About Me

I have always liked to read and I have always been blonde.  Maybe now the blonde is somewhat fake, but liking to read is still 100% real. I like a variety of subjects, but my favorite genre is mystery. Ever since I started with Nancy Drew books, then Agatha Christie at a very young age, I’ve loved the suspense and the fun of trying to solve the puzzle myself. And I love puzzles. I always am interested in what books other people like. I think it gives an insight into a person that you can’t get from asking about other likes or dislikes. What you like to read is more personal. I read what I like, not what is trending at the time. I actually avoid reading a book that is just out because it’s usually too hard to get from the library and too expensive to buy.

Some modern books I have enjoyed recently are Where the Crawdad Sings by Delia Owens, Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan, and The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. There are so many others, but this is just my quick list of ones that really stood out to me as fun, different, or just a really great story.

A few of my favorite classic reads are The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein, Catch 22 by Jospeh Heller, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Sometimes I think it is more telling to talk about what you don’t like and why you don’t like it.  People always say they “are good” or they “liked it” and hesitate to say anything negative. Books I did not enjoy, either because I hated the ending or the characters include Wuthering Heights by Charolette Bronte. I love the Bronte sisters and the story is very well told, but I just couldn’t get over how awful the characters were as people. So, I appreciate the writing and storytelling, dislike the people in the story.  Another on my dislike list is 1984 by George Orwell.  Have you ever been more frustrated with a book? I liked it until the end and then wanted to through it across the room. I guess that was the point of the book. Good for educational purposes, bad for my reading pleasure. It’s been 15 years since I read it and I still can remember the frustration of that book for me. There are a few others that I didn’t like but don’t really stand up to these two, since 1984 and Wuthering Heights are great books, just ones that frustrated and unsettled me.

When I am thinking about going on travel, there are a few things I first plan. Where to go, what to wear and what to read. Depending on where you go, your mood for what to read might differ, so I have made a list of suggestions for the best reads for several travel places.

A few of my favorite U.S. locations to visit regularly are Las Vegas, Sarasota, FL, and New York City. These are vastly different in what I will be doing, wearing, reading, and what type of mood I will be in on the trip. International travel for me has been lacking lately, as I am sure most of the world can relate as we have all been staying at home more over the past year due to Covid-19.