I can remember wanting to read at an early age. I'm pretty sure the first thing I tried to read was the Sunday funnies in the local paper. Although that bade ill for my intellectual capacity, it was an effort. I might have been three years old. I remember being able to recognize the word "and" and "to" and being amazed that they showed up so often, even in comics. I remember a bunch of different people reading to me and I am forever in their debt. I can remember Mom, Dad, Grandpa Leon, Grandma Alice, Aunt Carol, Aunt Martha, Aunt Sandi and many others reading to me at one time or another.
I was able to read before I went to school, but that didn't help me much. I wanted to read what I wanted to read. Most of the stuff I was told to read in those early school years was incredibly boring. I remember raising the School Librarian's eyebrow (she had only one) as I looked through the war books in the "older kid" section. True, I was mostly looking at the pictures of battleships and whatnot, but I remember grabbing a book called "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," by Ted W. Lawson and I read it cover to cover. I think I was in 1st grade.
I've always liked war books, but I've also read a lot of Stephen King, Robert Heinlein and Harlan Ellison. I've read classic Russian novels, Michener tomes, and gobs of non-fiction. At this point in time, I can't remember what the last fiction book I read was. I guess I'm presently reading to acquire knowledge. If I want to escape, I'll ride my motorcycle.
With that, I'll now put up a list of books I've found particularly entertaining, useful, or essential to me.