A Bookworm's Passion

I've always been a bookworm and I was outed at a very early age when I was caught reading (or trying to anyway) the newspaper.  Back then, I read anything, anywhere or anytime.  Cereal boxes, road signs, the newspaper; didn't matter really.  Always reading and if I couldn't read the word, I was asking my parents what a specific word was.

For the most part, they indulged this habit, as they should since it's their fault I'm this way.  Trust me people, genetics don't lie.  There were times, however, threats of corporal punishment were issued when I was caught reading in bed with a flashlight when it was supposed to be lights out.

On my 8th birthday, I was introduced to my new best friend, Nancy Drew.  She introduced me to her friends, The Hardy Boys, though we never really hit it off like Nancy and I did.  I loved Nancy and hanging out with her, Bess and George always made my day better.

Almost 40 years later and I don't hang out with Nancy anymore but I will always cherish those times.  It got me to thinking about what motivates me as a bookworm when I choose the books I read.  I still love a good mystery and over the years I became a romance junkie and I devoured most historical romances.  If they featured a kilt wearing Highlander with a Scottish accent, I was sure to pounce on it.  My romance reading branched into many paranormal sub-genres like time travel, vampires, werewolves and ghosts.  One of my all time favorite time travel series was The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.  As all fans of this wonderful series have done, I have often pictured Jamie in my mind's eye and my mind hasn't let me down yet.

A kilt wearing vampire with a Scottish accent...yes, it's been done, probably overdone, but I don't care.  I can't get enough of them.  I adore chick-lit, both British and U.S.  I love cozy mysteries and the more whimsical the theme, the better.  Urban fantasy have been a favorite for a while and it turns out a lot of the books I have loved for a while fall under that category.  Thriller and suspense like James Patterson and Harlan Coben also top my list.

One genre that surprised me is the Young Adult.  I admit it.  I was a snob when it came to reading those kind of books.  I thought, quite incorrectly, that I was not going to be interested in something for the younger set.  I had even turned my nose up to Harry Potter for many years.  I have thankfully seen the light and enjoy the young adult / teen genre too.  There are many great reads and several authors I love have crossed over to this genre as well.  Just to name a few are The Chronicles Of Nick Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon or The Darkness Rising Series by Kelley Armstrong and The Princess Diaries Series by Meg Cabot.

The important thing for any serious bookworm to remember is our love of reading.  It crosses time and space and yes, even genre.  So, my fellow bookworms, the next time you find yourself in your favorite bookstore perusing the shelves and contemplating your choices, don't dismiss any or you may be missing a wonderful opportunity to find something spectacular.