Welcome to our 37th Road Trip Wednesday!
Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs.
This Week's Topic:
What's your favorite reading memory?
I've read a lot of books. When I was in middle school all I did was read. There were lots of reasons for this. One of which was because I started to collect comic books, a hobby my father was opposed to. He thought it was childish and I should grow up. I was 12. He didn't want me only reading comics all the time, so for one summer he gave me a set of rules, for every 150 pages I read, I could by 1 comic.
I sat down and wrote out all the comics I wanted, and when they were scheduled to come out. Next to the name of the comics, I would write the novel I read and how many pages it was. I had it down to a science.
I read a lot that summer.
We were also going on a vacation to California. I had a stack of books with me, mostly Christopher Pike. I loved me some Christopher Pike when I was in middle school.
This was also the summer we were doing a family vacation. We didn't do a lot of long family vacations growing up, I'm not sure why. As an adult my husband and I, and daughter too, go on at least 1-2 vacations a year. But I digress.
As a family we were driving up the Coast and going to Yosemite National Park. We were going to see trees. I have a profound love for nature, I spent at least two weeks a summer, roughing it at camp. I like trees. But a tree is a tree is a tree. I couldn't then, and still can't today, tell the difference between them.
I was sitting in the back seat of the car, reading Chain Letter 2. for the second time as we were driving through one of the prettiest national parks in America. My dad started to yell at me, "you're missing it."
"They're tree's Dad. I've seen trees before."
Beside it was the good part of the book, someone had to hand over a gun to her friend, because she got a chain letter or something... I don't remember the exact details but the character ended up loading the gun with blanks or something.... sorry for the spoiler but I don't think any one was going to read Chain Letter 2.
Anyway I remember being mad at my dad, who was mad at me, because he was the one who was making me read in the first place.
The next summer, I was still reading comics and he dropped the whole summer reading program. It was costing him more in novels then it was costing me in comics.
I sort of wish he went back to the policy as a kid. I read more during that summer than I had my entire life. I had learned more about plot structure and characters in that summer too. Looking back, that was also the summer I wanted to become a writer.
Thanks Dad! Seriously, thank you.
I've read a lot of books. When I was in middle school all I did was read. There were lots of reasons for this. One of which was because I started to collect comic books, a hobby my father was opposed to. He thought it was childish and I should grow up. I was 12. He didn't want me only reading comics all the time, so for one summer he gave me a set of rules, for every 150 pages I read, I could by 1 comic.
I sat down and wrote out all the comics I wanted, and when they were scheduled to come out. Next to the name of the comics, I would write the novel I read and how many pages it was. I had it down to a science.
I read a lot that summer.
We were also going on a vacation to California. I had a stack of books with me, mostly Christopher Pike. I loved me some Christopher Pike when I was in middle school.
This was also the summer we were doing a family vacation. We didn't do a lot of long family vacations growing up, I'm not sure why. As an adult my husband and I, and daughter too, go on at least 1-2 vacations a year. But I digress.
As a family we were driving up the Coast and going to Yosemite National Park. We were going to see trees. I have a profound love for nature, I spent at least two weeks a summer, roughing it at camp. I like trees. But a tree is a tree is a tree. I couldn't then, and still can't today, tell the difference between them.
I was sitting in the back seat of the car, reading Chain Letter 2. for the second time as we were driving through one of the prettiest national parks in America. My dad started to yell at me, "you're missing it."
"They're tree's Dad. I've seen trees before."
Beside it was the good part of the book, someone had to hand over a gun to her friend, because she got a chain letter or something... I don't remember the exact details but the character ended up loading the gun with blanks or something.... sorry for the spoiler but I don't think any one was going to read Chain Letter 2.
Anyway I remember being mad at my dad, who was mad at me, because he was the one who was making me read in the first place.
The next summer, I was still reading comics and he dropped the whole summer reading program. It was costing him more in novels then it was costing me in comics.
I sort of wish he went back to the policy as a kid. I read more during that summer than I had my entire life. I had learned more about plot structure and characters in that summer too. Looking back, that was also the summer I wanted to become a writer.
Thanks Dad! Seriously, thank you.
Wow, if my parents did that, I'd be hard pressed to figure out what comics I would want. :P However, if it was "do sixty dishes and get a book", I'd have a very long list of titles I wanted. XD
ReplyDeleteSmart dad! Except for the trees part. LOL
ReplyDeleteOh man, the things that make us into writers!
ReplyDeleteLove it! I read tons of comics when I was young. Loved them. Great story :)
ReplyDeleteAw. Way to go dad.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I remember that part of Chain Letter 2. I remember the book cover too.
Aw, that is seriously such a sweet memory. Middle school is such a formative age -- your Dad was smart!
ReplyDeleteYour dad IS very smart!
ReplyDeleteI used to love comics too :)
love it! Though I would kill to go to yosemite!
ReplyDeleteWhat a smart dad!!! I love reading memories, what a cute post! Comics are awesome, I love them!
ReplyDeleteIn my old elementary school they had a tree house style reading space, you could climb into small cubes and there were pillows and such that you could sit with while reading your favorite book during the reading hour. They also had a bathtub and you would have bathtime stories where you would go into an adventure, nothing like a flying bathtub with beautiful fabrics and things to make a child feel magical, lol.
I love that you went to Yosemite and ignored the trees in favor of a good book. Too funny! :)
ReplyDeletelol I read a lot of Christopher Pike back then, too!
ReplyDeleteI love the agreement your Dad worked out with you. Sounds like it definitely paid off.
Great post :)