There's going to be a new feature here at Nostalgia Pie, all inspired by my lifelong love of reading - and the books from my childhood that I've been able to rescue! I'm sure it'll come as no surprise to anyone that I absolutely adore books and think that they are so precious. And by books I mean the object that has a cover, a spine and numerous pages! Digital and audiobooks are fine and while I don't have any issue with them and see the advantages, to me, actual books in it's physical form are very special. And with my own personal belief that they will soon go the same way as newspapers and magazines, I've made it my mission in life to rescue as many as I can - that are of interest to me anyway - especially those from my childhood and teenage years.
I have no idea how old I was at the time but I'm guessing that my love of reading began the moment I picked up my very first book. As I grew older, I remember my mum always having to tell me off most nights as I refused to turn out the lights and go to sleep. It was far more important for me to read another page and then another chapter (and sometimes pretty much the whole book!) rather than go to sleep. I always feel that my book addiction was something I got from my dad who loved reading, and even had his own little reading nook. While the cookery books belonged to my mum, the rest were very much Dad's, and soon I started adding to the collection of books in the house. I was the easiest kid in the family to buy birthday and Christmas presents for because everyone knew that they couldn't go wrong with a book - and they were right!
Scribbling all over Dad's copy of Flowers For Mr. Harris when I was about four!
And it's because I grew up surrounded by books that anything related to books are very much my happy place. I could spend all day every day in a library or bookshop - the quainter and cozier the better! Even the ladies at my local thrift shop know which section of the store I tend to gravitate towards... And it's very rare for me to leave without purchasing a good few books! And now that we're renovating and decorating our house (which should have been completed ages ago but - you know how it is!) I will most definitely be setting aside a space to create my very own, cosy reading nook.
I still remember many of the titles that my parents used to own as well as books that I'd either purchased myself or that I was given as gifts when I was growing up. I have fond memories of purchasing books as a child via the school book club. If you went to primary school in the eighties, you'd know what I'm talking about. You'd get a little card that you'd fill up with stamps that you'd purchase from 'Miss' whenever your pocket money would allow. And then every so often, there would be a book fair where you can pick up as many books as your stamps would enable you to do so.
And then as I got older, I found another way of sourcing new books. Remember those book clubs you'd find advertised in magazines where there would be fantastic offers such as buy four books for 99p each? Well I didn't realise how these book clubs worked - that the 99p thing was just the introductory offer to reel you in, and then you had to buy a certain number of books a year at either full or a slightly discounted price (certainly not 99p though!) Anyway where these book clubs were concerned, let's just say that in the words of Frank Spencer, I had a little bit of trouble, and it took a very kind aunt to bail me out. I soon learned my lesson! I wonder whatever happened to those book clubs...
The A level years!
Over the years, many of the books that I remember on our bookshelves at home either got lost or were so tatty that they got thrown out (we didn't really go in for recycling in those days!) But thankfully many of them have survived, and I've even managed to bring some of them back to America with me. I love this because I feel as though I'm surrounded by well-loved pieces from my childhood. And I've even been lucky enough to have stumbled upon books we once had and naturally - I snapped them up. There's plenty more at home which I plan on bringing back with me. And in case anyone thinks I'm depriving my family of their book collection, well reading isn't much of a pastime for them anymore with the telly and YouTube being their main sources of entertainment these days. If it were up to members of my family, those books would have been given away years ago. So I think it's safe to say that those books are of great sentimental and literary value to me and me alone.
One of my favourite authors, Erich Segal
Books are more than just the brilliant literary works of art or information that they were intended to be. For me they're memories. In the same way a piece of music or a particular scent can take some people back to another time, books transport me back to my younger years and certain past events. Every time I see a book we once owned, I'm reminded of my early years growing up in East London; of family gatherings and infant or junior school days. Enid Blyton books remind me of the days when I was learning to read (and those school book fares!) To Kill a Mockingbird takes me back to studying for my GCSEs, while Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit remind me of stressful A level times! I'm back to my mid-teens again when I pick up a Mills and Boon novel (which is when I started reading them!) Erich Segal's Doctors reminds me of the four months I spent in India, as I reread the Reader's Digest version of that goodness knows how many times, and the mere mention of a Sweet Valley High book... and I'm back in the nineties again! And Danielle Steel novels... well they remind me of those pesky book clubs!
Books are my very own time machine. People may not understand my fascination with them, especially a lot of the much older titles that take pride of place in my home. I'm always being told that digital books are what's in now, and while I don't doubt how true that is, give me an actual book any day. I won't be parting with my collection for anything. The Fella sometimes jokingly (he better be!) tells me that he's going to use my books as kindling for our new wood burning stove. Ha! I'd like to see him try!
Can you guess what my favourite genre is???
Being surrounded by all these wonderful books and happy memories gave me the idea to come up with a regular book review feature for Nostalgia Pie; giving you an insight into some of the titles that adorn my bookshelves and why they're very special to me. Perhaps these are books you once had or still have. maybe they're novels you haven't read in a very long time, and I might just inspire you to pick them up again. Or maybe it'll send you scurrying off to your local, friendly second-hand book dealer who might just have that title in stock - Fly Fishing by J.R. Hartley anyone???
The early nineties when we all went Darling Buds mad!
And to celebrate this momentous occasion, each person who signs up to become a member of Nostalgia Pie, will get a free reading log and planner. But don't worry if you're already a member as it will be available for you to download from our members' freebies page, with a printer-friendly version also available which uses a lot less printer ink for those of you who wish to be as old school as me and actually print out the pages to pop into a ring binder.
Happy reading, everyone! And what is going to be the first book we review? Watch this space... Or should it be read this space?
Photos: Pixabay
Blog graphics: Angel Noire
