Archive for August, 2008
August 30th, 2008 | 
Author: That question gets asked a lot in various forms on any kind of social networking website such as this one, myspace and reunion.com to name a few. I think it is a great question because it tells you a little bit about a person and whether or not they really have similar interests as you. I love all kinds of books but mainly I read mysteries. The romance and suspense novels are great for a little light reading but a good mystery whether or not it has a sex scene is a great diversion for me. I have read and enjoyed all kinds of mysteries over the years and my favorite authors are JA Jance, Iris Johansen, JD Robb, Faye Kellerman, Nevada Barr and Elizabeth Peters to name but a few. Each of them have a certain style with their characters that keep me coming back for more. I just wish we could instill in our children this love of reading as well. I am having a half and half success with mine. My oldest and youngest children don’t seem to be great readers and my middle two are doing much better. I have always told my children that I didn’t care what they read so long as they do.
If you haven’t had a chance to read any of these authors I have listed the first book in the series of my favorite characters that each of these writers have created. I seem to always start in the middle of a series when I find a character I like to read about so I end up having to backtrack to find out what happened in the beginning. So, if you are like me and would like to read a series from beginning to end then try the books below. You can go to their websites and get a listing of the other books within the series once you have found one that you really like!
Until next Time — Keep Reading!
Jolene
Elizabeth Peters – Crocodile on the Sandbank (1st Amelia Peabody)
Iris Johansen – Face of Deception (1st Eve Duncan)
JD Robb – Naked in Death (1st Dallas & Roarke)
Nevada Barr – Track the Cat (1st Anna Pigeon)
JA Jance – Desert Heat (1st Joanna Brady)
Faye Kellerman – Ritual Bath (1st Peter Decker & Rini Lazarus)
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Every year I read an entire series from my favorite authors. Usually, it is because he/she is publishing a new story in the series and sometimes it is just because the author is no longer publishing and I haven’t read the stories in a while. While it is great to read new stories and new authors, the ones we love the most are great to re-read. There are a variety of different reasons but the main one for me is that I have forgotten the story and like to relive it once more. It’s like watching reruns of your favorite shows when they come out on DVD. They can be like old friends and you just want to get reaquainted. The classic tales never go out of style. We should all try reading one of the classic stories at least once a year. You will be amazed at how much you will enjoy the story again. For me I like to re-read all the great mystery novels from Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie to the more modern Nora Roberts, Dorothy Gilman and JA Jance.
What stories have you read more than 3 times? I think a book is not considered a favorite until it has been read at least 3 times. The first time is only because it is new or that it was recomended by a friend or relative. The second time is usually because you think you have read it before but aren’t sure so you read it again to remember. By the third time you are hooked and will probably read it again and again over the years. I confess that several years ago I was introduced to the science fiction writer, Anne McCaffrey, with her PERN series. The story line was good, the characters were well-developed and she had written quite a few books. So, I read one of the stories in the middle somewhere and then became obsessed with reading the entire series from the beginning. I printed off her book list from her website and proceded to drive around town to the various branches of our local library to get ALL of the books. I then spent the next 3 weeks reading every one of them. It has been several years since then and Ms McCaffery and her son, Todd McCaffery, has written several other books since then so now I must gather all the books together again and have another reading marathon. Maybe, this year I will just go online and order all the books from Amazon or Barnes-N-Noble to save myself some time and trouble and almost the price of the tank of gas it will cost me to get all the books in one place.
I have done that with several other authors but now I go online or to my local used bookstore to get all of the books in a series. My mother and I are both avid readers and we have a tendency to buy a lot of books when we have extra cash. We now have 7 bookcases filled with books that I won’t let her get rid of. She likes to trade her books in but I like to keep them and re-read them. I think I have the entire collection of Nora Roberts and JD Robb (minus 4 of her earliest works), all of Laurel Hamiltons, Dorothy Gilmans (except for 3 that are out-of-print), and Elizabeth Peters. I think I might be a little obsessed or put a nicer way, I AM A COLLECTOR.
Until Next Time….Keep Up on Your Reading!
Jolene
Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 1)
