I would not really consider myself a reader. I enjoy reading about sports online or in magazines, such as Sports Illustrated and Runner’s World. I will also sometimes read comics in the newspaper. But it isn’t often that I will read a full book unless I am required to for a class. I would say that I am a pretty slow reader. When I think of experiences in my life that have shaped my attitude about reading, 5 key moments come to mind.
The first key moment was probably when I first started reading Sports Illustrated magazines. I have a passion for sports and enjoy competing and watching them. I also liked reading about them, especially my favorite team, the Miami Dolphins. I still read about sports often.
The second key moment was probably the reading assignments during school. I didn’t really enjoy the books we had to read, like Hamlet, Jane Eyre, and Romeo and Juliet. I didn’t find them very interesting and that made me like reading less.
The third key mom
ent was one day when I was bored and decided to read the comic section in the newspaper. I thought it was a little funny. Today I will sometimes read the comics, and my favorite comic strip is Garfield. 
The fourth key moment in my life was when we did reading tests in school. I found out that I was a slow reader, and that it was difficult for me to stay fully focused on the book. That discouraged me a little and had a negative impact on my attitude regarding reading.
The fifth and last key moment that influenced my attitude towards reading was probably reading textbooks that were required for my classes. Some of the information in the textbooks were interesting to me, but for the most part, 
I didn’t really find them exciting at all.
english235csc 
Thanks for sharing your story! I’ve got book recommendations for you for this class. Look for books by Mike Lupica, Tim Green, Dan Gutman. For the Newbery book you have to read in a couple of books, definitely get Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover. And read a lot of graphic novels for this course! Look for the Lunch Lady series by J. Krosoczka; Amulet series and Explorer series by Kazui Kibuishi; Sidekicks by Dan Santat, Dave Roman is another author to look for; Doug Tennapel. Basically get to the graphic novels section in the kids section of the library and read away! Are you on campus? You can also come to my office and borrow some of my graphic novels because I’ve got a good selection.
LikeLike
Thanks for your post! I will be interested to follow along this semester and see if your reading “likes” change. I know that you can find SOMETHING you enjoy…hopefully the graphic novels that were suggested are a jumping point.
I wonder….why do you think that reading non-fiction (in your case articles about sports) isn’t “reading”? I think that we will be very lucky to have someone who enjoys non-fiction in our class. Maybe you can point me, the fiction a-fiction-ado (haha), to some excellent non-fiction.
Where should I start?
LikeLike
I do think that reading non-fiction is “reading.” I just wouldn’t really consider myself a “reader,” as I don’t really read all that often and don’t have too strong of a passion for reading compared to others. I enjoy reading but haven’t read too many books before this class. There are usually some good articles in Sports Illustrated that I would recommend to you. And I just finished Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary, which I felt was quite funny and well-written. Thanks for your thoughts!
LikeLike
I like the fact that you come right out and say you don’t consider yourself a reader. Honesty is the best policy. I will have to disagree, somewhat……you ARE a reader 🙂 Sports Illustrated? Rock on. Great articles. And, back when I was younger and watched pro football, the Dolphins were my team! Dan Marino era! The comics are a great read. Garfield is definitely my favorite. Do you think this class will help to enjoy reading more?
LikeLike
Yeah, I think this class could help me enjoy reading more. I just read “Owl in the Cedar Tree” by Natachee Scott Momaday, and it was a very good book in my opinion. That’s cool that you like the Dolphins too, I think they’ll have a great season this year!
LikeLiked by 1 person