History repeating

[rorqual]

Many, many years ago, when I was but a young girl, the local library had a Summer Reading program for kids. One year (maybe every year, but I only remember one year), they had a competition - who could read the most books in a summer - and at the end of the summer, the top five or so would get their pictures in the paper. As should not be a surprise to anyone who knows me, I read more books than anyone - my dad clipped the photo, where we all have little signs with the number of books we read: I was the only one in triple digits, and I beat the next guy by like, fifty. Yea verily, I am a book nerd.

But that is not the point.

I just got off the phone with my mom, who called to tell me that she had won (the first time she can recall winning anything) the grand prize for the Adult Summer Reading Program, at the same library. Now, this was not for having read the most books (which I asked her right away, and she was like, "No, though if it had been I would have won hands down." Being a book nerd is genetic). This was more of a read a book, put your name in the fishbowl for a drawing, sort of thing. Still - tomorrow, she goes to the library, and gets her picture taken for the paper. Too bad she won't have a little sign with a number.

I know I don't read as much as I used to, though I do have four books going at the moment. I feel like I don't have time for it, what with the Real Job and all. I am amazed that my mom, who pretty much every minute of the day is Doing Something Productive (I did not inherit her Type A-ness), still rips through like, three to four books a week.

Go mom!

Comments

[meepkitty.livejournal.com]

Hooray Mom!

I used to win those things all the time too; never got my picture in the paper for it, though. Some of the people at work will call me Book Lady because I almost always have one at lunch. The librarians know me as the chick with the tote bag. :)

[ex-domestic.livejournal.com]

We are separated at birth.

I was given a library card for the library aged two (you were supposed to be at least three possibly even more I think you had to be at school basically) because my mother was taking so many books out for me on her card. I was then promoted to the adult library (with the proviso that they could uh screen my choices) because I had read everything in the children's library at least 6 times. I was just 10 when this happened.

The summer I was sixteen I read everything Shakespeare had ever written in about a month.

I haven't much time to read recently but when I do I really rip through stuff. At my peak I was probably reading 8 books a week. If only I had that amount of time these days. It was possibly because we had several hundred books in our house and quite often no TV :).

[rorqual.livejournal.com]

Yes yes! I also got a library card when I was tiny, because it was clear that I would be using it - and they let me go in the adult section early. I remember being eight or nine, and having some lady go to the librarian and be like, "Is she supposed to be back there?" :)

My mom tells me that the library ladies still ask about me. Please note that I have not been back into that library in....carry the one....at least ten years, probably more like fifteen.

(bookpackage this month!)

[ex-domestic.livejournal.com]

definitely book package. :)

And so separated at birth :)

lots of reading

[(Anonymous)]

i enjoyed your entry and can relate.
one of my friends began high school the year i began college. during that first year, he asked me if i had read every math book in the library. this was in the days when you signed the card in the back of the book and anyone could see who read (or at least checked out) what books.

Re: lots of reading

[rorqual.livejournal.com]

Bonjour! Books on math - that's like, being nerdy in *two* different ways at once...:)