Happy little bookworm

I walked into a bookstore today to buy a gift for a co-worker and it was like meeting an old friend. Although I read frequently, usually one or two books at a time, I don't often visit bookstores. I've just found it easier and cheaper to borrow and trade with friends or order them online. However, as I stepped inside and the scent of fresh, crisp paper swirled around me, I remembered how much I love them. I could've lingered in the aisles for hours!

Maybe it is my love for writing that led me to love books...or maybe it is the other way around. Either way, I remember loving to read at a very early age. In fact, I wanted so desperately to read that I memorized a favorite book just so it would appear that I knew how.

My older cousins had learned to read and were picking on me that I hadn't yet, although I wasn't even old enough to go to school. When I went home that night and Mom read my favorite story at bedtime, I noticed that I knew every word before she said it. I practiced in my head as she read and before she turned the page, I knew what words came next.

My plan was ready for the next time those two show-off cousins came to visit! Book in hand, I sat under my Grandma's counter, quietly reading to myself as they walked in. One of them must've commented about me reading a picture book when I began to recite the page. They both stood there, frozen in surprise and disbelief. Justin, the oldest, decided quickly that I just memorized the page and flipped through towards the back. He challenged me to read it, which I did, perfectly. To this day, I don't know if they ever found out about my sneaky trick.

Memorizing that book must have helped me though, as Mom said I learned to read shortly after. While it was never necessary to learn every page, there were many books afterwards I read over and over again. Even as an adult, there are books I treasure and would never grow tired of reading. In fact, the true test of a good book is when you can open it, eager and excited to turn the next page, even though you know the ending. So, excuse me while I go read a favorite book...again!