Hello my lovelies!  My recent post, September TBR, was my first post on this blog and I was so excited to share that with you.  But now I want to rewind a step and share a little bit about me.  And since I am in the bookish mood, why not share my top 10 bookish facts about myself.

I started to actually like reading when I was in third grade after a teacher read Harry Potter to me.

I know I probably read those Disney books when I was little and I remember reading Archie comic books, but third grade was when my reading took off.

The longest reading slump I’ve had lasted from July 2010 to November 2011.

I specifically remember those dates because it was the month after I graduated high school and I had to start working to help support my family.  Even after I moved out from my parents and I took whatever books I could grab, I was too focused on becoming an adult and really living it up and reveling in the freedom.  And live it up I did.  I had went so far beyond the person that I had wanted to become and it took a harsh reality check for me to realize that I was only truly happy when I was reading and writing.  That November my husband (then boyfriend) urged me to find a hobby beyond partying and going wild.  And so I reverted back to reading and have been happier ever since.

I must have a TBR for every month even if I don’t stick to it completely.  It helps motivate me to read.

Lord knows that I have a hard time keeping to a TBR, as I am like the dog in UP that yells “Squirrel!”  I get so distracted.  However, if I don’t have a stack of books looking at me, I don’t feel that push to really make me read.

I get most of my book recommendations from YouTubers.

I love going to a book store to browse the shelves, as a lot of times I buy based on the pretty covers.  However, all the hype that some of these books get on YouTube is what really sells me on buying them.  When I go to the bookstore, I usually have my husband and step-daughter in tow so my time is limited.  But when I’m watching YouTube, I have all the time in the world.  I usually have YouTube up on one tab, and Amazon up on another so I can just fill my cart up as I watch.

I prefer reading paperback to hardcover.

Hardcovers are pretty to look at and of course most new releases come out in hardcover first.  However, I love the feel of a paperback as I don’t have to take the cover off to preserve it so I can look at the cover art whenever I want.  Paperbacks are usually easier to lug around as well and I love the pliability of a paperback.  That isn’t to say, though, if I want to read the hottest YA Fantasy best-seller, I’m not going to wait a year to buy it in paperback.  I’m going to pick myself up a hardcover and dive in to that sucker.

My favorite author is Lisa Kleypas.

After my long hiatus from books, I was super nervous that I wouldn’t be able to dive back in to reading.  The first book I picked up was Seduce Me At Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas and I read the entire book in one day.  After that I began to devour her books, eventually leading me to venture beyond romance.  I love her writing and her characters are all so unique and lively.  When I’m reading one of her books, I find that it takes me no time at all to dive into the story.

The book that holds the most meaning for me is my original copy of Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb.

Growing up, I loved the school library and that was where I got most of my books.  During the summer I didn’t have access to a library and couldn’t purchase any, so it was always a sad time for me.  One summer, though, my mother gave me and my brothers each a book so we would stay out of her hair on those days we couldn’t play outside.  My brother read the first 17 pages of his book and threw it aside, eager to play video games.  Lucky for me, because that book was a life saver.  The first large chapter book I read (beyond Harry Potter) was Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb.  I reread that one book every summer to help me stay sane.  I took it everywhere with me and it slowly started falling apart.  One day my mother discovered it and threw part of it away.  Thank the heavens I was the one assigned trash duty that day.  I taped it up and snuck it back to my room where it stayed hidden for years.  It really is in the worst shape ever for a book, and I’ve purchased two different cover editions of it but I will never get rid of that book.  It holds too many memories for me.

I used to think that book genres were classified by age, so when I graduated high school I felt that I would be looked down on for reading YA and went right to romance.

Going to the book store, I’d never seen adults shopping in the YA section nor in the Middle Grade section.  I remember books like Harry Potter, Twilight, and Goosebumps and I didn’t want to be judged for reading and liking them.  Oh, how wrong I was, right?  It wasn’t until I discovered BookTube that I realized there is no real definition on who can read what.  I’ve recently read quite a few YA books that could easily fit in the adult romance section.

I am at times a theme reader (Christmas books in December, horror and mystery in October, light and fluffy contemporary in summer)

I’ve been that way for a while.  I think it’s easier to get into a story based on the environment/seasons.

I am horrible at reviewing books.

Ok, in truth I might not be.  When I see “professional” book reviewers, they seem to have this polished language that is specific to reviewing a novel and for the life of me I can’t master it.  When reviewing books, I spit out whatever is on my mind.  I know I’ll get better eventually the more I do it.  My main problem (which I don’t see as a problem) is that when I’m reading, I’m not trying to analyze the writing or the characters.  When I’m reading I get lost in the story so that looking back, I can only remember the feelings that certain scenes gave me.

I hope you all enjoyed this insight into my reading mind!  This was so much fun and I know I really enjoyed putting this together for you.

Until next time……….