Books - part 1

BOOKS!

I love books!  For me books are like breathing, sleeping and eating...its a necessary part of every day. Going back as far as I can remember, I can't recall a time when I didn't love reading and could be pretty much be counted on to have a book in my hand or nearby.  The first book I can remember reading because I 'wanted' to...not because I 'had' to was Black Beauty.  Imagine at the age of 7 or so reading a book told by a horse!

I've read thousands of books in the ensuing 50+ years since that first heady experience. Some great, some good, some okay, others well not so much.  Fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies, tell-all books, mystery, romance, paranormal, sci-fi and combinations of those and many more. My 'go-to' genre is romance. Sometimes with a little mystery thrown-in; most recently with paranormal tendencies.

Since I got my first Kindle device about 3 years ago I've discovered some truly amazing authors, have read really great books and unfortunately a whole lot of not so great ones.  But isn't that what reading a book is all about?  The adventure of finding out where the story might take you; will you fall in love with the way this author writes, the characters, the story; or will you shake your head and wonder how this ever got published?

I just turned around and looked at all the books lining the shelves of the 3 bookcases that are in my office...I probably own close to 300 books and that doesn't include the close to 100 I've got on my Kindle.  Yes, its an obsession; just as my love of chocolate and sweet tea are.  Some of the most enjoyable hours I spend are curled up in the recliner, with a book, some chocolate and a glass of sweet tea nearby.

So, what authors are on my shelves?  Stephanie Meyer, Kerrelyn Sparks, Sue Grafton, Nora Roberts, Lillian Jackson Bruan, James Patterson, Fern Michaels, Jenkins & LaHaye, Dee Henderson, Debbie Macomber...and those are just the ones I can see from where I'm sitting.  On my Kindle I have Victoria Danann, Tiffinie Helmer, CJ Baty, Violet Duke and a handful of others.

So, my question this week for you is this:  Who are your favorite authors and what are you currently reading?

I just finished The Haunted Heart-Winter by Josh Lanyon and am getting ready to start an advanced readers copy (ARC) of an anthology that I received (more on that coming in a couple of weeks).

I'm off to grab a fresh glass of sweet tea, some chocolate and settle in for a night of reading.
Thanks for stopping by and be sure to leave a comment!

We'll visit again soon ~ Robyn

About me.....

It occurred to me yesterday while I was doing my domestic chores and thinking about what I should write about next that maybe people would want to know more about me so that they would be comfortable following the blog and commenting on posts.  So.....

I grew up in a small town in southwest Ohio and am the oldest of 3.  My sister is the poster child for the definition of 'middle child' and then there's my brother the youngest-the only boy in the family and yes kinda spoiled.  Its true growing up we didn't have/get everything we wanted but my parents made sure we had everything we needed.  Especially their love and support of our dreams and goals.

Growing up in a small town was pretty great actually.  You could ride your bike 'uptown' to meet friends at Jerry's Restaurant or the Tastee Freeze for ice cream or over to the Lions Club park for a game of tennis (which I was horrible at) or a picnic.  I was thinking earlier of all the years we decorated our bikes and got to be in the annual Fourth of July parade...I wonder if on the 4th there was a brigade of kiddos on their red, white and blue decorated bikes peddling through the streets of my hometown.

I was the first in our family to go to college and I remember coming home for visits and going into some of the local stores and having managers/staff tell me how proud my Dad was and bragged about his 'baby girl' off to college in the big city.  He was a local delivery driver for a beer distributor and it seemed like everyone knew me as "Charlie's girl".  Gosh, that seems like a lifetime ago now.

Lots of things happened in my early adult years and looking back I can see what I learned from all the experiences-good and bad-and how they shaped my life and the person I've become.

I was blessed to have the privilege of having my Mama live with me (or I lived with her if you looked at it from her point of view) and was able to take care of her during her illness.  She's been gone fifteen and a half years now and sometimes it still seems like yesterday.

I've lived in Central Iowa for 15 years now.  Moving here to be closer to my brother and his family after Mama passed.  I've been fortunate to work at 2 great companies, made some awesome friends; been very active in the church I attend and am a founding member of a project to establish a Compassionate Ministry Center in the metro area (more about that another day).

And that pretty much covers it.

So did you grow up in a small town or the city?  And do you now live in a small town or the city and which do you prefer?  Join the conversation and leave a comment below!

Me?  Well I've lived in both and while the benefits of living in 'the big city' are vast and many; at the core I'm really still just a small town girl.  So I've compromised a little...I live in a suburb of Des Moines that still has that small town vibe and get all the advantages of living in the big city as well.

Thanks for visiting and come back soon!
Robyn