First Books

At some point, I do want to do a "Books I've Read" post. Probably every couple of months, it can be a new series a la many of my blog friends. But now is not that point; if you want to see what I've been reading, check out my Goodreads page.

Shalini did a post which I am copying here, outlining her favorite books, her most hated books, her first-of-a-genre books. I liked it, so I'm doing it too. Am a sheep. Baaa.

First Book I Loved
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
There were probably other books that I read and loved before this, but this was the first that sticks in my consciousness. I remember reading it in fourth grade, at Futura (the stupid gifted program that I hated more than anything but could never convince anyone to let me drop), and it was "Diversions" time (which was what the teachers called recess) and one of the teachers came over and told me I was not allowed to read during Diversions. It was supposed to be a time to do something fun. "This is fun," I said. "I would rather be reading than any of the other stuff you guys have here." She told me that I wasn't allowed to read because they had no way of knowing if I was reading a book required for my regular class, which wasn't allowed (we weren't allowed to do regular schoolwork at Future or vice versa). She insisted that I go join a group of fifth graders (so intimidating) and play Scrabble, which I had never played and they wouldn't explain the rules because they were mean.

That story really has nothing to do with the book, but it's a very vivid memory, and I just recall sitting there, trying not to cry (I was a sensitive child) (I still am) and making the older kids skip my turn because if they weren't going to explain it there was no point in my playing, and all I wanted to do was get back to my book.

First Book I Hated
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
I'm sure I hated other books before this one, but this was assigned in 11th grade honors English and holy sweet hell, I hated it. Haaaaaaaated it. Did not have the religious background to fully understand it, and also had no desire to go out and do the research to hep myself understand it because I hated the writing and every single character in this book.

First Series I Read
The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Technically, I probably read The Babysitter's Club or The Saddle Club first, but I didn't read all of them. And I may have read the Wrinkle in Time books before, but I don't think I read all of them.

Actually, I don't think I read all of the Little House books, either. Maybe I should have said Harry Potter. That's the first series that I can recall reading every book in.

First Fantasy/Sci-Fi Book I Read
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Does this count? I don't read a lot of sci-fi/fantasy. This was an assigned Futura read. It was okay. Not my favorite, but I liked it better than most things we did there.

First Book That Made Me Cry From Laughing
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
This was Shalini's answer, but as soon as I saw it I thought, "Ooooooh. Yes. That book." Hi-freaking-larious.

First YA Book I Read and Loved
I ... don't know. I don't think YA was an easily-defined genre when I was younger. "Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging" may also be my answer to this question.

First Horror Book I Read
I read a lot of Christopher Pike stuff in middle school. My favorite was "Remember Me", about a girl who got pushed off a balcony and fell to her death, and came back as a ghost to find her killer, with the help of the ghost of a kid she'd gone to school with who'd died a few years prior. I remember that she broke her hairbrush because even though she "looked like she had fine California-girl cornsilk" for hair, she "actually had something more along the lines of steel wool" (I paraphrase, but I definitely recall the Cali-girl silk vs. steel wool line). I also remember that she somehow got into her boyfriend's dreams, and he was having a dream that he was about to have sex with this other girl they went to school with, only he was wearing a penguin costume and swim flippers.

I do not remember who killed her. That says something about how interesting the mystery itself was, huh?

First Book I Was Completely Obsessed With
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
Do plays count? If they don't, then the answer is probably The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. (Yes. I liked it before it was cool.) (I don't get to say that very often.)

Your turn!