2015 - My Year in Reading

I went through several reading droughts this year, periods where a week or more went by without me finishing a book. Then I would spend a weekend diving into one book after another (housework is overrated) and caught up. My total for the year according to Goodreads is 219, but I opted not to count several re-reads.

My list of books to read on Goodreads now approaches 800 titles. If I keep my re-reading to a minimum, I hope to put a dent in that number by the time 2017 arrives.

By the Numbers:

Total Books Read: 219 (The total is probably around 225, or more)

Books I read again for the second (or third or more time):  9 (per Goodreads, closer to 16 in reality)
Young Adult/Juvenile Fiction:  16
Romance:  103
Mystery: 46
Nonfiction:  8

Paranormal, Horror, Sci/Fi, Fantasy:   22
Series books: 156
Novellas/Short stories:  7

The authors I read the most in 2014:

John Sandford: 11

Great mysteries set mostly in Minnesota, written by a former journalist. Some plotlines get pretty dark. But once the story hooks you, the book becomes practically impossible to put down.

Richelle Mead: 8

Mostly books written for the teen market, mostly in the paranormal/fantasy genre. Quick, fun reads.

Jenn McKinlay: 4

Essentially what is none as a “cozy” mystery, set in New England and featuring a librarian and her book club friends.

Julie Anne Long: 10

I fell in love with her Pennyroyal Green romance series and anxiously await the final title in the series. It came out last year, and I am still on the waitlist for it through my library. She writes amazing romances. Utterly fabulous.

Lorraine Heath: 11

After reading a romance recommended by a book club I take part in through Facebook, I tore through Heath’s back catalogue. Some are better than others, I did not care for the books set in Texas.

Molly Harper: 4

Paranormal romances with witches, werewolves, shapeshifters and vampires with a great sense of humor.

Elly Griffiths: 5

She writes contemporary mysteries set in the UK featuring a female protagonist, Ruth Galloway.

Amelia Grey: 5

Meredith Duran: 4

Grace Burrowes: 5

Romance novelists I discovered by following my favorite romance authors on Facebook and Twitter.

The final book of the year? “The Rogue Not Taken” by Sarah MacLean. I cannot recommend her books enough. Fabulous romances with richly drawn characters, fast-moving plots and fantastic dialogue. I pre-ordered it from her favorite neighborhood bookstore and scored an autographed copy. 

My favorite books of the year include MacLean’s, plus “The Suffragette Scandal” by Courtney Milan; “Ruffian: Burning From the Start” by Jane Schwartz about the ill-fated filly who rocked the horse racing world; “Mortal Heart” by Robin LaFevers, the last in a fabulous series about female assassins in medieval France, with a fantasy twist, “The Likeness” by Tana French, the second in her Dublin Murder Squad series; “A Dangerous Place” by Jacqueline Winspear, the next in her Maisie Dobbs series. “Brush Back” by Sara Paretsky, the latest in her V.I. Wachowski series set in Chicago, “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr, “The Walls Around Us” by Nova Ren Suma, which still haunts me; “How to Start a Fire” by Lisa Lutz, “Revolution” by Russell Brand, “The Martian” by Andy Weir and the books in John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers series.

My highest rated romances for the year are by Julie Anne Long. "I Kissed an Earl" and "What I Did For a Duke" and "How the Marquess Was Won."  Utterly brilliant and the books made me laugh, smile, cry and require a fan for the hot flashes. 

Here’s most of what I read in 2015:  https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/1804860

I look forward to reading great books in 2016 (including finishing several I started in 2015). What are you reading? 

Journey to Niagara Falls

Originally published on July 12, 2008

Journey to Niagara Falls

My parents as we wait our turn to ride the Maid of the Mist.

My family celebrated Independence Day by leaving the country. My son and I visited my parents at their new house east of Cleveland last week, and on July 4 we were on the road before 6 a.m. on a family road trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. We crossed the border in Buffalo, N.Y. Travelers are still able to cross without a passport, so long as they have a photo ID and birth certificate. 
My mom bought four Niagara Falls and Great Gorge adventure passes on-line the night before we left. The pass included tickets to four Niagara Falls attractions. After parking, we took a People Mover bus to the top of Horseshoe Falls. Use of the bus came with our adventure passes but paying for parking at select lots also gives you a day pass for the bus. 
The falls were incredible. 
Experiencing Niagara Falls in person uses almost all your senses. The river water looked like liquid jade that turns white as it pours over the edge. You feel the mist on your skin and hear the roar of the water. 
Following the advice of the girl at the welcome center, our first destination after staring in awe at Niagara Falls and snapping some photos was the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Each person is given a disposable blue rain slicker, and the boat travels past the American Falls and brings visitors to the river in the middle of Horseshoe Falls. Its the best way to feel the power of the falls as the boat struggles to stay in place for a few minutes. My son asked if we could take the boat ride again. My mom and I are not big fans of boats, but I think we would have both been willing. 
After disembarking, we decided to use the tickets to the Butterfly Conservatory. Another bus ride brought us to the botanical gardens for a light lunch and then a walk among over 2,000 butterflies. There were an amazing variety of butterflies in a rainbow of colors. The walk through the butterfly garden ended in the gift shop (as did nearly all Niagara Falls' attractions) and we scooted through there to find a mob scene in the entry way. 
The cause of the furor was a celebrity. Jay Leno was there, looking exhausted, but graciously having his picture taken with fans. He's not as tall as I thought he'd be. No one in my family wanted to trouble him for a photo, so we left. 
Our next stop was the White Water Walk along the rapids. While the rapids on the river are incredible, walking the boardwalk along the river isn't worth the wait and a cramped elevator ride. If I had to do it again, I would try the whirlpool aero car. 
Wanting to indulge in some souvenir shopping, I talked my family into a short walk up the road to a shop. Along the way we stopped in a store specializing in Native American crafts, and I found a good deal on postcards and couldn't resist an owl carved out of sumac. At the next store, my mom bought maple and chocolate fudge. After an early dinner at the restaurant closest to the falls, we took the Journey Behind the Falls, an elevator ride to tunnels that bring you behind the falls and to a viewing platform near the base of the falls. 
My mother wanted to stay for the fireworks show and nightly illumination of Niagara Falls, but she was vetoed. It had already been a long day, and there was a three and a half hour car ride back to my parents' house. We took a brief detour to head toward Lake Ontario. We got far enough to see the Toronto skyline and the Welland Canal before heading back to the border. 
We got back to my parents house pretty late, and the only fireworks we saw were the occasional burst of sparks from communities along the highway. Since most American tourists stay home to celebrate the holiday, the crowds at Niagara Falls weren't too bad. It is such an international destination that I am sure we saw (and heard) people from six continents. I've now been to 21 of the 50 states and can finally say that I've traveled outside the continental USA. This trip also means I've been to all five of the Great Lakes. My son still needs to visit Lake Huron. The only thing that could have made the trip better was if we'd talked my sister into driving up from Indianapolis to join us.

2014 - My Year in Reading

I read 214 books in 2014. Some of those were written for children or teens, or are novellas or short stories, and there was one graphic novel.
At the start of 214, I had 426 books on my Goodreads.com “To Read” list. Now that number is 579. If a vampire offers to “turn” me, I might consider an immortal life if only to have enough time for all the books I want to read. I kept my re-read book numbers down again, and most of the re-reads were in preparation for new books (or a TV show) coming out in 2014.  

I already have three books in progress that I did not finish in 2014. 

By the Numbers:

Total Books Read: 214 (Eight of those are short stories/novellas and two are anthologies)
Books I read again for the second (or third or more time):  12
Young Adult/Juvenile Fiction: 28
Romance:   96 (+7 YA)
Mystery:   26 (+4 YA)
Nonfiction:   10

Memoirs: 8 (technically, this falls under NF, but this is more than normal.)

Paranormal, Horror, Sci/Fi, Fantasy: 18 (+8 YA)
Series books:  142
Novellas/Short stories: 10

The authors I read the most in 2014 include Anne Gracie (10), Loretta Chase (9), Diana Gabaldon, (7, but five were re-reads), Tessa Dare (7), Kate Noble (6), John Sandford (5).

Here are my favorite books from 2014, by category.

 Young Adult

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
A young woman with a strict and distant mother falls in love with the boy next door and his family and has to make a touch choice when tragedy strikes.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The first book is written from the point of view of a young woman after a car accident, as her spirit lingers in the hospital as doctors and nurses try to save her life. It is now a movie too. As soon as my son heads back to college, I plan a movie marathon with this and “The Fault in Our Stars.”

Non-fiction/Memoirs

Letters by Kurt Vonnegut
An intimate look at the life of Kurt Vonnegut through his correspondence.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Funny. I love her TV show, “The Mindy Project,” and this book just solidifies my desire to have Mindy in my circle of friends.

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

I want to be besties with Caitlin. LOVED this book.

Mystery

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths, the first in her Ruth Galloway mystery series. Ruth is an archaeologist called in when old bones are discovered. Set in Great Britain, and Ruth has a unique voice.

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley, the latest in his Flavia de Luce series.

Flavia is a young British girl with a passion for solving mysteries and a genius in chemistry. Find the first book in the series, and catch up with this story that brings Flavia a mystery very close to home. 

Romance

Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean
The conclusion of a four part series set a gambling den in London. The main character first appeared in MacLean’s “Love by Numbers” trilogy. I don’t want to say too much about it, as it would give away the amazing secret MacLean kept from readers about the character’s identity.

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

I read this on the recommendation of Sarah MacLean in the FB group she created paying homage to old school romance novels. It’s a great reading group. I loved this book. Then I began tearing through the back catalog of Chase books.

With This Ring by Celeste Bradley, book three in her Worthington Family series
Bradley does such an amazing job of building characters you wish you could meet and turning them loose in stories with great pacing and dialogue that make them nearly impossible to put down.

Other

 Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch, the first in his Peter Grant series. 

I read it on the recommendation of one of my favorite romance authors, Celeste Bradley. If you like an author, follow them on Facebook, Twitter or their web page and keep your eye out for book recommendations. If you like what they write, you will like what they read.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 

I really like Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie series. This book is quite different. The best description I can come up with for it is that it reminds me of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, where the main character keeps dying and being reborn, with small changes or choices taking her life in a new direction.

Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon
The latest in her Outlander series, which is now a TV show that makes me miss having cable. Most of my re-reads this year were to prep to watch the first episode (Starz let viewers watch it for free.)

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
This book weighs down your soul, the story of two little girls who disappear and what happens to their families as a frantic search for them ensues.

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
Set in NYC around the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Brilliant and weird and riveting.

 
Other suggested reading

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway,  a debut author with a story about a time traveler.

Five Days Left by Julia Timmer Lawson

If you like romance, try Tessa Dare or Kate Noble. Also, if you like an author, try following them on Facebook, Twitter or bookmark their website and be on the lookout for reading recommendations. If you like what they like, you'll love what they read. 

To take a look at all the books I read in 2014, click here:

True love stories never end

In loving memory of

Ethel J. Vizanko

May 28, 1923 - August 12, 2014

As delivered September 20, 2014, at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Ironwood, Mich. 

True love stories never end.

And the love story of Ethel and Tom may never have happened if Grandma stuck to her career ambitions. She once told me she planned to be a spinster language teacher.

With cats.

“But then I met Tom,” she said.

And this church would be fairly empty if she had not.

Sarah and I were blessed to live so close to The Farm, living an hour or two away until I was nine, and then moving back and living just over the Front Hill in the new house. We graduated from the same high school and attended the same community college as Grandma and Grandpa did. I got to serve as a library aide at the desk where they met. And I treasure that connection.

One of my earliest memories of the farm is holding Grandma’s hand as she led Sarah and me down the stairs into the basement of the barn, looking for Grandpa.

In her last few years, she liked to point out her crooked finger, but I marvel at all those hands accomplished.
The letters written, the pie and pasty crusts rolled out, the babies held and changed and rocked, the raspberries gathered, the weeds pulled, holding something to read and the hugs offered.

Grandma was remarkable in so many ways, but I think the most remarkable thing about her was not going back to school, earning college degrees and pursuing a career after having so many children.

The most magical thing about Grandma was her unconditional love. I don’t know if she had favorites, but if you were with her, she made you feel like it was you.

Though if you brought her the first newspaper of the day or a sweet treat, it may have been you for that moment.

The way she loved serves as an example to us all.

The love she and Grandpa shared, and her devotion in taking care of him until the end, her love for her children and the generations that followed, the way she made her home so welcoming to family and friends.

I admire how much she loved words, how much she enjoyed reading and writing. She voraciously inhaled books, magazines and newspapers, and valued staying informed. She wrote the best letters or notes, and shared so many stories of her life.

I used to wonder why the females in our family have a tendency to overshare, but after Grandma shared some of the stories about her “firsts” with Grandpa…. I no longer wonder where we get it from.

And we can trace the family lead foot to her. I often wish I had asked her to teach me Finnish, if only so I could know what she was saying when she expressed her driving frustrations with a few choice phrases.

She will be so very missed, but we can carry on her legacy by following her example of how to live and love.

Take the time to write a letter or note to family or friends.

Wear a hat. Maybe even a red tam.

Read more. Pick up a newspaper from time to time.

Stay active. Grandma rarely missed her aerobics class, and I believe it helped keep her with us for 91 years.

Volunteer. Grandma showed her loving heart and generous spirit by volunteering her time at the hospital and more.

Indulge in a Cappuccino Heath Blizzard or a turtle sundae. Grandma and Kathy did not believe in passing a Dairy Queen.

Drink more coffee.

Travel. Drive across the country, or to Alaska. Go overseas. Take the train.

Make an apple pie or cook a meal for those you love.

Pass on her stories. Share your own.

Love unconditionally.

Helen Keller said, “All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” Grandma may be “Gone to Glory” but she will never really leave us.

We mourn the loss of such a loving and amazing woman, but I take comfort in the belief that true love stories never end.

I like to believe that for Ethel and Tom, the next chapter in their love story started on a Tuesday afternoon in August with Grandma striding up the front sidewalk of The Farm.

Her flowers are blooming.

The raspberries are ripe.

The house gleams in a fresh coat of white paint with yellow trim, and the red roof shines in the sun.

And Grandpa appears in the front porch door to ask, “Ethel, where have you been?”

God bless you, Grandma. We love you.

My 2013 reading wrap-up

I read 217 books in 2013. About 12 of those include short stories and novellas, and 21 of the books fall into the young adult/juvenile fiction category, which I tend to whip through pretty fast. What stands out for me is that only seven books were re-reads. Last year, that number topped 29. I deliberately reduced my re-reads because there are so many books I want to read, that I tried to make reading new books my priority.

At the start of 2013, I had 224 books on my Goodreads.com “To Read” list. Now that number is 426.

I already have three books in progress that I did not finish in 2013.



By the Numbers:
Total Books Read: 217
Books I read again for the second (or third or more time): 7
Romance:  71
Mystery:  36
Young Adult/Juvenile Fiction: 21
Nonfiction:  9
Paranormal, Horror, Sci/Fi, Fantasy:  23
Series books: 109

Here are my favorite books from 2013, in no particular order.
 

“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green

Written for the young adult market, this book tells the story of a girl with terminal cancer who meets a boy with cancer at a support group. This tale of love and loss had me laughing and crying. Sometimes at the same time. A movie based on the book comes out this year. Read the book first.

“The Round House” by Louise Erdrich

Set on a North Dakota reservation,  this book reveals the aftermath of a brutal attack on a woman, and how her son Joe tries to solve the mystery of what happened to her and why. The statistics about sexual assault against Native American woman shared at the end of the book haunt and horrify me.

“Murder in Chelsea” by Victoria Thompson

Thompson wrote romance novels in the 1980s and 1990s, but switched genres to historical mysteries and found her voice. This series, based around a midwife working in New York City in the early 1900s, is amazing, and the latest book in the series finally gave readers some character/relationship development that is long overdue.

“Maisie Dobbs” by Jacqueline Winspear

I will cheat a bit here, and include all 10 books in the series. I discovered the Maisie Dobbs series early this spring and inhaled it before the 10^th book came out. Set in Great Britain between World War I and World War II, it follows a young woman whose employer discovered her in the library in the middle of the night and helped her get an education. She works as a personal inquiry agent (private investigator) and her cases often deal with World War I veterans.

“7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess” by Jen Hatmaker

I travelled to a woman’s retreat in February with a dear friend for the chance to meet Jen Hatmaker and listen to her speak. Amazing experience and an incredible book. I really want to try the 7 challenge this year.

“Silent in the Grave” by Deanna Raybourn

Another mystery series, set in Victorian England, begin with the murder of Lady Julia Grey’s husband. So far the series includes 5 books and two short stories, one of which I need to get my eyes on.

“The Perfect Mile” by Neal Bascomb

A great read about Roger Bannister and the race to break the four-minute mile. 

If you like to read romance, you cannot go wrong with books by Mary Balogh, Celeste Bradley, Lynn Kurland, Julia Quinn or Eloisa James. I tried a few new authors this year and enjoyed books by Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan and Kate Noble. Most of these authors are on Facebook, and I love following them and may still "squee" a bit when I get to interact with them. A work highlight from the year was my phone interview with Celeste Bradley to learn more about her writing and her latest book.

I shall try to rediscover my love of writing, as I fell into a major writing slump in 2013 that I have not been able to shake. My list of books to read includes several writing guides/advice books to try to help me find my writing mojo again.

I set my goal for 2014 at 180 books (just under one book every two days.) This year will bring several changes, including my son graduating from high school and heading off to college. I hope to enjoy spending time with him (as much as he’ll allow) and make time for fitness.

To take a look at all the books I read in 2013,  click here.

10 years as a journalist

March 31 will mark my 10th anniversary of working for the Daily Citizen. It was supposed to be a temporary job, but the privilege of sharing people's stories and the flexibility in the work hours that allows me to do things like volunteer at a library and help coach middle school track have kept me here. 
Please keep sending me story ideas. 

Here's the column I wrote, introducing myself to readers.


New editor introduces herself
Neighbors came out in a new format last week, and with all the changes, you may have missed a change in the staff.
I'm the new Associate Editor for the Randolph/Cambria/Friesland office, replacing Paul Scharf who has transferred to the Columbus Journal.
I live in Beaver Dam, where my son is a first grader at Prairie View Elementary. When I'm not working, I enjoy reading, taking bike rides with my son, surfing the internet for spoilers to my favorite TV shows, and cooking.
I was born in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and spent my childhood living in small communities in the U.P. before my family moved to a western Colorado town in the early 80s. I learned to ski in the Rocky Mountains, and confess that the “mountains” in the Midwest would amuse me if it weren’t for the puddles that pass for lakes back in Colorado.
My family moved back to Ironwood, Michigan in 1991. After graduating from the same high school my parents and grandparents graduated from, I attended a local community college, and then transferred to Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. I moved to Wisconsin in 1997.
Writing is not a new profession for me, though I am new to journalism. My previous jobs include working as a technical writer for Alliance Laundry Systems in Ripon and John Deere in Horicon. People often ask what a technical writer does. The simplest explanation is to pull out the owner's manual in a car, the programming guide for a VCR or the operating instructions for a tractor. A technical writer wrote those. Please don't blame me if you can't program your VCRs, as I still have trouble with mine.
I'm not the only member of my family to relocate to southern Wisconsin. My parents reside in Pardeeville, my sister lives in Madison, and one of my cousins is a senior at Beaver Dam High School.
I still visit family and friends in Upper Michigan, and if you run into me after I've spent a weekend up north, listen for my Yooper accent, which is similar to the Canadian accents heard in the great comedy classic "Strange Brew". For those unfamiliar with the term, "Yooper", it's the name given to natives of the U.P. If you know anyone from Lower Michigan, be sure to call them a troll, as they live below the bridge.
Having survived many a U.P. winter, the recent snap of snow and cold weather didn't faze me much. To learn more about the area, I've been flipping through back issues of the paper and found out there was a foot of snow on the ground at this time in 1973. A long weekend of cold and slush doesn't seem so bad. I hope this weekend's weather is more spring-like, as so many communities have Easter egg hunts scheduled.
I'm really looking forward to getting to know people in the community. Since I'm still relatively new to the area, I welcome ideas for stories.

My 2012 Reading Wrap-Up

I read 233 books in 2012, but do not let that number impress you. I read quickly, especially if the book is one I have read before or one written for the youth market.

By the Numbers:

Total Books Read: 233

Books I read again for the second (or third or more time): 29

Romance: 86

Mystery: 22

Young Adult/Juvenile Fiction: 50

Nonfiction: 16 (Nine were memoirs/autobiographies)

Paranormal: 29

Six of the books were novellas or anthologies. Many of the books I read could easily fall into more than one category, especially the paranormal fiction. I enjoy reading series, and 89 of the books I read were part of a series or trilogy.

Here are my 10 favorite books that I read for the first time in 2012, in no particular order.

“Paris in Love” by Eloisa James

I love James as a romance novelist, but she really knocked it out of the park sharing her story of the year she spent in Paris with her family. Someday, when I plan a visit to the City of Light, I will tuck this book into my carry-on bag as a travel guide.

“Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)” by Jenny Lawson

I laughed so hard I nearly pulled my abdominal muscles while reading this book written by the Texas woman also known as The Bloggess. Some chapters also punch you in the gut with their poignancy, as Lawson struggles with mental health and fertility issues. She makes one realize it is OK to not be “normal.” If you find yourself easily offended by foul language, don’t read it.  

“Code Name Verity” by Elizabeth Wein

Part mystery and suspense, set in France during World War II about two friends, one a pilot, and what happens when they get caught behind enemy lines. I found it nearly impossible to put down and a bit heartbreaking.

“The Sky is Everywhere” by Jandy Nelson

Written for the young adult market, this book shares the story of a young woman grieving over the death of her sister. It shares how the loss affects her relationships with her grandmother, uncle, sister’s fiancé and her friends. I especially loved the small notes and poems she scatters in her wake as she tries to cope with her grief.

“Bossypants” by Tina Fey

Another memoir that is hysterically funny yet poignant as Fey shares stories from her life and career and her adventures in motherhood. Brilliant.

“The Shoemaker’s Wife” by Adriana Trigiani

An epic story of family, love, sacrifice and loss that begins in the Italian Alps and moves to the United States, first in New York City and then Minnesota. It is loosely based on the love story of the author’s grandparents.

“The Winter Sea” by Susanna Kearsley

Part romance, part historical fiction and pure magic. The story follows two star-crossed lovers in Scotland several hundred years ago through the eyes of a woman tracking down their story in modern times while inexplicably drawn to her landlord’s son.

“Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” by Christopher McDougall

An excellent book following the story of a native tribe in Mexico that sets amazing strides running barefoot, and those who learned better techniques for running by following their examples.

“A Lady by Midnight” by Tessa Dare

The latest in Dare’s Spindle Cove series. While I loved the first two, “A Night to Surrender” and “A Week to Be Wicked,” this book is my favorite. It follows the story of a woman who discovers the truth about her family while falling for the man who holds a key to her past.

“Case Histories” by Kate Atkinson

The first in her Jackson Brodie mystery series, it shares the story of a former soldier and police officer turned private investigator in Scotland. Excellent books, and the mini-series starring Jason Isaacs is a great adaptation.

Other books I read and liked include Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” trilogy. I also loved Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” and look forward to reading more in that series in 2013. I look forward to watching the movie “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” because I loved Stephen Chbosky’s book. “The Flight of Gemma Hardy” was another excellent book. 
I rated the books I read on a six-point scale. Six books earned a six from me, and three of them are in my top 10 for the year (the other three were books I have read before.) I graded 42 books with a five, so it was a struggle to pick the remaining seven in the Top 10.

When I get hooked on an author, I tend to greedily inhale more books by them. I read at least five or more books by the following authors: Kate Atkinson, Lynn Kurland, Eloisa James, Eileen Wilks and Rachel Gibson. I highly recommend books by the first three.

So, what’s up for 2013? I set my reading goal as 200 books, even though that was my goal for 2012. I hope to find the discipline to read less this year, and instead take better care of myself and spend time with people I love. I already have three books in progress that I did not finish in 2012, and my list of books I want to read on Goodreads.com is currently at 224. This does not include my reading wish list on Amazon.com or the endless list I keep in an Excel spreadsheet. To further my temptation to read, I now own an iPad with a Kindle app (thanks to the generosity of my sister.) I have stacks of books at home waiting for me to read them. I will need to set some priorities, and perhaps give up reading fiction for Lent again in an effort to slow myself down.