Hi! My name is Patricia and I’m addicted to reading. My drug of choice is mystery/suspense novels. I confess; it’s true. I can’t stop! (Not that I want to.) If I don’t get my daily “fix” of at least an hour or two, you don’t even want to be around me. Fortunately, that seldom happens because reading is a priority for me; it’s a very important part of my life. Give me a good mystery/suspense novel and I’m content. Try to take that book from me and, well, I don't recommend doing that.
The books I own are among my most treasured
possessions. Fiction is magic; it opens up new worlds and gives us the
opportunity to escape the realities of our everyday lives and immerse ourselves
in someone else’s story. While I enjoy watching TV and movies, there’s nothing
like reading a good book. Reading allows me to use my own imagination. I can
visualize the characters and the settings instead of having someone else do it
for me. It’s a much more personal, fulfilling experience.
When someone tells me they don’t like to read, my
mouth falls open. I’m shocked! I envision all kinds of scenarios. Maybe no one
read to them when they were a child. Maybe no one encouraged them to read. Or maybe,
someone made fun of them for having their nose stuck in a book. My heart goes
out to them. How sad is that? I can’t imagine going through life without
reading. Non-readers have no idea what they’re missing and how much books could
enrich their lives.
My mother was one of those people; she's never been much of a reader but, when
my first novel was published, of course, she read it. (After all, I am her daughter.) Then she read my second
book. Since then, she’s read two novels by Mary Higgins Clark and she’s currently
reading a third – and waiting for my third novel too, she says. Now, she loves to read.
Is there someone you know who hasn’t discovered the joy of reading? Do they have a birthday coming up? Why not buy them a book in whatever genre you think they might like? There’s something for everyone: Sci-fi, Romance, and, of course, Mystery. You could be giving them the gift that lasts a lifetime.
Is there someone you know who hasn’t discovered the joy of reading? Do they have a birthday coming up? Why not buy them a book in whatever genre you think they might like? There’s something for everyone: Sci-fi, Romance, and, of course, Mystery. You could be giving them the gift that lasts a lifetime.
The best of all addictions, says this happy fellow addict.
ReplyDeleteI agree, John. Happy Reading!
DeleteWhat astounds me most is when I'm doing a signing at B&N and people walk by and I ask them if they read mysteries (my opening line), and they say they don't read. Huh? They don't read? I *want* to say, then what are you doing in a bookstore? But I don't. I like this quote by, I forget: A person who doesn't read is no better off than one who can't read. It's important!
ReplyDeleteLove the quote, Kaye. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteReading is as necessary as food and exercise. It provides both escape and intimate engagement. Nobody got hurt reading, or hurt anybody else in the process. What a gentle, stimulating addiction. So read on, Pat, read on!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, John. I have no intention of stopping. :)
DeleteI can't imagine a home without books. In our house, there are books in every room, some even stacked along the stairs. With books one can be taught or transported to other places, even introduced to a whole new culture. Most of all, books stimulate your mind and feed your soul.
ReplyDeleteRosemary,
DeleteI live in a "one" bedroom apartment with "two" full bookcases and lots of other books in closets and a cabinet. If I had to choose between giving up my books or my TV, bye bye TV!
Reading has always been an important part of my life as well. I would much rather read a book than watch TV. As a child, my mother would regularly take me to the library where we would both take advantage of the "treasures" provided there. It was an exciting adventure.
ReplyDeleteFor those who might be interested, I currently have a free giveaway for one of my mystery novels now in a paperback edition, The Inferno Collection, offered on the blog http://www.authenticparent.org/
But this will only be for three more days.
Jacqueline,
DeleteI loved the library at my elementary school and I went there as often as possible. In the summertime, a bookmobile came to the school and my mother would often take me. All fond memories!
BTW, way to promote! :)
Pat,
ReplyDeleteI forgot the bookmobile. Ours actually came down our alley and parked in the alley at the end of the block. It was wonderful. It brought the world to us.
Pat, we read to all of our kids, and all but one son became avid readers That one son had difficulty learning to read and never really liked it because of that. He read what he had to in school, and that's about it. Now he travels to work on the "L" and it takes him over an hour to get there. One day I gave him a sci-fi paperback to read on the "L". Well, he's now an avid reader of sci-fi and thrillers and carries a book to work with him every day. He also reads loads of books to his son now. So, as you can see, better late than never! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're exactly right, Mary. Better late than never. It took my mom 83 years to become a reader.
DeleteI come from a family of avid readers and I've passed the habit on to my daughter. My husband doesn't read because he doesn't have the patience to sit down with a book. Well, he does read mine, but I think it's kind of a forced march. LOL Excellent post! It's nice to hear from the reader side of a writer.
ReplyDeleteMarja McGraw
It's funny, Marja. Neither my mom nor my dad was a reader when I was growing up. In spite of that, I've been addicted to reading for as long as I can remember. I often wondered if I was dropped off on their doorstep. LOL
DeleteLoved this post, Patricia, and loved your line "My drug of choice is mystery/suspense novels." I have several friends who love to read, but their eyesight has failed them. Fortunately, audiobooks are becoming more and more available and they've been able to keep on "reading"! Without books and TV(admittedly also a TV addict), and my dogs, I'd be lost. Oh yeah, (smiles) and my hubby!
ReplyDeleteGreat post,
Madeline
Madeline,
DeleteI have a cousin who also has failing eyesight and she "reads" audiobooks too. Hard to imagine when, years ago, people didn't have that option. I guess, sometimes, we don't realize how fortunate we are to be living in the age of technology. You won't hear me say that though when my computer is acting up. :)
Great post, Patricia. You and I are on the same drug high. I also love reading mystery/suspense novels; anywhere from cozy to romantic, as long as there's a mystery to solve. I have to get in at least a half-hour of reading before I can fall asleep at night.
ReplyDeleteThat's something else we have in common, Evelyn. I do my reading in bed before I go to sleep at night too. If I'm watching TV, I turn it off an hour and a half before bedtime so I have ample time to read.
DeleteGreat subject for this addicted reader, Patricia. I would read more books but I get hung up on newspapers -- New York Times and local, magazines like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and writing magazines (I teach, so I keep up with those). I read lots more nonfiction than fiction, by choice. But it's all reading. It's all good!
ReplyDelete