I fell madly in love with books in the second grade when I read
Mary-Anne's Bad Luck Mystery, Babysitter's Club #17. Prior to that I neither loved nor loathed reading. Every since that fateful day, books and I have had an endless love affair. After tearing myself away from the Babysitter's Club series in 8th grade, I turned to YA books. My favorite authors as a teenager were Ann Rinaldi (my autographed copy of
A Break With Charity was one of my prized possessions), Lurlene McDaniel, Lois Lowry, and Ellen Emerson White.
I'm no longer a teen, but I still love the Young Adult genre. Thanks to J.K. Rowling and an obsession with
Twilight, I've discovered YA fantasy, something I hated as a teen. Now, I read a mixture of realistic fiction and fantasy. I'm still a little reluctant with high fantasy but its growing on me. Thanks, once again to
Twilight, I'm a big fan of YA paranormal romance. Apart from YA, I read mostly non-fiction. I've recently added manga to my reading repertoire after a fabulous trip to Japan. In the non-fiction realm, I particularly love memoirs and books about American history. I also love reading cookbooks.
Books do not, surprisingly, comprise my entire life. My chief joy (apart from my wonderful husband) is my dog Snowbird, a basset hound/labrador mix. I love cooking (see cookbook habit above) fabulous dinners and baking yummy treats. Thankfully for my waistline, I also love running and going to the gym. I'm an avid crafter and flit from hobby to hobby. I knit, make jewelry, and cross-stitch.
