"She is too fond of books, and it has addled her brain." ~ Louisa May Alcott

It's true, I have had a lifelong friendship with books and, yes, sometimes I feel like I'm losing my mind although the two may or may not be connected. I can't ever remember a time when I wasn't reading, whether it was solving mysteries with Nancy Drew, having coffee in a hollow tree with Pippi Longstocking or keeping an eye on naughty Ramona the Pest. Nancy was cool and smart...and looked so fashionable in her pedal pushers. Pippi was spunky and quirky and lived life on her own terms, and Ramona...well, you didn't know if you wanted to spank her or just give her a big hug. I hope girls today are reading books like these and not just (ugh) Strawberry Shortcake and Barbie Fairytopia (gag). I was never into the "princess mentality." I'm old enough to remember petticoats and it ain't pretty.

By junior high I was deep into the adventures of Sam Gribley in "My Side of the Mountain" or the courage of the Indian girl in "Island of the Blue Dolphins." I loved the idea of being able to survive on your own with only your imagination to rely on....and a faithful animal friend, if you're fortunate. And to this day, any book that talks about food in great detail is MY kind of read.

Today, in addition to everything Harry Potter, I am addicted to historical or political thrillers, which I often stay up until 3:00 a.m. reading. I'm a huge fan of anything by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child or James Rollins. I'm fascinated by the cleverness of these types of novels and how sophisticated we're expected to be as readers. Unfortunately, I'm the dork who has to keep going back to the beginning of the book going, "Now, WHO was THAT guy?" or "Ohhh...THAT'S why they want the artifact." Duh. Oh well, they're a great ride.

Well, now I've told you everything you need to know about me. As Pippi says, "Go home now so that you can come back tomorrow. Because if you don't go home, you can't come back, and that would be a shame."