From Mary Olson, BWB’s Outlet Store Manager –
“I recently read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (the beginning of the Thursday Next series, which I highly recommend!). Thursday Next, the heroine of the story, is a character in the ‘real’ world who gets to cross over into the fictional world. During the course of the story she interacts within the classic, Jane Eyre, and the reader gets to see parts of the classic play out from Thursday’s perspective within the fictional world.
As I was reading, the story brought back memories of scenes from Jane Eyre, the movie, that I had watched with my mother when I was a little kid. There was so much I didn’t understand about the story, and I remember asking my mom to explain so many things. I was too young to read the book then, but after reading The Eyre Affair, I picked up Jane Eyre for the first time and absolutely loved it. Reading has always been important to my mom, an English professor; and that’s a priority she has passed on to me since childhood. Now we get to share books and recommend titles to each other and dialog and argue about different characters, plot lines, and deeper meanings; our intellectual interaction is a part of our ongoing relationship we both sincerely enjoy.
Reading through Jane Eyre, a story with such a strong and independent woman, reminded me of all of the mothers in my family: my Great Grandma Bradley (who lived to be just over 100!), my Grandma Mayes, my Grandma Olson, and my mother. I am blessed to have had so many remarkable women in my life, and I am proud of the heritage I have in my family because of them.”
“Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. My Grandmother (who was my version of day care) had a copy with silhouetted elephant getting its trunk on the front. She a tendency of taking me with her when she went on errands. She always told me to bring a book with me in case we had to wait somewhere and I would drag the old book everywhere and would read it. It was perfect! To this day I still have a book of short stories in my bag.”
From Janet Stephens, BWB Quality Assurance Specialist
“When my daughter was little we had this special saying that we did and still do with each other. It is sweet and sappy all at the same time… it kinda went like this… (Mom) ‘Ashley’, (daughter) ‘yes mommy’ (Mom) ‘I love you more.’ She would respond, ‘NO!, I love you more!”’… and this would go back and forth for a few moments.
Years later I came to work for Better World Books and during a condition check I came across a kids book by Laura Duksta called I Love You More… hence I bought it and turned it into a scrap book and gave it to my daughter for her birthday.”
From Facebook friend Ryann F. –
“My mother gave me The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch when I was six years old and it changed me profoundly. It was the first princess story I read where the girl was more than a damsel in distress, she was the hero, and she didn’t need to marry a prince to be happy. It made me feel empowered, that I could do anything a boy could do, and I didn’t need to wait in a castle to be rescued. That book, along with my parents’wonderful upbringing, made me an independent, adventurous and feisty woman. I plan on reading it to my own daughter one day.”
From Allie Jones, BWB Customer Care Ambassador
“My mother used to read library book after library book to me and my sister. She also used to record herself reading the books to us on tape and since my sister and I shared a room we would fall asleep listening to the books on tape. Now my sister is a mother and she is planning on reading books to her daughter and recording them on CD for her to fall asleep to. This is something I will never forget.”
“I hated reading before my mom actually gave me my first Little House book, then I was hooked on reading! Now I am a children’s librarian!”
Want your own Mother’s Day book story? Check out our Great Reads suggestions for last minute gifts!
Make your mom’s Mother’s Day! Share how a book your mom gave you changed your life for the better…
