My best memories of reading goes back to when my three sisters and I were still all living at home, so probably late 1950's. Comic books like Archie, Blonde and Dagwood, Little Lulu, Richie Rich, Superman, and Uncle Scrooge, were hot commodities to be traded between friends in our tiny townsite of Bradian.
After finishing our chores, Saturday afternoons were free and clear to visit friends, trade comic books (some that were more prized than others and commanded a two for one price) and return home to devour our new reading material. However, our dad happened to be a big fan of comic books as well. We had to share with him, sometimes giving up the best ones for him to read first!
But the real fun happened on Sundays. The Vancouver Sun always arrived in our town a day late. The travel time between Vancouver and Bralorne was about twelve hours of hard driving, so getting the news, pre-television, pre-internet, was a really big deal.
The thick weekend paper would hit the front step, and the chase would be on with my long-legged father running up and down the streets holding the Saturday 'funnies' hostage while his four daughters pelted after him. We hollered and laughed and yelled like banshees.
Being the youngest and the shortest, I never had a chance so I resorted to subterfuge. I would hide in the one and only bathroom in our company-owned home. Dad would return triumphant and dash into the bathroom, the only room in the house with a locking door, and ta-da, there I was ready to claim my share of Donald Duck, Little Abner, Henry, Jiggs or Nancy.
Sometime in the mid-1950's when I was four or maybe five, my parents purchased an extensive collection of sixteen encyclopedia-sized books from a traveling salesman.
The books started with nursery rhymes and progressed to more complex stories that were intended for readers at a grade twelve level.
I don't remember what the series was called, but I do remember the spines of the books ranged from light blue to deep blue and on to dark green as you progressed through the stories, gradually reading more and more difficult material.
Then when I was nine, my dad gave me his copy of the Springhill Nova Scotia mining disaster. On October 23, 1958 there was a 'bump,' a shift in the earth that resembled an underground earthquake.
It killed 75 men, and trapped 99 more. By November 1st 1958 the last of the survivors was found. After that, the search only recovered bodies.
So, yeah, a little light reading recommended to me by my dad.
When we moved to a larger city, Chilliwack BC, Dad introduced me to the concept of a library, and being able to choose whatever I wanted to read. My favourites included the entire Zane Grey collection of western novels and anything written by Farley Mowat.
My voracious reading habit has followed me throughout my life.
Fortunately, both Lawrie and I shared a passion for reading, and for the most part read the same authors. Occasionally I veer into historic novels, and he would find a thriller series that interested him.
When Lawrie and I moved to Mexico in 2008, we made the switch to electronic readers. Books in English were difficult to find, and books in English that we hadn't already read were a rare find.
Our reading habit became quite costly. We typically ordered an e-book a day from Amazon and devoured it before bedtime.
Now, I live across the street from a fabulous public library. I can indulge my passion freely.
What are you reading today?
Cheers
Lynda
A whole bunch of entertaining mysteries.
Murder and mayhem, revenge and romance on a tiny island off the coast of Mexico!
Grab your copy today!
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