v.c andrews

I love to read. Books were always very important in my family. My Mom instilled this in us and I can see that that is because her mother was the same. In fact, when thinking about my Mom's side of the family, we're all book readers. We all seem to love talking and writing too, hmmm. :)

As a young girl I always had a book nearby. We had tons of used books in our home, passed down from relatives, like Nancy Drew, The Box Car Children, Ramona and Beatrice (the original), and many more. I read most of them. As I neared my teens, The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High ranked high on my list, as well as random stories with mystery and/or horror (I know, weird mix, right?).

And as I became an adult, my reading list opened up to almost anything. I believe that reading is knowledge. I love this line from Dr. Suess's book I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Is that not the truth? I'm so happy that little guy shares my interest in books. The family tradition lives on...:)

One of my favorite authors was and still is V.C. Andrews. When I was little, the movie Flowers in the Attic came out. We rented it several times and for some reason I just loved it. If you never saw the movie it's about a recently widowed mother of four who has no money and no place to go except her very wealthy parents' mansion. Her father is dying and in order to be accepted back into the family and inherit the family wealth she must keep her children a secret (She had fallen in love with and married her half-uncle, who fathered her children). She convinces the children that they should stay hidden in the attic until her father passes away and then they can have the life of their dreams. Only the dying grandfather keeps living and time grows longer and longer. The story is about the children's survival in the attic of the family's grand mansion, as well as their stern and unloving grandmother's treatment towards them.

The book is so much better than the movie. But I always enjoy seeing characters of a book being brought to life on screen. I think a remake is in order however. Anyway, V.C. Andrews continued the story with a whole series of books including a prequel which explains many events before Flowers in the Attic.

Today, as I was searching for pictures, I came across a fan website for V.C. Andrews and found her pitch letter for this novel. This site also claims that a relative of the author confirmed that this story was somewhat based on a true story. Click here to see.

I have this whole series, among other V.C. Andrews novels, in my Mom's attic in the U.S. (how ironic, uh? lol). Every summer I say I will bring them back to Saudi with me, and every summer I buy too many things and can't seem to find space. I'm hoping to try again this summer. But until then I've been enjoying the fact that a well-known bookstore here in Saudi sells V.C. Andrews novels. The selection is limited, but I pick up one every now and then. Here's the one I'm currently reading...

It's a good one. I can tell because I'm 3/4 finished and I just bought it a few days ago. With working and all the things I've been busy with at home, I'm still managing time to read this book. I'm hoping to continue. Reading is good for the mind and the soul. It's a relaxing vacation from the world of technology. :)

second image via barnes and nobles