{"id":2182,"date":"2026-03-16T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/?p=2182"},"modified":"2026-04-09T13:11:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:11:04","slug":"reading-journey-sarah-m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/2026\/03\/16\/reading-journey-sarah-m\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading Journey: Then & Now – Sarah M."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I remember the first book I ever read. It was called Spooky Sounds<\/em> by Noodles. The moment that the words began to take form, and I could read them, it was off to the races! I always loved reading. I was that kid that relished silent reading time in class, that read at the dinner table, that had a little notebook full of quotes from my favorite titles. Being a product of the 90\u2019s I loved Sideways Stories from Wayside School<\/em>, Hatchet, <\/em>and of course the Harry Potter<\/em> series. I read The Goblet of Fire<\/em> in one day.  <\/em>I was also a big fan of folklore, myths, fables, and fairy tales. The Thief of Always<\/em> and The Stinky Cheese Man <\/em>were often in my rotation. But (and this shouldn\u2019t surprise anyone who knows me) my favorite reading material was the spooky stuff. Goosebumps<\/em>? Couldn\u2019t get enough. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark<\/em>? Was there anything better?! I liked being scared and afraid to turn the page. I suffered from night terrors as a child and these scary books somehow seemed to cure me. They quelled my subconscious fears at night. I grabbed up any title I could that promised that a cold chill would run up and down my spine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And you know what they say, once you get a taste of blood you won\u2019t stop until you\u2019ve read every Stephen King book ever written. They don\u2019t actually say that – but that\u2019s how it went for me. During my middle and high school years I read a LOT of Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut, and many tomes from the \u201cBeat Generation\u201d writers. To this day I will read anything strange, unusual, bizarre and thought provoking that comes my way. I gravitate towards horror, a good page-turning thriller, graphic novels, some gritty expos\u00e9 nonfiction, and classical titles. I consider a book to be great if it can make me laugh and cry (bonus if it\u2019s at the same time!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Thief of Always<\/em> by Clive Barker<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Goosebumps<\/em> by R.L. Stine<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sideways Stories from Wayside School<\/em> by Louis Sachar<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Naked Bear: Folktales of the Iroquois<\/em> edited by John Bierhorst<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix<\/em> by J.K. Rowling<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark<\/em> by Alvin Schwartz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler<\/em> by E.L. Konigsburg<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland<\/em> by Lewis Carroll<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hatchet <\/em>by Gary Paulson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales<\/em> by Jon Scieszka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Shining<\/em> by Stephen King<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One Flew Over the Cuckoo\u2019s Nest<\/em> by Ken Kesey<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My Best Friend\u2019s Exorcism<\/em> by Grady Hendrix<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Watchmen<\/em> by Alan Moore<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness <\/em>by Kristen Radtke<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

White Magic<\/em> by Elissa Washuta<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

War of the Worlds<\/em> by H.G. Wells<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief<\/em> by Lawrence Wright<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beowulf<\/em> by Gareth Hinds<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Haunting of Hill House<\/em> by Shirley Jackson<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I remember the first book I ever read. It was called Spooky Sounds by Noodles. The moment that the words began to take form, and I could read them, it was off to the races! I always loved reading. I was that kid that relished silent reading time in class, that read at the dinner table, that had a little notebook full of quotes from my favorite titles. Being a product of the 90\u2019s I loved Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Hatchet, and of course the Harry Potter series. I read The Goblet of Fire in one day.  I was also a big fan of folklore, myths, fables, and fairy tales. The Thief of Always and The Stinky Cheese Man were often in my rotation. But (and this shouldn\u2019t surprise anyone who knows me) my favorite reading material was the spooky stuff. Goosebumps? Couldn\u2019t get enough. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark? Was there anything better?! I liked being scared and afraid to turn the page. I suffered from night terrors as a child and these scary books somehow seemed to cure me. They quelled my subconscious fears at night. I grabbed up any title I could that promised that a cold chill would run up and down my spine. And you know what they say, once you get a taste of blood you won\u2019t stop until you\u2019ve read every Stephen King book ever written. They don\u2019t actually say that – but that\u2019s how it went for me. During my middle and high school years I read a LOT of Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut, and many tomes from the \u201cBeat Generation\u201d writers. To this day I will read anything strange, unusual, bizarre and thought provoking that comes my way. I gravitate towards horror, a good page-turning thriller, graphic novels, some gritty expos\u00e9 nonfiction, and classical titles. I consider a book to be great if it can make me laugh and cry (bonus if it\u2019s at the same time!). Then: The Thief of Always by Clive Barker Goosebumps by R.L. Stine Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar The Naked Bear: Folktales of the Iroquois edited by John Bierhorst Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark by Alvin Schwartz From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg Alice\u2019s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Hatchet by Gary Paulson Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka Now: The Shining by Stephen King One Flew Over the Cuckoo\u2019s Nest by Ken Kesey My Best Friend\u2019s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix Watchmen by Alan Moore Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke White Magic by Elissa Washuta War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright Beowulf by Gareth Hinds Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,24,64,1006,25,410],"tags":[1030,1020,1039,1041,55,414,295,1019,1034,40,1018,1023,1037,982,222,1015,1022,1043,859,1013,1025,1007,1027,1032,1040,460,1028,401,1026,1017,1031,1044,50,1014,224,1024,1036,1029,1033],"class_list":["post-2182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-childrens","category-fiction","category-horror","category-juniors","category-nonfiction","category-staff-picks","tag-alan-moore","tag-alive-adventures-in-wonderland","tag-and-the-prison-of-belief","tag-beowulf","tag-campbell-county-public-library","tag-ccpl","tag-ccpls","tag-e-l-konigsburg","tag-elissa-washuta","tag-fiction","tag-from-the-mixed-up-files-of-mrs-basil-e-franweiler","tag-gary-paulsen","tag-going-clear-scientology","tag-goosebumps","tag-grady-hendrix","tag-harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-pheonix","tag-hatchet","tag-haunting-of-hill-house","tag-j-k-rowling","tag-john-bierhorst","tag-jon-scieszka","tag-junior-books","tag-ken-kesey","tag-kristen-radtke","tag-lawrence-wright","tag-louis-sachar","tag-my-best-friends-exorcism","tag-nonfiction","tag-one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest","tag-scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark","tag-seek-you-a-journey-through-american-loneliness","tag-shirley-jackson","tag-stephen-king","tag-the-naked-bear-folktales-of-the-iroquois-i","tag-the-shining","tag-the-stinky-cheese-man-and-other-fairly-stupid-tales","tag-the-war-of-the-worlds","tag-watchmen","tag-white-magic"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2182"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2225,"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2182\/revisions\/2225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccpls.info\/true\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}