Hello!
Now you may or may not know but if you’re not in the know then guess what?
Today’s actually Book Lover’s Day and a couple of my author friends are sharing about the different reasons we like reading. Please join me and the amazing authors at the bottom of this blog post who are also sharing their love of books today.
I can trace my love of books back to my childhood growing up in Nigeria. Back then, we had a phenomenon (which sometimes still rears its ugly head) which would lead to a power cut that would last for hours. This used to be very frustrating as it meant I’d miss my favourite programs on TV. However, one good thing that did arise from this situation is that it led me to find another way to entertain myself. And I found such entertainment in BOOKS!
We had so many books stored around the house in boxes. These books ranged from historical to romance to thrillers to fiction to midwifery! We possibly had every fiction and non-fiction genre in that house and I gobbled up my fair share. These books nurtured my imagination and improved my vocabulary. This love of books has continued till today and I can’t go on a train journey or trip without having some reading material. Thank God for the kindle app which is stored on my phone, as it’s a treasure chest of all the books I love that are accessible at any time. I sometimes wish the power cut phenomenon would occur in the Western world as I reckon some reluctant readers would find an alternative source of entertainment, information and fun in books.
A book lover’s day wouldn’t be complete without a few favourites of mine.
In the last few years (and this must have something to do with my children’s changing reading tastes), I’ve found myself reading more and more MGLit books. For the uninitiated, MGLit stands for Middle Grade Literature. One of the most popular series in this genre is ‘The Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ by Jeff Kinney. I think what makes modern day MGLit books different to the books I read when I was growing up is the fact that they are more modern and have a wonderful sense of humour. My favourite book in this genre is ‘I’m not a Loser’ books by English author – Jim Smith – and I absolutely love the way he’s created these quirky characters who have a unique way of speaking that gets me cracking up on every other paragraph or page. I once read an entire book in the series while waiting for a train!
It’s being my pleasure having you on my blog today. For more stories about ‘book love,’ please visit these awesome authors by clicking the links below.
Cat Michaels,
Auden Johnson,
Carmela Dutra
Corrina Holyoake,
Venturing into the Unknown
Jd Holiday,
JD’s Writers Blog
Julie Gorges,
Kristen Lamb,
Rhonda Paglia,
Rhonda Paglia, Children’s Author
Rosie Russell,
KidLit Blog by Rosie
Sandra Bennett,
I enjoyed learning about how you grew up in Nigeria and what led to your love of books. I guess something positive can come out of a power outage! 🙂
Thanks for stopping over on today’s blog hop Kristen.
I’m guessing you’ve had some not so pleasant experiences with power outages. 🙂
Hi David! I enjoyed your post for Book Lovers Day! I’m so happy you were supplied with so many different kinds of books! I too have been reading more MGL here lately. The stories have changed even for the time our sons were in Middle School and it’s interesting to see what they are reading today.
When I worked in the school libraries over the years, “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid” was a series they could hardly keep stocked. I think children enjoy that book as they can relate to the feelings of the characters, especially boys. I will have to look up ” ‘I’m not a Loser’ by Jim Smith, as I have not read that one yet. Thanks for your suggestions!
Happy Book Lovers Day – August 9th!
Rosie Russell
Thanks for stopping by today Rosie!
Jim Smith is a British author and my guess is he may not have crossed over to the U.S. but his book has characters, illustrations and words and phrases that are just keel (that’s one of the character’s – Bunky – way of saying ‘cool’).
Hi David!! What an interesting blog! Thanks so much for sharing your “Love of Reading” and your Nigerian background! There is nothing like power outages to encourage reading!! I’m so happy to hear that in Nigeria, you had boxes of books to choose from that peeked your interest in reading! Happy Book Lovers Day!
Thanks for stopping by Today Rhonda.
I guess most people have ‘that moment’ that led to their love of books. Appreciate your comments.
My Mom always had tons of books around our house as well and I credit her for my love of reading also. Loved reading how the power outages in Nigeria contributed to your love of books!
Thanks for stopping by Julie.
You know, your comment got me thinking if books will be as discoverable to the next generation if we have it all stored up on devices? You know what they say ‘Out of sight, out of mind.’ Hmmmmm….
[…] Book Lover’s Day: This author traces his love of books back to his childhood growing up in Nigeria and power outages. […]
I enjoyed this very much David. I always enjoy learning the backstory about what led to your love of books. I never would’ve thought something good could come from a power outage!
Thanks Carmela
Yes, I guess that was the catalyst for my love of books 🙂
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How wise is that, David — you turned a frustrating situation into discovering the joy of reading. I’m with you on the convenience of tablet reading. I also love Jeff Kinney and his Wimpy Kids. Since I heard him talk at a writers’ conference, I am an even bigger fan. I need to look into Jim Smith’s work. Thanks for sharing your book love -:D
Thanks Cat
The Jim Smith book series is pretty big here in the UK and I think you’re can get it on Amazon.com. Good things truly can come from bad situations. Love your blog post which was pretty unique.
Hi David, Love your blop hop post! Look forward to reading more from you.
Best,
JD
Thanks JD. So glad you liked it.
I enjoyed your post, David! I too grew up in a house filled with books, probably why I have three packed bookshelves in my apartment.
Thanks for stopping by today Auden.
It has to be said that there’s something about packed bookshelves in a home that just gives it adds something special to any living space.
Hi David, I know I’m getting here a little late, but better late than never! We had two years in Thailand when my boys were little, a place where power outages were all part of the norm.I use to use that time reading to my little ones too. It really does make a difference to a love of books. Thanks for sharing your experiences growing up in Nigeria. PS Don’t know how my link to my blog managed to be further up in this thread as this is my first visit. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience with power outages Sandra. It’s good to know some of my friends experienced the same thing.
Happy Book Lover’s Day!
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