Why
Until I was 11 years old, the television in our home was kept in the closet. Literally. On rare occasions, we would take a special trip to the video section of the grocery store. My brothers and I would argue over which movie we wanted while my father made the selection without much regard for our opinion. As adults, our individual "Top 10" movie lists remain a mix of "stuff we watched with Dad" (Tombstone, Tron) and "stuff we watched with Grandpa" (Hatari, The Quiet Man).
We loved everything Dad selected, unless it was remotely scary. Brother 1 (who is two minutes older than his identical twin, Brother 2) hid behind the couch for most of the time we spent watching Arachnophobia, and I was sent to hide in my room during Alligator. My memories of family movie night are fond, but few.
Most of the time (while the television slept, quietly, out of sight) we read. Worn-out blue bindings of The Hardy Boys were constantly being collected from garage sales for my brothers. Boxes and boxes of The Babysitters Club (there were approximately ten bazillion titles) were given to me by friends of the family after their daughters had finished with them.
After the Scholastic Book Fair at school each year (which was the most exciting thing to ever happen in my entire universe ever), I felt like the richest girl in the world with the inevitable, unmanageably high stack of paperbacks in my arms. The smell of freshly printed ink and the art of bending open a paperback without creasing the cover or spine still fill me with childish glee.
When I was sick, my mother would read Black Beauty aloud while I fell asleep. I imagine she tired of reading the same book over and over, but it was the only thing I wanted to hear. To this day, when I am sick I "watch" the 1994 Black Beauty movie with my eyes closed (and fall a little more in love with Allan Cumming's voice each time).
When we were young teenagers, my father read The Hobbit to my brothers and me. His passion for storytelling came through in each carefully-rehearsed word. He acted the part of every character as if putting on a play. Through his bedroom door, we could hear him practicing the voice of Smaug long before we reached that section of the book. Years later, when The Fellowship of the Ring was released, I nearly jumped out of my seat when the voice of Gollum played on screen exactly as my father had voiced it in our living room.
The other day it dawned on my that I can't remember the last time I chose to read instead of watch television. I've drifted so far from the voracious consumer of the written word I was as child, and a desperately wish to embody her spirit once again.
What
I need your help!
I now avoid paper materials wherever possible, so your digital recommendations in the following areas of interested would be greatly appreciated:
World News
- Particularly sources that present multiple, opposing views of the same topics.
Science & Technology
- Particularly sources that focus on the environment, alternative energy, and "green" technology.
Social Progress
- Humanity, and learning to embrace it in others.
Education
- Particularly sources that focus on making education accessible and worthwhile to every human, everywhere.
Health
- Particularly sources that focus on mental health and lifestyle changes as both prevention and first course of treatment for disease; also non-invasive treatment and technology
Biography
- Whether books or blogs, I am particularly interested in individuals who write from their heart. I prefer writers who focus on their own personal lessons learned, and refrain from advising readers what/how to think, feel, or believe.
Fiction
- Take me to a land far, far away. Make me forget about "real" life, especially the physical limitations of the universe as we know it. Sci-Fi and Fantasy fill my hearth with what can only be described as "mirth".
How
My Kindle Fire is my best friend, and I would like it spend more time in my hands. Are you fond of particular apps, RSS feeds, etc? Are there alternatives for iOS that you adore? Tell me tell me tell me!