How I became the Bookaholic queen

Scrub up well don't I lol

How I became the Bookaholic queen

by Misty Price

Ok so Queen might be a bit grand a title but I needed something catchy lol.

I've always read books, since I can remember but not quite with the ferocity I do now.

So what is it that changed me from a casual reader to an obsessive?
Well when I was younger I read my Moms books, when I was a teen I moved in with my Dad and read his books which were pretty much all Terry Pratchett, and books I got from the library like Judy Blume and Goosebumps. Towards the end of my teens I moved back in with my Mom and read her books again which were mostly Stephen King novels and a few chick-lit and Buffy books which I got myself.

These books were all nice enough and gave me something to read at bed times but I had a busy social life and it took me some time to actually make it to the end of the book because I wasn't really that interested.

Kirsten - now nearly 6

I was 22 when it all changed, I had the finished the meagre collection of books I owned and needed more and now that I was settling down, my daughter, Kirsten was nearly two and I was about to get married, I had more time on my hands for reading. Unfortunately I still didn't know my own tastes yet so I bought all the same kinds of books that I had been reading, a bunch of chick-lit and more Buffy. Then I saw an advert for the release of the fifth Harry potter movie on DVD. The Harry potter movies started coming out when I was a teenager and I was way to 'cool' to be into them lol but resolving that my daughter might like them I bought the box set. Needless to say I was of course hooked and watched them all quickly then for my birthday I asked my husband to get me the books, I read the last two in as many days because I couldn't wait to see what happened, then I read through the series from the start to finish - then I read it again! Then I heard of a movie called Twilight that was coming out, knowing it was a book I bought the first one to try out, since the book is always better. I wasn't even finished before I bought the rest of the series and The Host by the same author. I quickly read those too, then I was browsing a book catalogue that recommended The House of Night series for fans of Twilight so I ordered all three and loved those to, I'd found what books I was really interested in and now nothing could stop me. I started checking my Amazon recommendations to find similar books and made a big order to stock up my shelf but I read these much quicker than I had been reading in the past so it wasn't long before I needed more. I regularly browsed (and still do) my Amazon recommendations based on books I had and couldn't walk past a bookstore anymore without popping in and getting myself something.

Oliver - now 2

Not only was an obsession born but an addiction! I filled up my bookshelf and had to buy more. I also had a second child and was delighted when he started showing an interest in books, I buy my children books almost as rapidly as I buy them for myself and read them stories every night at bedtime, shorter ones for my older daughter who doesn't have much of an attention span, but my son will lie quietly and listen to a long story and takes great interest in studying the pictures and will usually continue to look at the book once I've finished and said goodnight. I also now do reviews of childrens books with him which is good fun.

Unfortunately I don't have friends who read like I do or enjoy the same books I was starting to and I got fed up of having no one to talk to about the amazing books I was discovering so in June last year (2010) when my son, Oliver, was turning one I decided to set up a little book club on Facebook so I could meet fellow Bookaholics, never did I imagine how much the page would grow! As I write this the are 3468 followers!

I love making new friends, talking books and discovering new ones there.

Then at the start of this year (when I was expecting my third child Isabelle!) I started up the companion blog, which is what your looking at now, where I could review the books I read and do regular features and its been great fun. I put a lot of time and effort into the blog and try to post regularly. It makes me feel great when people enjoy my reviews and decide to read a book because I enjoyed it. And with a husband that works nights it's kept me sane on the five nights a week I spend alone when my kids have gone to sleep.

Isabelle

Though gaining blog followers has been slower going than getting page followers I appreciate every one that I do have and hope you all enjoy my posts as much as I enjoy making them.

These days my reading is a little slower because of having a baby (she's four months old right now) and I've had to curb my crazy book buying to buy them christmas presents and food and electricity and stuff lke that lol

I've found so many amazing books over the last four years and made lots of great new friends and hope to find many many more.

I hope that all three of my children will become avid book readers like me, though I won't push it on them, I will strongly encourage it!

My Bookshelves on 21st August 2011 - They change almost daily lol
(I know the picture is overlapping the post bar but you won't be able to see it properly if I make it smaller)

How did you become a Bookaholic?

Would you like to write a guest post on how you became a Bookaholic? Then send it to bookaholics@live.co.uk and I'll post it.

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