Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Memories

I've decided to jump on board with Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic, Top Ten Bookish Memories.

1. Reading parties. My parents always encouraged us to read and when I was in elementary school dad started our household reading party trend. We'd pile up pillows in the living room and each bring in our own book to read.

2. Dean Koontz summer. There's a big age gap between my brother and I and our younger sisters. I was 11 when the oldest youngest sister was born. By the time I was in high school (and before I got my drivers license) mom was paying me in books to babysit the girls and each weekend she'd bring me over to Waldens to buy three new titles. I read through all of Dean Koontz's collection that summer.

3. My grandmother's bookshelves. My grandmother read like I do and she amassed a large collection of titles. Every time I'd go over to her house I'd walk the shelves to see what was new (and take a few to tide me over til next visit!)

4. Stephen King Book Club commercials and It. I remember when there were actual commercials on tv advertising the Stephen King book club. My mom should have known there was no hope then :) Those commercials completely captivated me. I was obsessed with reading Stephen King and there was no way my mom was allowing it (this was elementary school age). Then came the tv movie version of It. Mom broke down and I watched the first half. Unfortunately the door on the water shed outside my bedroom window wasn't shut that night and mom blamed my sleeplessness on It, conveniently forgetting to record the second half while we were out. It was years before I finished watching it! (I actually joined the SK Book Club years later -- it was still around when I was in college!)

5. My first Stephen King reads. I don't remember how old I was, but it was definitely pre high school when a tree fell into the porch of my grandfather's old house. My grandmother had been using it as an office and someone actually put an offer on the old place, caved in porch and all. We were cleaning out the bookshelves when I found a copy of Firestarter. I then procured a copy of Salems Lot as well. Pleased as punch, I informed mom I would be reading them both and that she might as well hand over her hidden copy of Pet Semetary. (Folks, I as at least twelve or thirteen at this point and - horror fiend that I was - mom had been fighting this battle for for at least three years now!)

6. Reading The Stand. I was a freshman in high school when a friend loaned me his hardcover copy of The Stand. Fortunately it was the end of the school year because I lugged that book around all week until I finished. I carted it around in my backpack for snagged reading moments during the school day. I read it on the bus. I even read it in the tub, leaning over the edge so I could read from the book laying on the floor!

7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This one stands out because of the circumstances. I had gone to a wedding out of town and spent two days completely miserable in a horrendous allergy attack that resulted in ER room cortisone shots at 2 am. And it was the weekend of my birthday. My parents had gotten me a gift certificate for book 4 and even though the bookstore only had holds left by the time I made it over, I managed to snag a copy.

8. Working at the bookstore. My first job in college was at Waldens. I wasn't allowed to work my freshman year, so just a few days after returning for my sophomore year, I hit the mall for applications. Of course the first stop was Waldens. And they were hiring! For the calendar shop. But I got hired on early and the calendar shop opening was delayed so I got a lot of experience in the bookstore itself before the holidays began and was offered a regular position after the New Year. Unfortunately for me, most of my paycheck went right back into the store with my book purchases!

9. Meeting Harlan Coben. I read Tell No One as an ARC before it was released and recommended the book to a customer who was never afraid to try something new -- even in hardcover. She liked it so much that she emailed Coben to let him know how much she'd enjoyed the book and that a bookseller had recommended it to her. Apparently he was so excited that he wanted to know which bookstore was recommending the title, so I sent him a follow up email. We corresponded a bit and when his next book was out he came to Houston for a signing. My friend and I and our significant others drove the three and a half hours out to Houston and made a night of it. When it was my turn to get the book signed, Coben remembered my email address and our "chats." It was super cool!

10. HP 5, 6, & 7 release parties. I was working at Waldens for the HP 5 release, but since we were a mall store we didn't have a midnight shindig. We did have fun -- we got to wear jeans and we had lots of giveaways and such. 6 was a much bigger to do since I was in a freestanding big box by then. Folks were in costume and customer service was the only safe haven for employees who didn't want to get smooshed! By 7 I was a customer myself. I snagged my copy and jetted out front to wait for my ride, reading the first pages by the light of the store sign.