an inside look. . .

so test-driving a new feature on Tuesdays. . .a post about me.

not that the whole damn blog isn't about me and my life and my perceptions of me and my life. . .but this is a small glance "inside the studio" of my life for you - my loyal readers.

today's inside look :  my love affair with books

if you have ever been to my house, you know that one whole wall in my dining room is a hutch - and that  hutch is filled with hardback books.  These books are all mysteries (except for perhaps 3 "mom" fiction best-sellers) - written by female authors-about female characters.  That's my niche - I'm a snob. . .I don't read much out of my niche.

Most of my books are series - some of my favorite authors are Lisa Scottoline, Patricia Cornwell and Janet Evanovich. 

I learned to love reading from my mom - she has over 1000 titles on her personal shelves.  She reads mysteries as well - although she is not as narrow-focused as I am and reads both male and female authors and characters.  She used to take me to the library with her - and let me take out a book about  Three Horrible Snaps, a funny book about 2 hedgehogs, and one about a doll and a bear.

As I got older, those books turned to Nancy Drews and teenage romances.  The Nancy Drews were my favorites - I can still picture much of the cover art in my head, even though the titles are muddled.  The first time I read the series - the spines were lavender.  The second time, they were yellow.

There used to me a Mid-Atlantic Mystery Book Fair in Philadelphia before I became a mom - and I used to go with my mom.  She would get a hotel room, and we would bring some of our books and wait in line to meet the authors and have them sign our books.  I had the chance to meet Lisa Scottoline, Donna Huston-Murray and Katherine Hall Page that way.

Some of my newer authors that I really like are Cleo Coyle, Laura Childs and Kate Collins.  When I start a new series, I need to start with the author's first book - and read them in the proper sequence.  That's also how I shelve them, after alphabetical order by author last name.

I know many of you are readers - what is your favorite book of all time?  Or the last book you read?

Just this afternoon, I finished Kate Collin's newest Flower Shop mystery: Sleeping With Anemone.

catch you soon -