What are your favorite books? Would it be presumptuous of me to claim not to have one favorite book to read?
I came to love reading in the second grade of elementary school. The Nun provided us with a copy of My Weekly Reader and worked with us to read and understand the stories. It awoke a desire to read more. With encouragement, I read almost every book in the small school library before I graduated eighth grade.
They selected me for a Great Books reading program the summer between graduation and my freshman year. By then, I was an avid reader.The only book from the program I remember was Moby Dick.
I loved the Foundation trilogy by Asimov and carried the “One Ring” to the mountain in Mordor (Lord of the Rings by Tolkien). Soon E. E. Smith’s Lensman series hooked me on science fiction and fantasy. Many nights, I stayed awake reading Agatha Christie’s stories of the exploits of Hercule Poirot and Mrs. Marple.
I enjoyed non-fiction stories of the Revolutionary and The Civil War. I rode the Shenandoah Valley with Stonewall Jackson, spent three days at Gettysburg, and crossed the Delaware River with George Washington. I survived Pearl Harbor, watched the HMS Hood sunk by the Bismarck, and joined the British in getting revenge by sinking the “Terror of the Seas.”
My eyes misted as I read the story of the USS Indianapolis. The ship that carried the materials for the atomic bombs to Leyte. The Japanese torpedoed the ship after it sailed from Guam, with hundreds of men thrown into the sea. For days, the men fought sharks, thirst, and the sea. Some 900 men went into the water, but the Navy rescued only 389 four days later. I reviewed the book here.
In closing, my love to read is as active as ever. I read a new book through the Kindle Unlimited program several times a month. Also, my Kindle has a library of fantasy, mystery, historical, and technical books totaling over 650 selections. I add a book or two a month. Thank you to my second-grade nun for allowing me the chance to develop my love to read.