I don’t know if it’s because both my parents were educators, because they read to me as a child, or because I loved (and love) hanging out at bookstores and libraries, but my first word was “book”.

I read to you everyday. Sadly, aside from children’s books and parenting reference guides, I haven’t done much leisure reading since you were born. I love reading and I miss it very much. There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. Historical fiction modern day fiction are suspense novels are my favorite.

I love how books can transport you to another place and time and introduce you to interesting characters that you don’t normally encounter in your day-to-day life. I enjoy the relaxation of reading, especially when hours have passed and I don’t even realize it because I’m so enthralled in a good book. Sitting quietly with a juicy epic is truly one of life’s greatest pleasures and brings me a lot of peace.

My Book Facts:

I am a founding member of a book club called JUGS (Just Us Girls) that my friends and I started almost seven (!) years ago and I live for our monthly meetings. Our discussions are always lively, fun and thought provoking. If it weren’t for our group, there are many books I would have missed out on.

I will never start a book without finishing it, no matter how much I may want to throw it into the fireplace (i.e. Saving Graces, a terrible JUGS selection).

I always start books in bed.

One of my very best friends is in my life today because we initially bonded over books. Thank goodness for Kay Scarpetta!

Since 1999, I have kept a list of every book I have read maintaining an average of 35books per year. My father also kept a list of the books he read and I often turn to it for recommendations.

My Top 10 favorite books (in no particular order) are:
1. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
2. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. The Pact: A Love Story by Jodi Picoult
6. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
7. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
9. Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
10. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Love her or hate her, I believe Oprah Winfrey single-handedly got our nation reading again when she established her book club in 1996. I am currently reading her latest selection, Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan and so far it’s fabulous.

Quotes I have collected about books and reading:

“To live in the world without becoming aware of the meaning of the world is like wandering about in a great library without touching the books.” – Anonymous

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” – Cicero

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. – Groucho Marx

“Each time we re-read a book we get more out of it because we put more into it. A different person is reading it, and therefore it is a different book.” – Murial Clark

“You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.” – Charles Jones

“Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you.” – Louis L’Amour

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go.” – Dr. Seuss

“Do your bit to save humanity from lapsing back into barbarity by reading all the novels you can.” – Richard Hughes

“To read a writer is for me not merely to get an idea of what he says, but to go off with him, and travel in his company.” – Andre Gide

“Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.” – P. J. O’Rourke

My personal favorite:

“With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?” – Oscar Wilde

Ah, so many books, so little time!

The best is yet to be…one page at a time.

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