Life and Books

Sometimes, the fun of reading comes from matching the right book to the right location. It's difficult to sit at the beach and read Dostoyevsky, while a small bench in the corner of a garden practically demands Jane Austen. A calm, soothing story is a must for standing in line at the DMV, while something more meaty can be consumed while sipping your latte at the coffee house.

Certain books also lend themselves to certain times in life. As a child, my favorite author was James Howe and I loved his Bunnicula series. Junior high involved Sweet Valley High and anything by V.C. Andrews, mostly during summer camp. Jean M. Auel and romance novels were popular in high school, mostly for the racy content. Strangely enough, my love affair with historical non-fiction also began in high school. 

College was a mix of classics, poetry and more romance novels. After college, I found Jane Austen and became hooked. I also enjoyed biographies and historical novels. Although Sweet Valley High and V.C. Andrews went the way of the big 1980s hair, many of my other reading tastes have remained. Like the music of the 1990s, I'm still hooked on historical fiction and non-fiction, classics, biographies and romance. At least my reading habits, unlike flannel and grunge, won't go out of style.