Memories through books... Previous years of reading
I was looking at the lists I have been keeping since 2003 of the books I have read. And it made me think about other years, other books. I wish I had kept track. And then I started thinking that I had memories of reading many books, and the events surrounding me reading those books were clues to the year even the month I read them. As surely as I know that I read The age of innocence during my first summer in the US (2003), as surely as I know that I read Doris Lessing's The golden notebook on the beach last winter... there are other books and places that are linked in my mind. Let's try.
And then, there is my livejournal and there are my diaries from 1997 to 2001... and my bookshelves.
1995
Summer vacation in the US. I remember reading this because it is actually the first book I read in English, untranslated. I was struggling with words, half guessing and half asking my dad what words like "gunpowder" meant. (Later on, I remember having trouble with "neck", "throat" and "wings"... I was reading Anne Rice's vampire tales by then)
Red prophet Orson Scott Card
1997
I started reading the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series of mysteries by Anne Perry during the summer
1997-1998 (school years work best)
probably January or maybe September - it was a gift from a friend of mine that got me reading non stop for 24 hours until I could finish it.
El ocho [The eight] Katherine Neville
2000
borrowed at the local library in Montreal (can't remember the language I read it in)
4 letters of love Niall Williams
coming back to my hometown after a month in Canada, I found myself crying over books for the first time
Behind the scenes at the museum Kate Atkinson
2001
early Spring - I'm sure I read the 4 first volumes of Harry Potter. I was supposed to be studying for exams and instead I borrowed them to my 11-year-old cousin (he is now 18... time flies...) and to friends and immersed myself into Hogwarts.
Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers [Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone] JK Rowling
Harry Potter et la chambre des secrets [Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets] JK Rowling
Harry Potter et le prisonnier d'Azkaban [Harry Potter and the prisonner of Azkaban] JK Rowling
Harry Potter et le gobelet de feu [Harry Potter and the goblet of fire] JK Rowling
early Summer - I was reading this book at what became my school
Human croquet Kate Atkinson
And then, there is my livejournal and there are my diaries from 1997 to 2001... and my bookshelves.
1995
Summer vacation in the US. I remember reading this because it is actually the first book I read in English, untranslated. I was struggling with words, half guessing and half asking my dad what words like "gunpowder" meant. (Later on, I remember having trouble with "neck", "throat" and "wings"... I was reading Anne Rice's vampire tales by then)
Red prophet Orson Scott Card
1997
I started reading the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series of mysteries by Anne Perry during the summer
1997-1998 (school years work best)
probably January or maybe September - it was a gift from a friend of mine that got me reading non stop for 24 hours until I could finish it.
El ocho [The eight] Katherine Neville
2000
borrowed at the local library in Montreal (can't remember the language I read it in)
4 letters of love Niall Williams
coming back to my hometown after a month in Canada, I found myself crying over books for the first time
Behind the scenes at the museum Kate Atkinson
2001
early Spring - I'm sure I read the 4 first volumes of Harry Potter. I was supposed to be studying for exams and instead I borrowed them to my 11-year-old cousin (he is now 18... time flies...) and to friends and immersed myself into Hogwarts.
Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers [Harry Potter and the philosopher's stone] JK Rowling
Harry Potter et la chambre des secrets [Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets] JK Rowling
Harry Potter et le prisonnier d'Azkaban [Harry Potter and the prisonner of Azkaban] JK Rowling
Harry Potter et le gobelet de feu [Harry Potter and the goblet of fire] JK Rowling
early Summer - I was reading this book at what became my school
Human croquet Kate Atkinson