I always give books away, I find I can only read something once (and I am a fast reader) and then I am happy to give it away to pass the pleasure on. There has however been the occasional book that I have thought about afterwards and then bought, to keep (but often have then later on given that away as well!! - lately One More Day by someone Albom, which hopefully will eventually get back to me). Most of my books come from Op shops or second hand stalls as being an avid reader of new books could be prohibitively expensive.
People who like reading are so lucky, you are never lonely, you can lose yourself totally in a book (and sometimes when you most need to lose yourself).
I loved the books mentioned earlier, Enid Blyton - I remember being excited when a new Famous Five or Secret 7 was due out, Sue Barton Nurse, Nancy Drew, just about anything. I found that I missed the Young Adults step in reading. I was such a prolific reader from such an early age that I think the Young Adults books at the library were probably suitable much earlier for me than when I discovered them. Anything with Young Adults on the spine bored me, I went straight from Enid Blyton etc to adult books, the longer the better - nothing worse than being a fast reader and then just as you get into the book - it is over.
However, that said, am aware then when I am lost in a good book I am lost for pretty much everything else until I finish it, and THAT started early on.
Probably unfairly, the only books that really turn me off are those of the Self Help genre. If the author truly wanted to help someone, rather than just make money, then getting the message out there in person would seem to me to be much more believable than sitting at a computer for hours on end writing (and probably thinking about generating income). Probably unfair, but there you go.
Off to real life.....................
