For me it started with the Hardy Boys series. By the time I had outgrown them I owned the first 40 or so, and had read each one at least twice. Of course, they've long since passed out of my possession. I remember stepping into the kids section at B&N years back (when that was Brianne's only option) and seeing all those blue, uniform, numbered volumes lined up. What a nostalgia rush! I had to exercise immense self-control to avoid scooping up every last one.
Then at about 12 I read Verne's Mysterious Island, and it was off to the races. The Lord of the Rings followed not long after, then I discovered Asimov and went into overdrive. Heinlein and Clarke became icons for me too. Somehow during a move many years ago I lost an entire book box full of vintage Clarke and Asimov. I was so pissed at the movers, but you better believe I replaced them PDQ.
No matter how hard or busy a day I may have, it never ends without me cracking a book to at least fall asleep. I've gone to bed many times planning to read a page or two and looked at the clock a few minutes later and 4 hours have gone by. I stayed up all night reading Stephen King's It. Even on an overnight BP there are always extra headlamp batteries for the express purpose of reading in the tent. I'll spend as much time deciding on which book to take on a trip as I will on some of the gear choices (for DV next week it's a toss-up between Philip Dick and Kurt Vonnegut - something disjointed and eerie to go with the DV landscape. I chose the tent, pad and bag in much less time).
I've found, though, that the mountaineering community is significantly more literate than the population at large. I don't think that's a statistical hiccup.
And wagga, Kon-Tiki was a favorite of mine when I was young as well!
