Let’s Talk with Karla Brandenburg
What Sparked Your Love of Reading? by Karla Brandenburg
Growing up, we had books all around the house. Both my parents were readers, and they set the example for us. I particularly enjoyed the fairy tales and legends, and whenever I went to the library, I went in search of mysteries. It was only natural that my first “grown-up” book used a legend as its central theme. My mother handed me The Night of the Seventh Moon, by Victoria Holt. Because of my German heritage, reading about legends in the Lokenwald in the Black Forest appealed to me.
All through high school, I was a voracious reader. Even the required list in my English classes were interesting—well, maybe not all of them, but I did read books I might not have otherwise. Classics like The Iliad and The Odyssey—Greek legends/mythology—and one of my favorite contemporary books (at the time), When the Legends Die. The required reading proved to me that I didn’t have to be locked into a genre. A well-written book will take you places you might not expect, even if it isn’t your standard fare. I read Stephen King, and was surprised when one of his books snuck in the Dracula legend. I never saw it coming, which was one of the things I liked most about that book.
I continue to be fascinated by legends and mythology and fairy tales, even the Brothers Grimm (who are pretty grim when you read the original stories!).
What sparked your love of reading? Leave me a comment, and I’ll select one person at random to receive an advance reading copy of my upcoming book, The Selkie (Which, by the way, is available for pre-order!).
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Posted in Let's Talk, with Karla Brandenburg, zed: Former Authors • Tags: BLB Discussion, Fairy Tales, Karla Brandenburg, Legends, Mythology, reading, The Selkie | 10 Comments
I too grew up in a house filled with books. I think my love of reading started with my love of my parents reading to me.
My son tells me that’s how he developed a live of reading, from me reading to him.
A book on animals in my first grade library center. It was only available to students who’d done all their work for the morning, and it was a hot property, so I worked at a fever pitch until it was in my hands. One I learned what reading was, I tried to read my entire reading textbook in one sitting. This led to having it taken away from me and hidden on a high shelf so that I couldn’t read ahead, because that was considered disruptive. Strange that nobody thought of just getting me MORE BOOKS.
That’s too funny!
When I when I was young, my mother used to take me to the library. I’d check out several books, then get home and read them all in one setting. I’d want to go back to the library to get more books. Since the library was uptown, my mother would tell me to reread the books.
Sadly, in elementary school, I was painfully shy and had extreme anxiety when it came to testing. My then teacher, decided to place me in with a group that needed ‘help’ with reading. To this day, I feel that my anxiety of taking tests lead the teacher to believe my test taking would improve if I got help to read better; when reading wasn’t the issue. This caused me to loose interest in reading. Although, through school I read the required books, I never read for enjoyment.
It wasn’t until I was married and had kids, that I rediscovered my love of reading. We had moved to a new state, and I found the library. Not knowing anyone, I wanted to occupy my free time. I checked out some books and would read after the kids were in bed. Then, I found the bookstore, where I found new books by new authors. I’ve been an avid reader since.
We went to the library from a young age also, and always brought many books home. I used to test read at my grade school so they could decide if some books should be inventoried.
My father read to me. I don’t remember learning to read, only reading.Everything. I was in my own reading group in first grade. I think I read our World Book Encyclopedia all the way through. To this day, I can’t comprehend it when people say, “Oh, I don’t read.”
We had encyclopedias at home too, and I frequently flipped through them for information
I read them for “pleasure” –I loved all the stuff I learned. Started at A, worked my way to Z.
As soon as I understood that a book would sweep you away in an adventure, I applied myself to reading. Also, Mom would always get a Little Golden book for me at the grocery store. I pored over those things, and as I read, my reading skills became stronger. I always liked stories where something happened, and then I realized I loved stories where I tried to figure out what happened before the story ended. That love of story has carried me through many genres .I also read Victoria Holt in my teen years!