Books

I have always loved to read, I can’t even remember learning how. One of my most significant memories concerns the summer between third and fourth grade. That year I came in third place for reading the most books at the Nampa (Idaho) Public Library (where I got my first job) summer reading program. I walked to the library every day and spent hours in the stacks choosing from the Nancy Drew, Sue Barton, and Trixie Belden books. I still have the book that was my prize.

In high school my brother introduced me to C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, followed by J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit and the Lord of the Ring series. On the recommendation of my classmate Melanie, I read Watership Down by Richard Adams and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Fantasy, allegory, and epic novels were my fare for many years.

In my mid-twenties I quit reading a couple of genres. As a single woman, I decided that romance books by authors like Danielle Steele and Barbara Taylor Bradford were not good for me, they created feelings and expectations that were not emotionally healthy. The second genre was horror. I had read a few Stephen King books, and they were creepy, but okay. But then I read Pet Sematary (spoiler alert) – and evil won. That disturbed me so much that I threw the book (thank goodness it was a paperback) across the room and swore off Stephen King and the horror genre. I went back to fantasy books and also reacquainted myself with mysteries which I had always loved.

After I got married and had kids, reading for myself often took a backseat – but I never quit. As my kids got older I discovered “young adult” and I have enjoyed reading many books in that genre over the years.

Since I began working full-time, my reading tends to come in spurts. I have embraced e-book reading (digital public library – yeah!), yet still like a good paperback (I’m partial to Kristin Hannah for my beach reading). I do read some chick lit (generally the free, clean, easy ones), love mysteries (my favorite author is Anne Perry – and yes I did read her biography and find out she has been in prison for murder), and enjoy exploring the multitude of free books through Amazon (I found another favorite, L.N. Cronk that way). I have been trying to read more non-fiction. This does not come easily to me, but Emily P. Freeman is helping me get better.

While book reviews are not necessarily my “thing”, I can tell you what I’m reading and if I liked it or not. I utilize Goodreads to help me track what I read and connect with other readers. Readers unite!

Favorites:
Chronicles Of Narnia
Lord Of The Rings
The Hobbit
Watership Down
Gone With The Wind
Pet Sematery (Not!)