set a more reasonable reading goal that I can actually reach.

(I will not. I have a certain level of ego that will not allow it.)