50 Years of Reading (Happy Birthday Mom)
Today is my Mother’s 50th birthday – Happy Birthday Mom! Growing up I can always remember seeing my parents reading, and there have always been books in my house. We were also frequent visitors to the library to the point that I’d memorized my library card number at a very early age! In celebration of such a big milestone, I asked Mom to think back and list some of her favorite books from her 50 years of reading.
When younger, Mom remembers loving The Chronicles of Narnia, the Hardy Boys series, and The Lord of the Rings. My copy of LoTR actually used to belong to mom (and has Star Wars stamps on the back – the result of living with brothers I’m sure). It is an omnibus edition with the cover shown here. While I was never a reader of the Hardy Boys, my sisters and I loved and read the other two series over and over.
After that there were many murder mysteries, and other books she cannot recall. There were also a number of fishing / boating / true life on the sea stories. My parents fish lobster, among other things, for a living and so these stories are always being given to them for gifts. One that she remembers enjoying is Ten Hours Until Dawn. Mom is also a lover of travel guides and travelling, another thing I inherited!
In more recent years either my reading influenced her or her tastes influenced my buying as I went through a Middle East phase a few years ago. Mom listed loving books such as Prisoner of Tehran, Stolen Lives, Iran Awakening, Three Cups of Tea, and Thousand Splendid Suns. Some of these books (Stolen Lives for instance) Mom picked up because of her travels. Others were books she borrowed from me. I think my reading has influenced her a bit if only because a few hundreds of my books are now stored in her basement (and she has organized a lending system among some of her friends!).
The last two books Mom listed are The Book of Negroes and The Da Vinci Code. The Book of Negroes is on my challenge that I posted about yesterday, so I’m happy to see how much she enjoyed it. I’m sure I will also like it.
So there is what Mom chose to highlight from her last 50 years. Perhaps in another 50 I’ll ask her again to feature her favorite reads 
Happy birthday to your mom! I really feel old now, knowing that I’m older than your mother.
Heh sorry Kathy
A very happy Birthday wish for your mother.
Thanks Heather!
Wishing your mom a happy birthday. I turn 50 in July; not sure how I feel being the same age as your mom. Feel like I should be reading her blog.
Thanks, will pass it along. And tell her to start a blog Savvy Working Gal
What a wonderful birthday post for your mom – a celebration of her 50 years of reading! (Like Kathy, it’s a little disconcerting that I’m not THAT much younger than your mom!
Such a wonderful gift that you are both able to share and celebrate on this special day.
Thanks Melissa, I was glad she was willing to share
Happy Birthday Mom! It’s so wonderful that you and your mom share a passion for reading, and I hope that one day I can post something like this for my mom, who is seems lately has been nit by the reading bug. My daughter is a big reader as well, so it’s nice for me! I hope your mom has many great reading years ahead of her!
Thanks zibilee, I definitely inherited it from her and my dad!
Oh Amy, Happy Birthday to your mom, but now I’m depressed. I’m almost a decade older than her:(
Heh no worries Diane, as Mom says, aging is much better than the alternative, and age is just a number!
Happy Birthday Amy’s mom!!! Love the books through the years recap! The fact that she has organized a book lending system to her friends is so cool!
Yes it’s pretty awesome Sheila
Happy birthday mom of Amy! I’m surprised that she enjoys sea stories so much. I don’t know that i’d want to read something I lived every day.
Well, she doesn’t read a ton of them Jill, but enough! Dad really enjoys them as well.
Awww: our moms are almost the same age!
And mine is a big fantasy/mystery reader too!
Very cool Eva
AND both of our moms enjoy travel yes? Sounds like we need to have a fun trip some day. heh
What a fun idea for a post! I hope your mother had a wonderful birthday… My mother doesn’t really read, but I think because of the amount of books stored in her basement she has become inspired… She actually told me she went down and got a few that looked interesting and is actually reading them!
Oh that is awesome Kailana! I hope it works out
EXCELLENT post, and thanks so much to your mom for listing some of her favorites. This was so much fun to read, Amy!
Thanks Andi, I’m really glad you enjoyed.
I enjoyed reading your mom’s list and hope she has a great year ahead of her (reading-wise and other-wise). I had that edition of LOTR for a long time too; it’s still the edition that I think of when I think of that trilogy, though it’s a terrible edition to actually read!
Oh how fun that we had the same edition Buried In Print!! Why terrible to read? Because of the size? It’s the only version I’ve ever read, so always struggling to hold it
Great post! ☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤ Happy Birthday Mom! ❤¸.•*¨*•☆
Thanks Care
Happy Birthday Amy’s Mom! Here’s to many more reading years to come.
Thanks JoV!
Excellent post! Everyone should have a mother that loves books as much as yours does!
Thanks Ben, I do indeed feel very lucky. My father reads a lot as well!
Happy Birthday to your Mom. It’s wonderful having a mother who reads. I talk books and share poetry with mine all the time.
Yes it truly is wonderful Kinna!
hope she had a great day love old lord rings cover same one as I read that was my aunties copy ,all the best stu
Oh fantastic Stu!