I grew up in a library. Mom worked at our small town library in the '60s and '70s. I volunteered in the middle school and high school libraries. One of my college workstudy jobs was at the library. I was a retail bookstore manager for almost ten years. I had a temp job at a medical library. On vacations, my husband and I usually scour the local bookstores. You get the picture.
So, when I started writing again, I wanted to get back into the swing of things. I was on the road for work and spent a lot of time reading, which I considered research. I got back into my Regency romance obsession when I found Stephanie Laurens' Cynster series, the first two in one volume, on a bargain book table. Since 2007, I've kept a list of books read and in 2008, I read well over a hundred titles.
When I signed onto Facebook, Blogger and Goodreads last year, I discovered whole new worlds of authors and reading communities in which to wallow. While it's been very enjoyable, it's significantly cut into my reading time. Plus the fact, I've been writing my own stuff. I've skimmed through parts of dozens of books, but only read enough of maybe two to consider I've "finished" them.
That hasn't stopped me from buying books, though. Whether it's checking out what they've got for $3 at Big Lots, spending a hour skimming the huge wall o' books at The Mission Store or pointing and clicking on-line at Better World Books http://www.betterworldbooks.com/ I check my printed out list (not that I've EVER bought duplicates grumblegrumble) and give an inner squeal when I find things I don't have. I've been checking the book giveaways on various blogs and on Goodreads periodically http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway and it's a real thrill when I get a package in the mail with a "freebie." Another obsession is autographed books and if I see a posting by an author I follow that they're doing an autographing somewhere, I have a credit card and I know how to use it, unfortunately. Other new and used bookstores, Walmart and last month's Evansville Vanderburgh County Public Library sale add to the growing piles of books in the dining room. Let us not forget the closing of our local Borders, where my husband and I purchased our birthday and Christmas presents for ourselves at 40-70% off.
So, here's a PARTIAL list of what I've acquired this past three months, new, used and freebie. Imagine if I started reviewing stuff--no, therein lies madness.
Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens
Geek Wisdom edited by Stephen Segal
No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper
Lord Langley Is Back in Town by Elizabeth Boyle
Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman
Caught by Harlan Coban
Then There Were Three Harlequin Super Romance by Jeanie London
Chains of Ice by Christina Dodd (autographed)
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (autographed)
His Country Cinderella by Karen Rose Smith (Special Edition autographed)
My Favorite Countess by Vanessa Kelly (autographed)
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries
Nowhere Near Respectable by Mary Jo Putney
A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
Kristan Higgins books
Too Good to Be True
The Next Best Thing
Just One of the Guys
Fools Rush In
A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander
Jane Austen Real and Imagined Worlds by Oliver MacDonagh
On This Day in History by Leonard and Thelma Spinrad
Which ones would you want to read?
