Writers, if you are not a lover of books, you need to have your heads examined.  Seriously, you cannot, CANNOT be a good writer if you do not read!  I have always loved books.  As an only child, I grew up reading – making fictional friends to take the place of siblings.  The first books I clearly remember reading were Richard Scarry’s picture books.  Then it was Ramona Quimby and her big sister Beezus!  Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, Little Women….

I was a book nerd in high school, too.  When other kids goofed off in free periods, I’d go bother the librarian.  My high school librarian Mrs. Long, was a big, intimidating lady, but damn, she had great taste in books!  She introduced me to The Hobbitt and my favorite book of all times:  Dune, by Frank Herbert.  This is the book that I’d want with me if I were marooned on a desert island.  (Desert?  Get it?)

But honestly, there are so many close seconds…  I’ve read the complete Sherlock Holmes collection and not just because of the TV series, either.  (Although, I could listen to Benedict Cumberbatch reading the phone book.  That voice…)  Other favorites include: Robinson Crusoe, The Count of Monte Cristo, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.  More contemporary favorites are Tom Clancy’s: The Hunt For Red October, John Grisham’s:  A Time To Kill, Khaled Hosseini’s:  The Kite Runner and Sara Gruen’s:  Water For Elephants.

Anthony Trollope asked, “What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book and a cup of coffee?”  I couldn’t agree more!  Perhaps I would add to that: a rainy or snowy day and a cozy blanket to wrap around your shoulders.  To be forced by the weather to stay inside and curl up with a book?  Heaven!  And to have one with some heft, too, be it paper or electrons!  As far as I’m concerned, a good story can go on forever!  Lord of the Rings?  Bring it on!  Red Mars?  Yes!  I already gushed about Dune, right?  Yeah well, there’s a trilogy!

Do you like spoilers?  Can you stand waiting till the end to find out if “our hero” makes it?  I have to be honest, before the advent of e-readers, I was unable to resist checking the last page of the book just to see if everyone gets out alive!  It’s not like it’s impossible to check in an e-book… But I just don’t do it!  Weird.

Anyway, I read many different genres and enjoy them all:  mystery, thriller, romance, science fiction, espionage, historical fiction, biography…  It’s been said that you can know a person by the type of books he (or she) reads.  What does that say about me?  Am I unknowable?!?  Hmm.  Perhaps just multi-faceted.  Oooh yes, that sounds deep and sophisticated!  *Snort*

Lately, I’ve been reading more historical fiction than anything else.  I recently read Vikingr by my friend, JS Malpas and have been swept away by the moving story of a blind girl and a young German soldier in All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.  So what are you currently reading?  Tell me what books you love!  And what’s on your to-read list?  If you like, join me on Goodreads!  Winter is coming, let’s all curl up with a good book!

(Header image courtesy of cardinalnewmansociety.org)