Once upon a time I learned to read Who’s Afraid of the Dark by Crosby Bonsall and I was off!! A whole new world opened up. I read everything I could get my hands on, from my mother’s Good Housekeeping magazines to Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume. Talk about a new world! It was 1982, and I was the oldest. (Periods= scary!!)
From early on I had a preference for mysteries, ghost stories and books about pioneer girls. I remained a voracious reader throughout my adolescence and eventually fulfilled my destiny of getting a BA in English and my very own MLS. I’ve been a children’s librarian for almost 10 years, trying to help kids find that book that will start their own reading obsession.
But a funny thing happened along the way. With all the reading I was doing for school, being intimately involved with books during my workday and (let’s be honest) all the partying, I found myself reading for pleasure only very rarely. Then came kids. Exhausted and desperately in need of an outlet, I checked my first Sherrilyn Kenyon out of the library. Vampires! Humor! Action! True Love! Hot Sex! Oh, the rapture! Once again, I was off and running.
I will read almost anything if it strikes me and the mood is right. I have a definite preference for paranormals (especially vampires). I enjoy historicals as well, and lately I find myself reading more and more contemporaries (particularly of the Harlequin variety). I like ’em hot, but sometimes I long for a sweet romance with the focus on relationship development. I enjoy humor and wit as much as tortured angst. Yeah, I’ll try anything once, as long as it can hold my attention and sweep me away from the everyday. If I wanted reality, I’d read a newspaper every once in awhile.
What interests me most is figuring out what makes a book work. That mix of compelling characters, internal/external tension, plot and romance conventions that can completely sweep me away. How can a book make me suspend all disbelief? How can a book make me overcome all my feminist objections and make me root for these people?
In my reviews I hope to express what made a book work for me. Hopefully, I can find other readers find some new and different “happily ever afters” that will work for them.
