Filipino Fridays #2: School of Reading


Growing up, there has not been a shortage of printed material lying around in our house. There is a newspaper stand just next door, and I was told that is where everyone at home used to get their supply of Funny Komiks. I remember my sisters being nicknamed Betya, Klang Klang, and me as Pokwang (I hope I spelled them correctly). All are characters of Funny Komiks, they said. I wished I could have had a chance to read them but alas, I wasn't even walking then much less reading. By the time I was old enough to, the newspaper stand ceased to sell Funny Komiks. I started reading nursery rhymes and fairy tale books like the Lady Bird ones and other variants. We always had a few Sweet Valleys, and Archie Comics around the house too. We are subscribers of Reader's Digest for as long as I can remember and we always get the newspaper as well. So, more or less I always see books and magazines and people reading them at home. 

I have to give special mention to my eldest sister who have always been my reading buddy for as long as I can remember. You know those thin glossy picture books of fruits, birds, wild animals, cats and dogs etc.? She was the one who helped me read through them when I was still a toddler. And made me memorize for some reason, the book of cat and dog breeds. And rattling off the breed names became "my trick" whenever we visit relatives. Nerdiest trick ever, I know. My relatives were, of course, extremely bored and had to feign interest just to be polite. As I grew older it was The Treasury of Fairy Tales Book (a compilation of fairy tales all over the world) that we read together, one fairy tale a night. And my sister's room always had books in them. I remember frequenting her room to grab a Jessica Zafra book back in college. Or some chick-lit reads.

At school, I hardly ever set foot in our library. Instead I borrowed or exchanged Archie Comics with my classmates. Things weren't any different in college. I went into the school library for school stuff not really for the fun reading stuff. I don't know why. Maybe because the selection is sparse and I don't like the pressure of having a certain date in which to return them.

I also believe that being introduced into the book blogging world very much made me a voracious reader. I have gotten to know many wonderful readers and book bloggers who have influenced the titles that I read and put on my "to buy list". I have since then, realized that there are these people out there just like me, people who get worked up over books and rant and rave like their life depend on it. :D



Check out this LINK to know more about the Filipino ReaderCon 2012!

Comments

  1. Book bloggers definitely influence and broaden my reading preferences. I'm glad I discovered this book blogging society. Before, I only read books when it's required in school, unless if the books are written by Nicholas Sparks and Cecelia Ahern. haha!

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    Replies
    1. I think half of the books I read and those on my to-read list, are from my book blog surfing.

      We mostly stuck to our textbooks back then, which was just bleh.:) But I did love Edith Hamilton's Mythology book though, which was one of our required readings in English. :D

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