Under the Covers Classics

There are times when I jump into reading in order to find an interesting new story with characters that are unique and transport me to a place that I have never been. 

And then there are the times with I look to my reading as a point of comfort.  It is at those times that I will seek out the books of my childhood (or at least previous years) in an attempt, occasionally, to bring back those feelings of excitement at finding a new book, author or series.  Of nights spend pretending to be asleep while actually hiding under the covers, reading by flashlight.  Of weekdays spent hiding books in my desk in Math class and weekends spent reading for hours on end, with no responsibilities to tear me away from my fictional worlds. 

I miss those days a lot while I am running around after a child (and a husband) and trying to manage the ever growing pile of demands at work.  And I hope that I will be able to remember those days when my children are hiding beneath the blankets and that I will refrain from yelling at them to "Just Go To SLEEP!"

In my attempt to regain those days this past month I started a re-read of the Circle of Three series.  For anyone who is unfamiliar, it is a series that chronicles three teenage girls as they discover the world of witchcraft and begin a year and a day of study.  When I first read the series, I devoured them one after the other.  Now, I could barely get through the first three.  Perhaps, my tastes have become much more demanding as I have gotten older and started reading more prolifically, but the stories just didn't hold up the way they used to and the characters didn't seem as interesting this time around.  Part of me wishes that I could go back, and experience the "first time" all over again.  And it got me thinking about all the other books/series that I wish I could re-experience for the first time:

Harry Potter:  I imagine this would be on a lot of people's lists.  The excitement of readers was palpable once word of this series began to spread.  I loved working at Chapters while the series was still being released because so many people were excited and it made reading something that we could talk about again.  Suddenly, it was ok to dress up and stand in line for hours at a book release and when the movies were announced it added an extra sense of mayhem. 

The Witches:  I loved this book as a kid.  I must have read it at least 30 times as well as watching the movie (if you have never seen it, you must - Angelica Houston is a goddess).  My school library was pretty damn limited, and the nearest bookstore was a 4 hour drive so Roald Dahl became my go-to when the constraints of small town living had me feeling more than a little lonely. 

The Chronicles of Narnia:  I loved this series so much that the hardcover box set was the last thing I bought with my employee discount before my time at Chapters ended.  I just couldn't leave without knowing that I had my own copy of this series if I ever needed walk through the wardrobe once more.  Again, this was in my itty bitty school library and I must have filled an entire card with the number of times that I checked it out.