To Re-Read or Not To Re-Read #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge

 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: Re-reading books: why or why not?

I don't re-read books as often as I would like. I mean, really, there are thousands of books to-be-read on my bookshelves that I still want to get to before I'm no longer on this Earth (I sincerely hope there is a vast library waiting for me in Heaven!). But, I do have some special favorites that I will go back and read from time to time. 

I'm currently re-reading all of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I had started reading this series years and years ago before I had children. I found myself addicted to the stories. I read about half of them before I set them down, worried that I would finish them all too quickly. Then I moved into a new house and the book got shuffled around. I finally pulled it back out and started it over again. I really love these stories and exploring the mysteries of Victorian London with Sherlock and Watson as my guides.

Another book I've re-read was This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland. She's another of my favorite authors. Her books are truly amazing! The first time I read This Is All I Ask, I was sitting in a doctor's office waiting for my boyfriend. He was getting an MRI and I was content to read while I waited for him. This book is brimming with emotion. I couldn't help but cry while I read it. I remember the other patients in the waiting room casting surreptitious glances my way. It didn't occur to me until later that they must have thought I was upset because of my boyfriend's condition. Which turned out to be nothing. But I had been so consumed with the book, that I didn't think about my tears drawing anyone's attention. 

Years later, I still remembered the emotional impact of this book. I wanted to read it again, this time as a writer, to see how the author pulled those emotional responses from me with her well-crafted words. Yes, even the second time reading and already knowing what was going to happen, I cried. Again. This time, in the privacy of my own home. This book really touched my heart and placed Lynn Kurland on my auto-buy list.

There are also some books that I re-read just because the first time I read them so quickly, so eagerly that I really wanted to go through them again at a slower pace, to really absorb the writer's words and to pick apart how the author was able to grab my imagination and attention so completely. Basically, I read these books for enjoyment the first time, and the second time I read them as a writer, analyzing all the elements it took to make that book enjoyable. Dialogue, plot, pacing, etc.

These are a few books I've picked apart:

I have plans to re-read whole series someday. Among those I'd like to re-read are The Bridgertons by Julia Quinn; The Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong; The Demon Whisperer by Ash Krafton; and The Chronicles of the Warlands by Elizabeth Vaughan.

I've re-read the first three Harry Potter books. The first go-around was for me. The second time, I read aloud to my children at bedtime. It took us a year to get through the entire series. After we finished each book, we'd watch the movie again.

I did this with The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, too. I read these books years before I became a mother, but after Harry Potter, my children were eager for more. I pulled this series out and read to them each night. It didn't take a year to get through them, but after finishing each one, we watched the movie again.

And I might as well add that I re-read children's stories, too. With four kids, I've re-read countless Dr. Seuss and Berenstein Bears books over and over. And Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. I read this book every night for a year to my youngest son. It was the only way I could get him settled in bed. It's memorized now. I can recite it like people recite Shakespeare!

I guess I re-read books more often than I realized! :) 

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Happy Reading!

~Tricia

AMAZON

Finding Vocab Words in Novels #LongandShortReviews #BlogChalleng

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

This week's topic: Book with the most words I had to look up

I don't find the need to look up words in books often these days, but there was a time when I did. I think it was 9th grade Enlish class. My teacher, Mr. Palamar, gave us reading assignments. We were allowed to read a book of our choosing, but we had to list words we didn't know and their definitions as we read the book.

Out of the many books I read that year, I remember the most I had to look up was from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. It was one of the first times, if I recall correctly, that I chose to read a classic novel on my own instead of having it as required reading for English class.

The reason I chose it? The Three Musketeers was made into a film that year starring Keifer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Oliver Platt, Chris O'Donnell, Tim Curry and Rebecca De Mornay. I wanted to read the book before I saw the movie. Because, let's face it. Books are almost always better than the movies!

Swashbuckling novel, filled with high adventure, royal intrigue and romance, relates the escapades of D’Artagnan and his three friends—Athos, Porthos and Aramis—and their involvement in the secret plots of Cardinal Richelieu and his beautiful but treacherous spy, Lady de Winter.

I'm so glad I chose this book! The Three Musketeers was an adventure I had not been expecting, filled with suspense, intrigue, twists and turns. I was hooked! Shortly after, I got a copy of The Man in the Iron Mask and The Count of Monte Cristo.

Who knew these old classics could be so adventurous and fun?

It was quite a thick book compared to some others I'd read at that time, so I guess that accounted for the increase in vocabulary words I added to my list. Also, out of all the books I read that year, The Three Musketeers was my favorite!

Nowadays, I don't have to look up as many words while I'm reading novels. Mostly, when I feel the need to look things up, its the modern day language that baffles me. I cannot tell you how long it took me to figure out what ROFL meant!!

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Happy Reading!

~Tricia

AMAZON

Books I Had to Read in School and Liked

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Today's topic: Books I Had to Read in School and Liked

I've been an avid reader since I learned my ABC's while watching Sesame Street. I feel the need to confess that I was the kid who brought a book to read on the bus ride home from school. I read so many books during my school years, I don't remember which were required any more.

However, I do remember a few that I was not thrilled about being forced to read. Afterward, I was so grateful because these books were really enjoyable for me. So, I'll share those with you.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

My 6th grade reading teacher, Miss Dries, was definitely a Tolkien fan. She raved about this book for days before we actually started our reading assignments. I don't remember why, but I wasn't all that thrilled about reading an adventure story about a hobbit. What was a hobbit anyway? Like a troll? A goblin? I read about goblins. I had already read The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald one my own and loved it. But, a hobbit?? I mean, I was more Sweet Valley Twins girl at that point in my reading career. I had no idea what an impact The Hobbit would bring to my life, or The Lord of the Rings trilogy which I would read later.

A great modern classic and the prelude to The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

I read this in high school. It was one of those (groan) classic literature books with the really long sentences and boring descriptions and the strange dialogue that made no sense. I was so wrong. It started a little slow in the beginning, but it wasn't long before I was swept into the story and earnestly interested in what happened to the characters. I won't give away any spoilers, but if I remember correctly, I cried by the end.

After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the ageing Doctor Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There the lives of two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I'll add this here, too. I fell in love with this story so much that I still read it and watch the movie every year (the version with Patrick Stewart is the best in my opinion). There is something so magical about the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge that tugs at my heart. That a person such as Scrooge can turn himself around to become a better person gives me the belief that we should keep Christmas in our hearts all year long.

Ebenezer Scrooge has no time for the poor or the wretched. And it's "Bah, humbug!" to anyone who wishes him a Merry Christmas. But when he turns in for the night one cold, fateful Christmas Eve, his past, present, and future converge. Three haunting guests are about to show him that the time has come to change his miserly ways - before it's too late. 

Hamlet by Shakespeare

This was required 12th grade reading and yes, I had to memorize and recite the To Be, or Not to Be section to pass the class. By this time in my life, I realized that volunteering to go first (or at least in the top 5) was much better than waiting with sweaty palms and sickening dread every day. I think I was the third to volunteer. I had to do it no matter what, so it was better to just do it and get it over with. For the next week of classes, I got to sit back and relax while I watched my fellow students sit at their desks paralyzed with fear of standing in front of everybody and stumbling through the lines.

Anyway, I had heard a lot about Hamlet and our 12th grade English teacher, Mr. Jones, by this point in my school career. None of it was good. To my surprise, I really enjoyed this class. Mr. Jones was an old fashioned professor type, but he was extremely knowledgeable about literature and made me think about the stories we read in the class. And Hamlet was such a story! So much was involved, all those little details that led up to the tragic ending. It was an interesting reading experience and one I'm glad to have had.

One of the greatest plays of all time, the compelling tragedy of the tormented young prince of Denmark continues to capture the imaginations of modern audiences worldwide. Confronted with evidence that his uncle murdered his father, and with his mother's infidelity, Hamlet must find a means of reconciling his longing for oblivion with his duty as avenger. The ghost, Hamlet's feigned madness, Ophelia's death and burial, the play within a play, the "closet scene" in which Hamlet accuses his mother of complicity in murder, and breathtaking swordplay are just some of the elements that make Hamlet an enduring masterpiece of the theater.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Okay, okay. This was not exactly required reading. I'll admit it. I chose this to read during my 9th grade English class. Mr. Palamar gave us time to read a book of our choosing and we had to pick out several words that we didn't recognize in each book and then look up the definition of each word. I chose The Three Musketeers because the movie was being released that year and I wanted to read the book before I watched the movie.

The book was so much better than the movie. I had no idea what I had been missing by reading classic literature. This was a bit of a turning point for me. Up until then, I dreaded most of our required reading lists, but if the teachers would just choose books like this, I'd be thoroughly entertained. And, although this exact title wasn't required, I had already learned the names of those authors that kids were forced to read. Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, etc. These were names I dreaded, until I read Alexandre Dumas. After reading this book, I decided to give classic literature a more open mind. Maybe my teachers were onto something and I might actually enjoy the books they forced us to read.

Young nobleman d'Artagnan has arrived in Paris intent on joining the guardians of King Louis XIII. He befriends the regiment's most formidable musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and together they unite in their commitment to uphold justice. Soon, a royal indiscretion thrusts them into an audacious escapade of courtly intrigue, thwarted romance, and daring rescue. But it's the Machiavellian schemes of a powerful enemy and the wicked seductions of an ingenious female spy that will be their greatest challenges.

Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

FIRE & ICE

Fire and Ice...they are two of the most powerful elements known to man.

From the tiniest sparks to a blazing inferno, fire is an intense energy that can consume anything in its path.

Ice is it's unrelenting and frigid counterpart that can startle your senses and make you shiver. When put together, you'll find a force that is stronger than anything you'll ever encounter.

If you love the paranormal and can't get enough of romance, then this set is exactly what you need in your library.

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Not a Fan #Books #IDoNotLike

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Today's topic: Books I Had to Read in School and Didn't Like

Trying a new-to-you author is always a gamble, isn't it? You might like the writing, the story, or some other elements to the book. Or you might not. Enjoying everything you read is never guaranteed. Even your favorite author might take a story in one direction that you just didn't care for in the end.

And that's okay. We're all unique individuals with different likes and dislikes. We all come from different backgrounds and bring our own personalities to the stories that we read. The writing will touch us in some way, whether good or bad. That's as it should be. That's what makes finding that wonderful-to-me gem of a book all the more precious.

Our schools have exposed us to a variety of tastes in reading. As a teenager, I wasn't all too thrilled with some of the books forced upon me. By the end of my school career, however, I was grateful for the experience. I did get to read some interesting books that I enjoyed and opened me up to new worlds.

Here's a list of some of those worlds that just weren't for me. WARNING! This will contain spoilers, so if you want to read any of these books and haven't done so, then maybe you should skip this post.

Still with me? Okay, let's move on...

Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

In Romoe and Juliet, Shakespeare creates a violent world, in which two young people fall in love. It is not simply that their families disapprove; the Montagues and the Capulets are engaged in a blood feud. 

In this death-filled setting, the movement from love at first sight to the lovers' final union in death seems almost inevitable. And yet, this play set in an extraordinary world has become the quintessential story of young love. In part because of its exquisite language, it is easy to respond as if it were about all young lovers.

This book is FREE at the moment, in case you're interested.

Okay, don't throw things at me. There are a lot of Shakespeare's plays that I really do enjoy. And it's not so much that I didn't like the story. The characters are all well written and the story is sound. I just hate the ending. This isn't a romance, as some readers claim. It's a tragedy.

Spoilers! Again, I'm giving you a second chance to look away.

They die at the end. I mean, what?? I hate the ending. Dislike. Despise. Do. Not. Want.

I'm a Happily-Ever-After girl. I want to see characters go through hell and fire and pain (that sounds bad, but hear me out), so that when they get to the end of their story, all is well. They've journeyed through a trying experience they didn't think they would survive, only to make it to the end and become a better person/people for it.

When the characters die at the end, the main characters!, I'm just...ugh.... No.

I wish my teacher had given me a heads-up about this one. I might have skipped class that last day.

Sorry, Mr. McCormick.

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

The first and most autobiographical of Maugham's masterpieces. It is the story of Philip Carey, an orphan eager for life, love and adventure. After a few months studying in Heidelberg, and a brief spell in Paris as a would-be artist, he settles in London to train as a doctor where he meets Mildred, the loud but irresistible waitress with whom he plunges into a tortured and masochistic affair.

Here's another one where the writing style was wonderful. It was an easy story to read. The descriptions were outstanding. Oh, but the characters. I was not a fan of the characters. The author did a wonderful job telling the story. I really didn't like Mildred. Really, really. And Philip annoyed me. 

Again, this is not a romance. I favor romances. Anyone who knows me knows this. Not that I read romances exclusively, but I like knowing what I'm in for when I read a book and this story was not what I was prepared for. It annoyed me. The author most likely wrote the characters with that intention, but I'm not a fan of this type of book. Just not for me. 

Find out what other writers posted about this week's topic at Long and Short Reviews!

FIRE & ICE

Fire and Ice...they are two of the most powerful elements known to man.

From the tiniest sparks to a blazing inferno, fire is an intense energy that can consume anything in its path.

Ice is it's unrelenting and frigid counterpart that can startle your senses and make you shiver. When put together, you'll find a force that is stronger than anything you'll ever encounter.

If you love the paranormal and can't get enough of romance, then this set is exactly what you need in your library.

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

You can Follow me on ...

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Favorite Quotes from Books #Booklovers

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.



Today's topic: My Favorite Quotes from Books

Here are a few. You can read the rest that I have listed on Goodreads.

"What I lack in expertise I make up for in desperation and tenacity, because I only get paid when catch someone." ~Janet Evanovich, Turbo Twenty-Three

"If only there could be an invention that bottled up a memory, like scent. And it never faded, and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked, and it would be like living the moment all over again." ~Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca

"I will not let you go into the unknown alone." ~Bram Stoker, Dracula

"This is true love - you think this happens every day?" ~Westley from William Goldman's, The Princess Bride

"I have found for the first time what I can truly love - I have found you. You are my sympathy - my better self - my good angel - I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely; a fervant, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you - and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one." ~Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

"Let us never underestimate the power of a well-written letter." ~Jane Austen, Persuasion

"Do not give way to useless alarm; though it is right to be prepared for the worst, there is no occasion to look on it as certain." ~Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F.W.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never." ~Jane Austen, Persuasion

And because it's my blog and I can, here's one of my favorite quotes from my own books...

"I was not born a werewolf. I was not bitten, at least, not that I can remember. I am cursed. There, I've said it. You may now run to fetch the masses. You cannot allow such a creature to exist among women and children and innocent men. Stock up those silver bullets and do your worst." ~The Witch and the Wolf

Happy Reading!

~Tricia

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 Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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New Release! Classic Galactic: Classical Lit with a Galactic Twist by @AshKrafton

A new collection of speculative poetry from Ash Krafton! CLASSIC GALACTIC is a collection of science fiction and fantasy poetry inspired by classical literature. Ever wonder what Robert Frost or William Shakespeare would have written about if they'd been sci fi geeks? Ash Krafton wonders about that all the time...and finally did something about it. Enjoy these and other poetic explorations of the words that dwell in the vast dark emptiness of both out and inner space.

Amazon 

About the Author

USA Today and international best-selling author Ash Krafton is a writer of all things spec fic. She believes spectacular endings make the best beginnings... Why not? One billion black holes can't be wrong.

The second bravest thing she's ever done was volunteering to go first when her Girl Scout troop visited a High Ropes challenge course somewhere back in the eighties. (Thankfully, few photos exist.) The third bravest thing was wearing her purple Colin Stuart boots with the extreme stiletto heel to her kids' school open house one year. (Three floors, all steps, no brakes.) The top of the Brave Things list, however, remains to be written.

http://www.ashkrafton.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ashkraftonauthor

http://www.twitter.com/ashkrafton

Other Books by Ash Krafton

The Demimonde series

  

The Demon Whisperer series

  

And More...

  

Great Books for Kids to Read

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge hosted by Long and Short Reviews.

Today's topic: Books I Want Youth to Discover

I wish I could remember the book that 'hooked' me. You know, the book that grabbed you and made you realize with sudden clarity that you loved reading. For me, reading has been a part of my genetic make-up. My mother read to me as a child and as soon as I learned my ABC's I began reading Dr. Seuss to my younger brother.

I've had a book in my hand since way before Kindergarten.

It was normal.

Everyday.

I do, however, remember the first series that I absolutely loved and hooked me into reading more.

Sweet Valley Twins.

I was 9. My parents were planning our family's first vacation which was really just my mom and brother tagging along with my father as he had to go out of state to do training for work. We lived in a hotel for several weeks and while my dad went to work, the three of us went to the pool. On the weekends we toured the local sites and explored our surroundings.

It was the best vacation of my childhood.

My mother, being an avid reader, packed a bag full of books for her to read poolside. I needed reading for the drive. I read in the car when I was a kid. Before we set off for our vacation destination, I remember my mom handed me a brown paper bag filled with books that she bought while I was at school. I was so excited when I opened it up to find about twenty books in the Sweet Valley Twins series. I seriously recall jumping up and down and screaming my head off in excitement.

And I devoured those books. I ate them like candy. I read every one and then my mom had to buy more!

It was such a great feeling, loosing myself in that world. That's a feeling I want kids to feel, finding a book that grabs them, hooks them, and they become lost in a world of imagination. It's what will make them continue reading into a adulthood.

These are the books that I think might 'hook' kids into becoming avid readers.

   Ages Infant to 8 years

Any Dr. Seuss book will do, but my favorite have always been Green Eggs and Ham, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, Hop on Pop, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

 

Monster at the End of This Book always entertained me as a kid and now I read this story and it's sequel, Another Monster at the End of This Book to my children.

The Berenstain Bears books have great messages for kids to learn about life, manners, good habits, morals and getting along with others told in an entertaining way.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is a fun and silly story that always get the kids to giggle. Now, there is a series of several more things the Old Lady has eaten.

Goodnight Moon has become a classic to read to children at bedtime. I've read this story so many times to my kids that I memorized it. Now, when they ask for a bedtime story, if we can't find this book in the crazy mess that is their bedroom, I can tell it to them anyway.

Amelia Bedelia always gets a laugh from kids as she tries so hard to get things right which somehow turns into an incredible mess. She has a good heart and does her best.

Ages 9 - 12

The Harry Potter series. Enough said, really. There's something about these books that hook kids of all ages and even adults. I'm proof of that. I took a year to read the entire series to my kids at bedtime and they loved every volume.

Anything by Lloyd Alexander. However, I'd start with The Chronicles of Prydain. This is a series of fantasy books that truly capture your imagination.

I also fell completely in love with the Vesper Holly series. She's like a female Indiana Jones who has some incredible adventures.

R.L. Stine is famous for his immense Goosebumps series. He's known as the Stephen King of children's literature. I discovered him with his Fear Street series which I think are more for teens, but worth mentioning.

What paranormal fan would not fall in love with a vampire bunny rabbit? I devoured the Bunnicula series when I was a kid and now my kids read them.

A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett are both considered classic children's novels and rightly so. Both stories tugged at my heart and I fell in love with the characters.

Teenagers

All of Judy Blume's books are amazing, but Tiger Eyes captured me at the most vulnerable moment of my childhood; after my mother's death. I connected deeply with the characters.

I'm not one hundred percent certain, but I do believe that The Three Musketeers hooked me onto classic literature. Up until this point, I hated being forced to read literature for school. After reading this (on my own, this book wasn't an assignment), I realized that these books survived through the generations of readers for a reason. They are really, really good! I quickly moved onto Dickens, Austen, Wilde, Shakespeare and the Bronte sisters as well as a bunch of others because of this book.

Which brings me to Emma by Jane Austen. This was the first Jane Austen book I read. I'm so glad that I picked this one first. This story really captured me. I was entranced by her writing and really felt like I was living life alongside Emma as she tried to play matchmaker. Out of all of Austen's books, I know many readers who love Pride & Predjudice, but my absolute favorite is Persuasion, followed quickly by Sense & Sensibility.

I was pulled into Jane Eyre's story by page one. This book was a page turner for me and opened me up to the darker side of literature. It's a haunting love story that will forever remain in your heart and mind.

I actually fell in love with The Hobbit when I was in 6th grade. My Reading teacher, Miss Dries, had us read the story aloud during class and then we watched the animated movie after we finished. I loved Bilbo, Gandalf and Thorin.

Not long after, I began reading The Lord of the Rings. I was a little disappointed that the main character was no longer Bilbo, but his nephew, Frodo. But, I forged ahead. Until I got to the point where something tragic happens to Gandalf. I won't say what. Spoilers for those who haven't read it, yet. I was so upset that I completely stopped reading the story. I just couldn't continue. My heart was shattered.

Years later, The Lord of the Rings was released as an epic three-part movie directed by Peter Jackson. I wanted to see it, despite knowing what happened to Gandalf (or at least, I thought I knew what happened!). As I watched The Fellowship of the Ring in the movie theater, I remember getting to the scene with Gandalf and then afterward, I didn't know what happened next. I hadn't finish reading the book! It was nail biting to watch.

After I finished watching the movie, I went home and immediately began reading the books again. And I'm so glad I did! The books are amazing! The movies are incredible, but there's so much more in the books. I devoured each one and then reread The Hobbit again.

I read the Emily series by Katie Maxwell, aka Katie Macalister, when I was an adult working at Waldenbooks. I thought they were hilarious and I knew many teenagers who read and loved them. Recently, I saw that Katie has rewritten and updated Emily's life for a more mature audience with You Auto-Complete Me. I haven't read it, yet. It's on my TBR list.

 

Again, I discovered Kelley Armstrong in my 20's while working at Waldenbooks, but I continue to read every single one of her books which includes her young adult series Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising. I think, as a teen, I would have devoured these books.


There you go! I hope you might have found something to capture your interest and imagination! Until next time!

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I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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Happy Reading!

~Tricia