The Voracious Reader
Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m seriously jealous of my husband, Charlie. Seriously. Why? Because he gets to read – a lot. Everyday. For hours. The Voracious Reader. Consuming such a great quantity of books that it is hard for me to keep him in books. Why do I “keep him in books” instead of him doing that for himself? Well (1) he’s handicapped and getting around in tight spaces is a challenge for him on his mobility scooter and (2) he doesn’t know (or want to know) how to use a computer and shop on the internet! Plus, I’m responsible for the voracious reader that he’s become! {grin}
Why do I take full responsibility for the reading monster that I’ve created? Well, when I met Charlie 25+ years ago, he didn’t read books. Of course he knew how to read; he just didn’t read. 25+ years ago I had the luxury of time to read books with regular consistency and it’s always been a happy hobby of mine since I was a young girl. So, when Charlie and I became a couple, I didn’t give up that hobby, but continued to read all the time.
In the early days of our marriage, we were quite poor. During the recession in the late 1980’s, early 1990’s, Charlie lost his job and didn’t work for two years. This unfortunate chain of events occurred 2 days before our wedding. So, we entered married life saddled with the debt of two single people, now living on one income – mine. And, I didn’t make enough money to support us. This sad tale of woe I’ll save for a future post, because this post is all about Charlie discovering the joy and pleasure of reading!
Anyway, since we were poor, I got my books either from the library or from a used book store where I could buy books for a quarter or a dollar. One day, I bought my first Clive Cussler book, Dragon, at a used book store. I’d read the first chapter or two, when I decided I needed to go to the grocery store. I asked Charlie if he wanted to go along and he said yes. So, he drove the car while I continued to read.
When we got to the grocery store, Charlie announced, “I think I’ll just stay in the car.” I replied, “Well, it could take me awhile. Did you bring a magazine or something?”
“No; I’ll just listen to the radio.”
So, off I go and while I didn’t dawdle, I was gone for an least 45 minutes. When I returned, he was reading my book!
“This is really good,” he shared. “Well, I’m reading it. You’ll have to wait until I’m done!” I retorted selfishly.
By the time we got home, I had time to ponder my rash response. Charlie didn’t read. At all. This was my chance to integrate him into a magical world that not even movies can capture completely. So, I told him that he could have the book to read. After all, I’d only read a chapter or two and I could start over after he finished it. So, I picked another book and Charlie read “Dragon”.
When he was done, he wanted to know how many other books Clive Cussler had written and it then became my task to locate these books for him to keep him inspired on his reading journey. After about a year, he’d read all of the Clive Cussler books available at that time. He was disgruntled that he had no more to read, but looked forward to, with great anticipation, Clive Cussler’s new releases. In the meantime, I didn’t want his newfound hobby to wither and die because the one-and-only author he’d ever read couldn’t write fast enough! So, I started introducing him to other authors over time and Charlie devoured them.
But, to this day, Clive Cussler remains his favorite. And while Clive Cussler is 82-years-of-age (his birthday is tomorrow) and now uses co-authors to write his books, Charlie remains an ardent fan. And, because of Clive Cussler, Charlie is the voracious reader that he is today, 20+ years later.
In honor of this momentous occasion (getting Charlie to read books and become a book lover) and in honor of the author who inspired Charlie to keep reading, I’m launching a new series on the 15th of every month called “What Charlie Read in (fill in the month).” If you have a man in your life that likes to read and you are always at a loss to find a book he might like, this series will help you in that department.
I don’t have as much time as Charlie to read for pleasure (Charlie is retired, but I work full-time plus write and create for this blog!) and my focus right now is to keep growing our blog. But, I’ll include whatever book(s) I’ve read in the month. Fair warning: it will almost always be a work of non-fiction, either about blogging or something related that could help our blog move forward.
So, stay tuned tomorrow for “What Charlie Read in June 2013” and thanks for reading our blog!
Do you have any favorite authors that you think Charlie would enjoy? Please share in the comments section; I’m always looking for new authors for him (and for me in the future when I become a lady of leisure {grin})!
Tootles,
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