MORE READING

For the first three months we were married we lived in Jacksonville, Florida. I read many paperback books during that time, but I don’t recall a single one; they must have been of what I would call the “mental pablum” variety. But while we were in Florence, Alabama, our next stop for two months, I recall vividly what I read --- I discovered the author Ayn Rand. First, I read the 1000 + page Atlas Shrugged, and then went on to whatever else she wrote, The Fountainhead, Anthem, etc. While not entirely agreeing with her, I became very intrigued with her ideas. And she was an excellent writer --- just grabbed me from the first page.

The business of becoming enamored with one author has continued until this day. Many times I will like one book that I read and then search out either all or some of his/her other novels that were written. Here are a few writers I have explored: Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Ellery Queen, Erle Stanley Gardner (all mystery writers), Michael Crichton, John Grisham, Grace Livingston Hill, Lawanna Blackwell, (even Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer because I was interested in the Regency period and then I met the master of that genre, Jane Austen). And there are many more. I like to read series --- for a while I read the Left Behind books, but didn’t finish those, then I got involved in reading huge tomes by Diana Gabaldin about a time traveler. Those were great and I’m eagerly waiting for book number seven which she has promised to write. The other day I bought four books by Anita Shreve, three of which are all set on the New Hampshire coast in the same house.

So in essence, I like a variety of novels. What I don’t like are scary, suspense ones that make me tense and nervous. I like to read for pleasure and relaxation, often before I go to sleep, and not be stressed out by something I just read. And I like endings that are somewhat happy ever after. I will never read another Nicholas Sparks book because he seems to thrive on unhappy endings. That’s also why I prefer Shakespeare’s comedies where everyone marries as opposed to the tragedies where all the main characters die.

One could argue that reading is an addiction for me and I wouldn’t disagree with that. In fact, I’ve been known to get slightly panicky when I run out of reading material. TV just doesn’t do the same for me and never has. So the answer I have found to my compulsion is to have several unread novels or biographies on hand, so I won’t get to that stage of not having a book standing by. Then it can take me once again to the world of the unexplored.