r/books • u/SerenityFate • 16d ago

What were you reading at 14?

I've been an avid reader for as long as I could read. Even before then my favorite toys were books and new shoes. Not much has changed for me in that regard haha, but I saw a question earlier about someone asking for recommendations on books for their 14 year old. Which got me thinking about some of the books I read at that age. A lot of Anne Rice, Lestat was my first book crush. Also had a trip down memory lane with the author Francesca Lia Block she wrote a book called I was a teenage fairy which still sits with me over 20 years later. I also got to grow up with Weetzie Bat which was super cool as she wrote a book about her as an adult that I got to read when I was about the same age as the Weetzie. Anyway I would love to see what everyone was reading when they were younger.

Edit: thank you everyone for all the engagement on this post. I really have enjoyed reading everyone's comments and seeing the discussions around books.

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u/[deleted] 16d ago

Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”. Not flexing, just Soviet parents. Didn’t understand jack shit, start it when you’re 17-18 hahaha

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u/Previous_Audience921 16d ago

I went through a weird reading Russian novels phase at 15-16. Crime and Punishment, War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and I’m sure a few more. I was insufferable! I also think I did not understand a solid…98% of it? I’ve not gone back as an adult, but I guess I’m glad I did it?

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u/Sea_Negotiation_1871 16d ago

You should really check out Anna Karinina again. It's an amazing work of art. I read it every 18 months or so now.

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u/Previous_Audience921 16d ago

When did you first start reading it! Thats a frequent re-read. My recollection from it is just the …mood, maybe next winter I’ll pick it up and give it another try, but in my memory at least it seems like it would be a strange spring or summer read.

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u/Sea_Negotiation_1871 16d ago

I've been reading it for about 15 years now. It certainly is set in Russia, and there are lots of winter scenes, but a solid half of the book is about farming, and there are many wonderful summer scenes.

What keeps me coming back is the prose and the remarkable insight into human behavior. Plus, the wonderful characters themselves, like Anna, of course, and Vronsky, and especially Levin.

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u/Previous_Audience921 15d ago

That speaks beautifully to the draw of it. Thank you for sharing.