Top Ten Tuesday {1}

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish each week, with a challenge to come up with ten books that relate to the current list. I'll try my best to keep up with these Tuesdays, as the whole idea sounds really fun. And, here goes nothing.

February 5: Top Ten Best Bookish Memories

1. First library visit.
The memory that sticks most with me that has to do with books would be the very first time that I was in a library in the first or second grade. As a class, my teacher escorted us to the school library and placed us in the care of the librarian. First, I believe she explained it and then she read us a few stories. After first crossing the threshold, I was in love. I was already reading everything that I could at home, but this place was something else. I remember feeling so much joy and excitement that when she told us that we could actually take a book home with us, I thought my little six or seven year old self was going to explode. I remember it being too difficult to choose just one. I think I might have settled on a Dr. Suess or Pound Puppies book. Reading has always been an exciting part of my life, and I still get really excited about checking books out of the library.

2. Deathly Hallows midnight release.
Another memory that invades my brain is that of the book release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. My best friend Jackie and I were beyond excited, both for the activities and the actual release of the book. We'd been to the other release parties but knew that this one was going to be pretty sad, it being the last one and all. I remember the 'Snape is Loyal' stickers and the trivia, and the huuuugggeeee line there before midnight for everyone to go up and get their books. And then after midnight, I can still see all of the people sitting around inside Border's with their books, and even outside in their cars with the dome lights on, beginning the ending of a fantastic series. Really, the end of most of our childhoods. Without knowing it so much at the time, it was a really emotional time for me and all of these other people. I like to think that if I was my own ride at that time that I would have been just like these people. Though, when I got home, I did start in on my own copy.

3. Book Orders.
From elementary school right up through high school, I've always enjoyed looking through the little Scholastic and TAG book orders. Even when I didn't buy anything, I always had to have a look, if not for book suggestions. Elementary school was probably when they were most fun, because at that point my parents would buy me quite a few books. Then, in middle school, it only slowed down to books that I bought myself. So, finally in high school it ended up more of a browsing and be amused kind of time that I would spend during my study hall. I swear, I'd still love to browse through them now.

4. Book It!
I remember this mostly from elementary school. It was associated with Pizza Hut, so every month the teacher would set a goal of books to read and whenever you met that goal, you'd get a certificate for a free pizza. Of course, I was always so eager to read that I oftentimes read more than my goal.

5. Reading Harry Potter for the first time.
It was in the second grade that I discovered Harry Potter. I found the first book at my Gram's house and knew that I had to read it. During and after reading I fell completely in love with the boy who lived under the stairs, that I looked at the library for other books in the series. I read and read and then reread until the next books and movies came out. I would give anything to be able to read this series for the first time again.

6. Working in the school library in middle school.
When given the chance to work in the library for a period every other day, my friend Laura and I jumped at the chance. Personally, I spent a lot of time there, so I was honestly curious as to what went on behind the scenes. The two years that I spent there were a blast. I loved shelving books, stamping and checking in new books and magazines, our little pizza parties, and even our little back library meet and greet with an author. The only part that I remember not enjoying was laminating different things for other teachers in the school.

7. Learning how to read.
I don't remember the exact moment, but I do remember feeling like I could take on the world.

8. Reading with my niece.
While she's only three (soon to be four), I really adore the moments that we spend together either reading or looking at books. Really, I do all of the reading. It really pulls at my heartstrings that she seems to love books so much now, at such a young age, and I truly hope that she continues to love them years from now. Whether I'm reading one of her Dora books or my own collection of children's books, namely Where the Wild Things Are, she appears so very enticed and happy, and I love sharing these moments with her.

9. Reading Matilda.
I remember after my first reading of Matilda, that I'd finally found a book about a girl similar to me. While I didn't and still don't have kinetic powers (poo) I enjoyed reading a book about a girl who loved books and knowledge. I really felt for Matilda then and continue to today. It's written in such an imaginative and fun way, that I could read it for years to come and eagerly want to pass it on to any children that I see. Roald Dahl is still one of my favorite authors today.

10. My dad building my bookshelf.
I'd never really owned a real bookshelf of my own, so my book just always kind of resided in a little hutch or in boxes in my closet. I'd been begging my dad to build me a bookshelf for yearrrrs, and it took him awhile to cave in. Very recently, really about two years ago, he finally built it. It's the not prettiest of shelves, because I was too eager to put my books on it to actually take any time to sand or paint it, but I like its uniqueness. It's got seven shelves and fits about half of my ever-expanding collection.