I love reading mysteries

My reply: I've had people at church comment on my knowledge of various subjects and told them about my childhood. While I have no memory of my parents reading to me, other family members certainly did. As a child, we didn't have internet or google. We had a public library, though, and I thought it was awesome. Then one fine day I discovered the Government Printing Office, where you could send in your request and be bombarded later with all kinds of related info on whatever subject you wanted to know about. Ever buy a home canner or canning jars from any store and notice the instructions that came with them? Those originally were published by our own government back when it was more concerned about appearing benevolent rather than controlling and oppressive. Want to know about biological warfare or how to build things that today would get you arrested? They'd send you large envelopes about it. Want to build your very own satellite tv station? BAM!! You get pics, drawings, schematics, even pictures of the individual parts needed and how to identify them, as in: "This is a piece of wire, 20ga" or "This is a resistor. Notice the color bands? Here's how you read them"....etc...

I loved these places. And how, you ask, did I learn of all this? Why, I (being terribly naive) asked mommy to explain the facts of life to me! My teenage brother and his friends found this hilarious. Mom was mortified and three shades of red. She told me to go to the library and get a book. I studied everything, including somebody's university-grade psychology book (I was in elementary school) which the librarian tried vainly to get away from me. Psychology, physics, electronics and chemistry (there's a pair!) all brought to my innocent fingertips, as well as other stuff I won't mention, and much of which are now hard to find even at flea markets and gun shows. It was amazing.

And then there was fiction in all it's varied forms. These guys had fertile imaginations! Many of them still do. I've long gotten rid of my extensive library on many subjects, having no place for them anymore, nor do I read as much as I once did. I've found that my dad seems to equate reading with "needs something to keep him busy" and won't stop interrupting/interfering with my quiet time. I'm gonna' have to go mobile soon for my sanity's sake.

 

This may be a stupid question but have you read some of the mystery writers from the 1920's to 70's? People like Dorothy Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey books) or P.D. James or Dick Francis (related to horse racing themes).

 

Not a stupid question.. I like P D. James on that list of yours. .