My history with reading

My last post got me thinking even further about reading...and the past. I was always an early reader...while others where reading Dick and Jane, I was reading Little Golden Books, while others where reading Little Golden Books, I was reading The Box Car Kids (showing my age with that one, right?), then I moved on to Dracula, and so on. I can remember going to our public library all the time because the school library didn't have advanced enough books for me. The librarian made my Mother come and sign that it was OK for me to check out Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice because I was too young to check it out. At the time my Mother could have cared less what I was reading as long as I stayed out of her hair, and I think the librarian knew it, so she didn't put up a fight when my Mother signed it way too easily after the librarian explained the book was too advanced for a kid my age. And like I said in my last post, Mrs. Krennerich turned me to even more classics and I was a lost cause.

But one thing I never read was romance novels...I hated the things. I watched my Step-Mother go to the library once a week, get a paper sack full of the things, read them all in a week, then go back and get another sack full. I could never figure out how she could tell them apart, they all looked the same on the cover!

I credit myself with raising my sister, Am, and I thought I instilled in her my love of reading, until one day I saw her with one of those crappy romance novels! I had failed as a surrogate mother!! It was a constant source of irritation for me for years!! How could she do that to me?

Then, a few years ago, in a moment of weakness, I read a book, but not just any book...you guessed it...a romance novel. How it happened I still don't know...I concede I was drinking that night (but I guess it doesn't explain how I actually purchased the book if I'm honest). The book was called No Man's Bride by Shana Galen. It definitely changed my view of romance novels! I have since read it numerous times. I think it's because the heroine and I are a lot alike in a lot of ways.

I have to eat my words to Am all the time now because I pretty much only read romances with the occasional classic thrown in now and again. It's a disease. I do think it's because romance novels have changed quite a bit. I have read older ones and they really suck, so my early views of them was not completely unwarranted.

And, afterall, as much as I hate to admit it, the most famous romance novelist of all time is my favorite author, Miss Jane Austen, and if I can respect her, then I can surely give the other authors a chance!