When you read a book, do you skim or study? Bury yourself into the story or scratch the surface just to get to the meat of the story to say you’ve read the book?

Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind ~ James Russell Lowell

When I read a book, I enjoy the written word and take my time. If an author has worked so hard to plot, scheme and polish an idea, they deserve to have their creative endeavor savored.

I love a good mystery that makes me want to guess “who done it.” I don’t read the end first, rather, I look for clues and eliminate suspects. My stories have a little bit of suspense in them, so I understand the challenge of weaving information in a way that keeps the interest and hopefully surprises everyone in the end.

My books are friends that never fail me ~ Thomas Carlyle

Back in my librarian days, I remember talking to kids about how books could be our best friends. They educate us, entertain us, even record our private thoughts. “If you have a book in your life, you’re never alone,” I’d say.

My father always turned to books or magazines to teach him whatever he needed to know, whether it was to build a house, run a business or just figure what made something work.

The first time I read an excellent book, it is to me just as if I had gained a new friend. When I read over a book I have perused before, it resembles the meeting with an old one ~ Oliver Goldsmith

I have a couple authors that I anxiously await their new releases. Their plots are tight, dialog is natural, and the read is an unforgettable escape. Now that I’m retired, I find myself rereading one author’s works and it just makes me appreciate her even more. Revisiting her stories, especially her series, is like going to a family reunion.  

Here is a picture of one of my many bookcases. The first person to comment with the name of my favorite author will receive one of my eBooks for free.

Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind ~ Joseph Addison

Do you have a favorite author? I’d love to compare notes!