What books did you grow up on?

[charity]

Oh, that'll be nice... I can see it now, my pre teen child reading about Padan Fain letting the Trollocs eat the women and children of his captives.

That sounds like a good series to read at that age! 

[Loud_G]

hehe, I Devoured that stuff back then. It was even cooler BECAUSE it was so evil.
You know how Middle Schoolers are.

[charity]

I didn't read much in Jr. High and early High School. Well, more than I was required to, and poetry. I devoured poetry at that age. Such drama! I needed it then, so other than those two things I was to busy discovering boys to care about the written word.

I did have to take this class 'Developmental Reading' in 9th grade. I read The Birds, (meh) The Pearl (hated it with a passion that cannot be surpassed) and Journey to the Center of the Earth (I loved this book!) I can't remember if we read anything else, those were the ones that stuck out to me.

Then it wasn't until my senior year that I picked up books again (I'm sure I read a little I'm not alliterate in the least) That was when I discovered Nicholas Sparks. Which I still love to read.

So we can see the progression of my life through literature really, I think I should write an essay about this, or maybe just an entire book. "How does what we read affect how we behave and grow?"

hmmm....<wanders off to ponder>

[Archer]

I was a born bookworm I suppose. From the time I was able to read this was my only hobby until computers showed up. Books are a way of breathing to me.

What did I read? First, the books of Jules Verne, Karl May, J.F. Cooper, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Later came R.A. Salvatore's full dark elf saga, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance trilogy, David Gemmel's Legend, Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. Tolkien's LOTR came still later, around 22, when I had the necessary strenght and curiosity to complete it. Terry Goodkind's full Sword of Truth series was a major step to me. He was my best English teacher in the university years.  James Clawell's Shogun is one of the best books I ever read to name a non-fantasy novel, too.

I did also read nearly all of the classics of literature taught in my high school. The russian writers have really deep stories, I have strong memories about their books, particularly from Dostoevsky. Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov are highly recommended readings for philosophical type of persons. I really enjoyed Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.

Besides all of these books, I read the Bible more than once in my teens. For many years my favourite part was the Old Testament of course. The New Testament is too painful, sometimes even now.

[readerMom]

I read Nancy Drew and then when I was about nine I discovered LOTR and then didn't want to read "children's books."  The library had a no children in the adult section rule and I had to get my Dad to get things for me.  I raided his books and read a LOT of Heinlein way too early.  Its scary to think how many of my opinions were shaped by Heinlein. 

[GreenMonsta]

The first books I ever read of my own accord were the Han Solo Trilogy. I remeber getting them out of a scholastic magazine in the sixth grade. Wow I loved those books and I think I still have two out of the three.

[Necroben]

I grew up on the stories of Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris.  The first books I read on my own where the Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny.

[Silenced Parrot]

I didn't read much in my youth (waitaminute, I'm still young...), but what I did read is slightly embarrassing. Animorphs was all I really read from grade 3-5. In Middle School I think I attempted to read LoTR, but couldn't finish it. I actually think my favorite book during this time was "Halo: Fall of Reach", because I remember reading it over and over, and yes; I'm of the opinion that it is the only Halo story that should be converted into a movie.

And then in High School I  didn't read anything. Only recently have I been reading everything I missed and didn't hear about then. This last year has been great. WoT, LoTR (actually finished), Mistborn, Elantris, Hobbit, the other Halo novels... I'm obviously trying to branch out.

I'm going to start diving into the deep world of Lucasworld soon, the parts of the story that he hasn't ruined at least.

[Elmandr]

Oh, well, i should first say that, the only reason i started to read was because i was always grounded. For one reason or another. So it started off as a way to kill time. Then books like The Last Unicorn happened, and The Series of Unfortunate Events and Goosebumps. Oh, and there was...drat i don't remember--just know that the main characters would turn into animals. Not animorphs though... I'm not sure i want to remember. I also read Captain Underpants. And loved it as a kid. And loved it still as a man. Yes, i am a man. I came late into fantasy with the Inheritance Cycle. As i teen though i read more Neil Gaiman then anything else. I did read some classical fantasy with Mcaffery and Brooks's Sword of Shannara trilogy and even The Hobbit. These led me to more modern books and authors like The Name of the Wind and this Guy named Brandon Sanderson--not sure if you've heard of him...Anyway.

I wasn't sure how far back the question asked me to go. I guess i could say that the first CHARACTERS in a book that i actually loved and appreciated as real people, and not just names in a story, are those in The Series of Unfortunate Events. That could very well have been the work of fiction that compelled me to write. However, i'm not sure.

[readerMom]

So I shouldn't despair that my otherwise lovely, intelligent, charming children love Captain Underpants to the exclusion of any other fiction?

[Elmandr]

So I shouldn't despair that my otherwise lovely, intelligent, charming children love Captain Underpants to the exclusion of any other fiction?

...No, i didn't say that. If you knew me, you'd know that I'm more then slightly demented and still where two pairs of underwear. I can't say that it is due to the nearly naked hero but he might have influenced me some.

however, i don't mean to startle you. Please don't be startled.

[Silenced Parrot]

*Is startled. Very startled*

Captain Underpants... I think I remember seeing those and (at the time) thinking they looked stupid.

I think now is the time to go back and read them.

[CthulhuKefka]

Started with my dad reading Lord of the Rings to me, as it seems is the norm for a lot of people lol. 

From there it branched off into the original Dragonlance books (Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Winter's Night, etc. etc.), Goosebump books, Clive Barker's "The Thief of Time," and the Shannara books.

[Miyabi]

I really like the X-files books as a kid.  They were like my favorites.

[Krackitty]

I Started with Grimm's Fairy Tales. Let me tell you, that is not the kind of thing 5 year olds should be reading, hahaha! Fairy Tales from the brothers Grimm are not all that innocent.
 I used to tell my parents to leave the hall light on and my bedroom door open. I think I had them convinced I was afraid of the dark. I wasn't, I just needed the light to read by. When I heard them coming down the hall, I would hide the book under my pillow and pretend to be asleep.
Starting at 8, I got into Madeline L'Engle, Marguerite Henry (I drew horse pics and sent them to her and she wrote back!), Jack London, and just about anything with horses or animals in it.
I kept re-reading the fairy tales until I was 13, though.