Walking Down Memory Lane

As readers, it’s fun to re-visit or at least ponder the books we read when we were younger. I know my reading tastes have changed quite a bit but I thought it would be fun to share some of the books I read when I was younger. Kay’s post from the other day reminded me just how fun those reading years were so be sure to check out her post as well.

These books are in no particular order:

I read every single Nancy Drew book in the series and then moved on to the Hardy Boys. Girl detective, a mystery to solve, a handsome boyfriend. I was all over these books.

Sweet Valley High was a favorite. There were several books in the series, all of them good. Twins, in high school. Two totally different personalities. Fun stuff.

Flowers in the Attic. A family is forced to live in the attic of their wealthy grandparents’ home after their father is killed in a car accident. It’s a bizarre story and there were at least four other books in the series. Talk about dysfunction!

The Outsiders. I still love this book. Ponyboy, a Greaser, tries to figure it all out with his brothers as they deal with the aftermath of a fight which leaves a young man dead. I read this on my own, then in middle school we read it together as a class and then watched the movie. I handed it to my son at a time when he absolutely would not read a book and he loved it, too.

Harlequin Presents. I am a little embarrassed to even say I read these but I could not get them into my hands fast enough. There was this bookstore inside the mall and my friends and I would head over with our pocket-money to spin that wire rack and take a new book home for the weekend. I was maybe eleven or twelve at the time. Oh la la! Actually, they were pretty tame.

Carrie and Stephen King, in general. I read many of his books when I was young. Carrie was just one of them. I also read many of his short story collections during this time. The library had several copies, always available so I never had any trouble getting a copy. Except for the librarian who took it upon herself to give me a lecture every time I checked one out. Apparently, a young girl should not fill her mind with such horrible things. Tsk. Tsk. I mean, look at me. I turned out okay, right?

What books do you remember from childhood or from your early teen years?