First real book you ever read

Sophomore year of high school when I was pseudo-political (aka couldn't get laid) I read Culture Jam by Kalle Lasn. If you've ever heard of AdBusters magazine, then you know Kalle Lasn.

probably 85-85, when i was 12-13 somewhere around there, read the book for Rambo, First Blood partII

thats where i found out that apperantly in the first book he actually was killed at the end and they ressurected him for the sequel, what a blatant commercialization rip off

i havent read another rambo book since!

Not sure the author but in second grade I read a biography of Benjamin Franklin just for fun. BF is the coolest.

I read Slaughter House V in the fifth grade. Haven't read it since. probably should. I'd undersatand it much better now.

Earliest book I can remember reading because I wanted to is The Dunwich Horror.

i read Stephen Kings Firestarter when i was 7.

The book that taught me how to read was 'Morris the Moose Goes To School'. this was pre-kindergarten. after that my memory says (definately a garage sale bargain) Flowers for Algernon, which i read when i was 9. im sure theres something significant before then, but none that sticks out like this one did.

The first book I can remember reading is Bridge to Terabithia. Sad--but I liked it. That's probably when I developed a liking for stories that end badly.

Hatchet by Gary Pulsen...that was probably about 4th or 5th grade. Then i read the rest of the series and then the Transall Saga or something like that...I liked them then.

the first real book i read was jurassic park when i was in grade 5. after that i read all the michael crichetons and stephen kings, etc. But now, as my pretentious self, i dont consider cricheton or king 'real' novelists. And i would have to hand it to the Great Gatsby in grade 9 or 10 that I really started reading real books. ...

although i am still a sucker for a thriller/hack

The first classic that I read was Little Women somewhere around 5th grade. I can't remember before that. I read lots of books, fantasy and whatnot.

first books I remember reading where Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith, I coldn't get enough of her from like ages 9-13

[QUOTE=Title of thread]First real book you ever read[/QUOTE]

heeeeeey, all books are real! dontchyaknow!

Sixth grade, I read all 626 pages of Exodus by Leon Uris. Had to check it out three times from the library, but I read it cover to cover.

When I found a used copy at Powell's last spring for $10, well you know I had to have it.

[QUOTE=EyesLikeHoles]What was the first real book you ever read? Im talking something outside of school you just read because you wanted to. I remember in 6th grade i found a book called Trapped in my brothers room. Its a true story of this guy who got in a car wreck and was trapped in the woods for like two weeks. I also remember in English class that year we had to write our own book, and I completly ripped off Trapped. I think i called mine "Stuck", or something very prolific like that. Anyway, what got the rest of you "Stuck" on reading?[/QUOTE]

Outside of school?

Goosebumps. after that I was hooked!

Actual true "classic" that I first read, already enamoured with books and reading was probably "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest".

Let me see. I was 19 and had to do a book report to graduate HS. But I could pick anything, any book. I chose a nickle book--little softcover. After Life by Andrew Neiderman. A 260 page horror novel in the tradition of Stephen King, but not as well written, if you can believe that. It is the type of book that Dean Koontz called "Scary from first to last page". It took me more than two weeks to read the thing, and I earned a B on the paper--the first book report I'd done at the time. No, it didn't turn me onto reading. That didn't come til a few years later. But knowing I accomplished that read, maybe it had something to do with my confidence to read future books.
Probably it did.
kabol

After rereading the question, the part about "outside of school", I realize that I don't have the slightest clue. I'm pretty sure it was a Star Wars novel, and then several more. Other books followed, but there is no way for me to know which order. I havent really stopped, as I read every single day of my life, at least a story, or a few pages in a book.

[QUOTE=inkwell]Sixth grade, I read all 626 pages of Exodus by Leon Uris. Had to check it out three times from the library, but I read it cover to cover.

When I found a used copy at Powell's last spring for $10, well you know I had to have it.[/QUOTE]

I just moved to Portland and Powells is the greatest thing since the printing press. I walked into the Burnside store and couldn't believe it. I went into the Beaverton store today, it dwarfs any other used bookstore I've seen, and it's the little outpost.

Portland, second most breweries per capita, and Powells too? I have arrived in Heaven, and I didn't even have to die.

First book I read was back in sixth grade reading The Lord of The Flies.

treasure island or the 3 musketeers

[QUOTE=EyesLikeHoles]What was the first real book you ever read?[/QUOTE]

First off, I have to say, this is discriminatory against Dr. Seuss. I'm 35, and 'Yertle The Turtle' is still one of my favorites.

[QUOTE=EyesLikeHoles] Im talking something outside of school you just read because you wanted to.[/QUOTE]

I was pretty stubborn about not reading things I didn't want to. In third grade, I had a teacher that put stars up for each book report you turned in. There was a ratio of written and oral reports, and I got to competing with three rather bookish (and cute) girls, determined to have more stars than they did. That was the year I read all the Hardy Boys, all the Nancy Drew Mysteries, as well as the run of Beverly Cleary (Ramona as well as Otis), and so on. Pretty run of the mill, but that was also when I read 'Bridge to Teribithia,' which was brand new at the time, I think. I also read 'Jaws,' and my oral report on that got me in big, big trouble. The teacher kept telling me 'that was enough,' but I really wanted my fellow students to know what an awesome book it was, what with the guys throwing up on the beach after finding the remains of the girl, the sheriff who needs a few beers to settle his stomach before dinner, I just couldn't stop.

I guess that's still true, but the Cult can't send me to the Office.

When I was in eighth grade, I read 'Moby Dick,' then attempted 'War and Peace,' and decided against classics for the next decade plus.

Probalby the first books I read without a book report even being a consideration would be Asimov, Burgess, Ferlinghetti, cummings, Blatty, Bob Asprin, C.J. Cherryh, Ayn Rand, Hunter Thompson, Philip Dick, and Thomas Harris (back when 'Black Sunday' was his complete bibliography). Not sure in what order, that was around grades 5-9 and even through high school, I pretty much avoided what my Honors English teachers were pushing us to read: I just repeated what they said in class on my papers and they thought I was brilliant because I was reiterating their opinion.

I did read Catch-22 my Senior year, and once again, got in trouble at school. I was at just the right age, where that book could send me into apoplectic fits of laughter, and I was reprimanded both by my English teacher and the teacher stuck supervising my study hall while I went through that.

I've always read everything that I could get my hands on, for as long as I can remember. But the first actual book that I thought was cool, was a book that I don't remember the name of... something to do with Red Tape.

And then there was Salem's Lot by Steve King.

I got into Richard Marcinko's books for a while because I thought they were true, but then I found out that, for the most part, they were exaggerations.

And then it was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson.

mr hash--I still love LJ Smith! I'm 21 years old. I've been reading those damn books since I was about eight years old.

I can't remember what the first 'real' book I read was, I've always been able to read, I'm sure I was born with the ability. I have to wear glasses all the time now because for the first nine years of my life I would have a 'bedtime' but I couldn't sleep so I'd read in the dark. I'm so blind.

God. The Secret Garden? I first read it when I was five and read it again recently, it's great, they've all got Yorkshire accents just like me!

yes, whenever I mention L.J. Smith to people as they're always like who?, I loved Vampire Diaries, but I was super mad about the 4th book, I think it should have remained a trilogy

[QUOTE=mr_hash]yes, whenever I mention L.J. Smith to people as they're always like who?, I loved Vampire Diaries, but I was super mad about the 4th book, I think it should have remained a trilogy[/QUOTE]
I think all the fans feel that way. It wasn't so bad but it was lame when *OOOH! SPOILER ALERT!* Elena comes back to life.

[QUOTE=Vendetta]I think all the fans feel that way. It wasn't so bad but it was lame when *OOOH! SPOILER ALERT!* Elena comes back to life.[/QUOTE]
I know I wish they had just left her dead, I like cried when she died, but I was totally pissed when they brought her back

The first book I ever read was when I was four because I wanted to read before kindergarted. It was about an apple tree and I can remember the pictures but not the name of the book.
I'nve never not read after that.

In 8th grade I read the Outsiders by SE Hinton. Since then I have always promoted reading the book until last year I read it with my class and I thought it sucked. Maybe I just can't relate to it anymore cause I'm over 30. Who knows? After that I read Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. I am reading th Insiders now and he makes reference to some of the characters from Less Than Zero. Since Ellis has turned out to be one of my favorite writers I think I should read it again 20 years later.

Oh hell yeah, i lovd S.E. Hinton when I was in 7th grade, i remember i read all her books.

me too on the S.E Hinton thing

Hamlet, 5th grade. I understood the basic plot, but I've been going back to it and discovering all the nuances since then. It was prolly a bit early for Skakespeare, but what can I say... Catcher in the Rye just didn't interest me at all at that age. Then I read Inferno and didn't get a lick of it. Now it's one of my favorites.

Side note to ireLocus: you can take me off the list if you want now. I gave in.

Read everything and anything from early early until age 10-ish.

I remember reading about the 49ers superbowl win over the Chargers while he was bed-ridden with cancer at the end of his life.

The exact book, I do not recall.

Got back into reading at age 16 with [U]Survivor[/U].

consider it done....

[QUOTE=dzudzu]The first book I ever read was when I was four because I wanted to read before kindergarted. It was about an apple tree and I can remember the pictures but not the name of the book.
I'nve never not read after that.[/QUOTE]

was it [URL=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060256656/qid=1102519724/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-6848662-2707256?v=glance&s=books&n=507846]the giving tree?[/URL]

[QUOTE=mr_hash]I know I wish they had just left her dead, I like cried when she died, but I was totally pissed when they brought her back[/QUOTE]

They should have left her dead because the way she died was graceful, it gave depth to Damon's character, And I don't care what it did to Stefan cos he's a weiner.

dr seuss green eggs and ham when i was like 4

and then that goosebumps book (either the one were people are being switched with plant clones or the mummy tomb one at like 10)

and first real intelegent book was probably fear and loathing in las vegas when the movie came out (so that was what 96? i would have been like 15)

[QUOTE=Vendetta]They should have left her dead because the way she died was graceful, it gave depth to Damon's character, And I don't care what it did to Stefan cos he's a weiner.[/QUOTE]
Stefan was such a pussy, he was all afraid of being a vampire and whatever, but Damon was definatly the hottest character, he was the object of my 13 year fantasies. I tink it's funny how every time Elena was in actual trouble it was Damon who rescued her and not her "love" Stefen

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe - by CS Lewis of course.
My parents kept telling me to read it, that i would enjoy it, but i kept refusing. Then my parents like made me read a chapter a night before i could play with my lego's after dinner or something. i hated it at first but by chapter three i was reading it of my own volition and finished it within a week.

are you my mother? was my first book ever.

i don't remember the first long one. that's helpful, isnt it?

[QUOTE=mr_hash]Stefan was such a pussy, he was all afraid of being a vampire and whatever, but Damon was definatly the hottest character, he was the object of my 13 year fantasies. I tink it's funny how every time Elena was in actual trouble it was Damon who rescued her and not her "love" Stefen[/QUOTE]
LJ Smith's characters always end up with the pussy, apart from in Dark Visions.

[QUOTE=CafeEileen]In 7th grade I read She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. I still love that book, if anybody gets the chance I suggest you read it.[/QUOTE]

Hey, have you read Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes by Eleanor Coerr? I never have but I HAVE made about 700 cranes now.

[QUOTE=CafeEileen]Yes, my teacher read that book to me when I was in 2nd grade. Since then I have made 1000 paper cranes.[/QUOTE]

Doesn't the myth say that if you make 1000 paper cranes you get a wish and it will come true? Did your wish come true?

[QUOTE=Chixulub]I had a teacher that put stars up for each book report you turned in. There was a ratio of written and oral reports, and I got to competing with three rather bookish (and cute) girls, determined to have more stars than they did. That was the year I read all the Hardy Boys, all the Nancy Drew Mysteries, as well as the run of Beverly Cleary (Ramona as well as Otis), and so on. QUOTE]

My second or third grade class had the same type of thing, I read over 100 books. Ours was a pledge drive type thing, where people pledged a nickel or a penny or more per book you read.

Its was either The Twits or The Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, at age five.

the da vinci code was soooo awesome. i totally recommend you read it. like whoa

I read everything once I learned.

First real novel was [I]'Salems Lot [/I] by Stephen King.

Then a friend introduced me to Peter Straub ([I]Shadowland, Ghost Story, Floating Dragon, etc[/I].), which led to Pat Conroy ([I]The Lords of Discipline[/I]).

[QUOTE=vidalia]the da vinci code was soooo awesome. i totally recommend you read it. like whoa[/QUOTE]

Angles and Demons was far, far better. Personally I think that A&D kicked da Vinci Code in the balls and made it cry.

[QUOTE=vandamage]I read everything once I learned.

First real novel was [I]'Salems Lot [/I] by Stephen King.

Then a friend introduced me to Peter Straub ([I]Shadowland, Ghost Story, Floating Dragon, etc[/I].), which led to Pat Conroy ([I]The Lords of Discipline[/I]).[/QUOTE]

Have you read the Talisman? Stephen King and Peter Straub? I didn't mind it, though I have read better things.

[QUOTE=jimmer116]Have you read the Talisman? Stephen King and Peter Straub? I didn't mind it, though I have read better things.[/QUOTE]

Yes, decent story.

Straub is like the thinking man's Stephen King.

Very emotional writer. I could go on and on for days about how this guy has influenced me.

I really liked the Talisman, but then again I really like stephen king. i havent read any Straub but i plan to.