just me, my books, and my double gulp of sprite

I'm a reader. This facet of my personality has been in place since I was a wee one sitting on my mother's bed reading Horton Hatches the Egg by the all knowing Dr. Seuss. I love books. Nothing can go wrong if I have a good book in my bag. A book for a present will never be turned down.

I especially love used books. And libraries. They smell like the homes of grandparents the world over.

In my life I have read A LOT of books. I spent the last three years of my pre-married life as a nanny. Then I got smart and got a kid of my own. Do you know how quickly kids get tired of having the same story read to them? (Unless it is a favorite) Here's a hint: Walter and I go through about 15 books per week.

I am not a genre snob. I will read anything: non-fiction, general fiction, science fiction, young adult fiction, children's books, mysteries...wait. I take that back. I avoid romance novels.

I have no shame in fighting children for books at the library. In fact, right now I have three books on hold that are children's literature. No shame.

I do not fault an author for writing a book that I just don't like. And if he writes another book, I'll give it a go. I do fault an author for two books that should never have been published. And sometimes, I fault their editors and the people who read them. (You know who you are, Eragon series editor.)

I have favorites that I will always go back to and I live to laugh at David Sedaris' work. Good gracious man alive I live to read his work. I also live to read the Arts section of The New York Times.

So when I ate three bites of bad chicken last night and spent the rest of the evening feeling the effects, I happily finished The Soloist by Mark Salzman and picked up the second book in Rick Riordan's series Percy Jackson & The Olympians.*

*This is in no way an endorsement for rotten chicken and in every way an endorsement for The Soloist by Mark Salzman. One I wish I was getting paid for so I could go buy non-rotten chicken.