Has reading shaped your life?

hi ajk111! it is wonderful to hear that you have defied your mother's doom-filled prophecies. perhaps it is because of and not in spite of the books you have read. books have definitely shaped my life, even to the extent that my husband and i recently bought a house big enough to house our huge library and our book family is now out of storage! we hope never to have to move them all again, as some of them are quite heavy! i read constantly as a child and do now as an adult...and i learned as a child to juggle both reading and television watching and therefore miss out on nothing! i find reading more relaxing when i am tired or sick, though, and television is more of a "fun" activity, that usually must include snacks.

Reading vociferously as a child has definitely changed my life. I'm a bona fide writer with ten novels published, an award winning film which I wrote and directed, and many short stories and hundred of articles - all due to reading and loving the magic of words.

Books made up a large proportion of my childhood, and I always enjoyed reading right from when I was very young. I think that books are something that not enough parents are teaching their children about, and it is such a shame, because you can escape from everything in life by reading a book and entering into a new world. I would prefer to read a book than watch the television, and it is much better for you as it allows you to be more creative and make up your own ideas about the story that you're reading, rather than being made to accept somebody else's interpretation like you would have to if you were watching the film of a book or something like that.

Reading played a great factor while i was growing up. I am an only girl in the family and most of my cousins are actually 8 years older than i.. so i turned to reading to accompany me. i could remember my mom buying me all those Sweet Valley High / Twin books, i remember learning new words from it then i would look it up in the dictionary and i could remember using those words everyday! It really helped me when it comes to writing as well as i really became a fast reader. I have read every book of it that was published lol my mom was like fed up as she do not know where to put all those books plus i have read Nancy Drew, Agatha C, David Copperfield to Heidee and soooo many. When i am alone, i really do not feel lonely as i have my books with me, i would rather read books than watch tv actually. Growing up my type of genre even changed, from those love story ones to adventure ones to great novels..to crime and suspense i really do not think it is bad to read, in fact i even encourage my children to read as children now adays will become lazy if you do not introduce books to them because they are sooo engrossed with all the new technology plus the television. I really do not think books will drive me mad as it is the only one that keeps me insane... well in my own perception it does keep me insane though at times i do talk to myself when i am reading, i discuss things with myself~!

I used to read a lot but now with the Internet my time goes on surfing the Net to devour whatever I am hungry for. Somerset Maugham, Agatha Christie, Mills and Boom and lots of other novels were in my list of books that I have read. By the way I also read comics even now Archie's being my favourite.

I cannot even tell you how many books I've read. When I was a kid we didn't have the money to purchase new books from a bookstore but me and my mother and then go myself would go to the library. She got bags of books from friends. Trade paperbacks, from everything from horror to romance to U.f.o's to self help. I read hundreds. My relative gave me a set of children's encyclopedias and I read them cover to cover. I still love to read, now I like true crime, I just finished seduced by evil and now I'm reading Ashley Judd's bio. I watch more movies now than just random channel flipping television. I plan my viewing out now so as not to waste time. I encourage my son to read, we go to the library often and I am always telling him to pick out a book any book and I'll buy it for him.

I love your attitude! Reading has definitely shaped my life. My parents and grandparents always read to me, even as a baby. I started reading real books when I was three. I would just devour whatever books I could get my hands on. As a result I had an exceptional vocabulary and excelled in spelling and speed reading. But the best thing is that my imgagination got to run wild. It made me happy, and gave me reasons to hope when all seemed hopeless.

even at the public school age, i was interested in history and famous people's biographies. i am inspired by people's stories and the odds that they had to conquer to become famous.

I've always enjoyed reading books, ever since I was a kid. It was always something that I had fun doing. I do enjoy watching TV, but I also enjoyed reading. For one reason or another, I always seem to need to carry a book with me, even when I know that I probably won't be able to sit down and read. It just something that I've always enjoyed doing.

I was an avid reader when I was younger. Mysteries, romance & science fiction were my favorites. They still are today. I would much rather read than watch tv. My Mama did not like my choices in literature and would always lecture me about it. I think reading opens up your creative link to the world. I do not see it as bad.

Hi ajk HGWells was my pick too and I also read the Hardy Boys Series from Enid Blyton. I definitely agree that these books had shaped my attitude and outlook during those days of childhood. I wanted to do different and maybe this is one reason, instead of attending those boring lectures at college, I was more into doing social work - organizing health awareness workshops and things like these... But over time, you mature and when that happens, you take the paths which are good or at least better for you... I think it is the age which plays is part more - like now, if I re-read those books they dont have the same effect on me

Same with me ajk111- I used to read every thing I could lay my hands on. I wouldn't say, I read many literary writers but mostly thrillers and detectives like Sydney Sheldon, Agatha, Fredrick Forsyth and local writers like them. I would spent hours reading them and lost in a world that was different from the real world. TV doesn't make me that interested unless I am watching some thing funny on tube.

I applaud your penchant for reading, akj111! I, too, am a fan of Jules Verne. Only recently, however, did I become aware of my favorite Verne book, The Mysterious Island. Have you read it? I found it fascinating, especially the amount of research he put into the book. Reading has had quite an impact on me. I think that, in large part, it helped shape my career paths early on as I sought degrees that required lots of reading and writing. I much prefer reading to television. Merely watching a program is usually boring to me. I much prefer to at least be thumbing through a magazine whilst watching the television, or, even better, cuddling with my sweetie. Ah, now I have revealed my true motive for watching television -- it has nothing to do with television at all! I am very envious of your sea bubble. What is your seahorses' name?

When I was in school, I enjoyed reading books a lots. Books give me some kind of peace and satisfaction, especially those about phylosophy. However, after I graduated from colledge, I kind of lose the habit of reading everything. Part of the reason is that I am much busier than before.Everyday when I come back home from work, I just turn on the TV and watch the entertaining program. It does make me laugh a lot and I don't have to think about anything else.However gradually I find that I am kind of avoiding something.It seems that I can't really get a lot from that kind of program. Maybe it's time for me to make a change and pick reading up again.

I have always liked reading, but I don't think I can say that it has really shaped my life. Now that I am married i don't seem to read as much as I did before, which I think is a pity. My husband also reads a lot, but he also likes to listen to music while he is reading and I either listen to music, or read and I can't seem to do both! I get the feeling that before, when I was working and had a job that paid me, I had more freedom to get the books I really wanted to read, instead of reading those selected by somebody else.

Aha! I THOUGHT that was you I passed on my way to the frozen tundra to play darts with the penguins! I would've said hi but I wasn't sure. There are so many of those bubbles in the sea these days, you know. Reading has kind of shaped my life as it made me realize that just about anything is possible. It helped me to open my eyes to not only what is right there all around us but also to what we can't see. Fortunately, for me, my mother was a teacher when I was young and she encouraged me to read, although she put her foot down on the science fiction I loved watching on TV whenever it came on, unless it was from Disney, of course. I definitely like reading more because you are forced to use your imagination (unless you're reading comic books or pop-up books ). TV puts it right in front of your face so you don't need an imagination.

I always read a lot, the less pocket money (or given for my birthday or found outside on the street) I saved to buy books already at the age of 6 or 7 years old. I still have them. I spent whole summer vacations reading books and later on comics (Redbeard) as well. I don't think reading will drive you mad or change your few on reality. If you read you have to make the pictures yourself, you can be in an "other world" but there is nothing wrong with that. Tv is different, I seldom watch it, also because of the many commercials in between. I do like to watch movies but still prefer books way more. I have lots of them and so have all my kids. I think it's one of the best presents you can give someone. The older you get the more interests you have so plenty of choice.

Reading has indeed shaped my life. As a young girl I was a voracious reading and always imagined that I would be able to write like real writers and write a book. That was when I was twelve. My first husband did not want me to write. I dropped him. My books were more comforting. Today I am a full blown writer and have ten books published, two short story collections, two film scripts - all from my desire to write either fiction or articles to provide information. I never gave up on my dream.

good day! When I was young, I am not like you, I do not love reading. But when i discover the e-books in my high school days until now that I am already college I liked reading books, books that teaches me how to work with patience, how to treat other people, how to react with other peoples words, how to be a better person. I learned many things by reading books and I can say that reading really shapes every life of a person when we stay open to changes for up to improve.

Hi friend, good to hear about your reading activities, i am interested in reading and spend most of my time with reading in my school day vacation. But now i don't have enough time for reading. Surely reading is a great habit, we will gain more knowledge with it