Cover to Cover

Are you a book worm? Do you love reading books? Paperbacks or hardcovers? Do you have to read a "real" book, feeling and turning pages? Or...have you converted to those electronic readers and can't go back? How do you decide which book to read? Do you look at the best seller's list? Or get recommendations from friends?  Are you a member of Goodreads? Do you have a routine for figuring out which book to read?

Here's mine.

My first go-to method of selecting the next book is to read books from authors I know and trust. That way I know I can't go wrong. Second, I get recommendations from friends and teachers. At my school, every teacher has to post what they're reading outside their door with a picture of the book cover. Talk about free advertising! All you have to do is walk through the hallways, and the recommendations never stop. Also, it is not uncommon to hear me talking to the teacher across the hall, during transitions, about what she's reading and getting a quick summary of her book.

Another way I love selecting books is just browsing through a book store, like Barnes & Noble, or the book section of Sam's Club or Target, for example.  I let my eye wander from hardcovers to paperbacks, and if I see something with an interesting title, I reach for it and let my fingers do the walking. I read the summary and if I like what I see, I have to read the first sentence of the first chapter. If that doesn't entice me, the book goes right back on the shelf.  Finally, I check out the recommendations on a best seller's list or see what people are reading on Goodreads.

I love to read! Nothing excites me more than ending a very long day with a good book...in bed.  I love getting inside the minds of characters, wondering how they think and feel, and why they make the choices they do.

For the longest time, I have been a fan of "real" books. I just love feeling a book and turning its pages. I never thought I would ever love reading an electronic book, that's until I downloaded Kindle for my iPad! I admit, it took me a couple of books on my iPad before I became a true converter. But I still love reading a book...the old fashioned way. The book I'm reading now is a hardcover, and I think there's nothing better than spending the day on a beach reading a paperback. Nothing!

Here's a top ten list of some of my all time favorites...in no particular order:

1. The Kite Runner
2. A Thousand Splendid Suns
3. Redeeming Love
4. The Notebook
5. Winter Garden
6. Where We Belong
7. Secret Daughter
8. Gone Girl
9. Hunger Games
10. Firefly Lane

Please drop me a line about your favorites, how you go about selecting yours, or send me any recommendations you have.

Cover to cover, books make good companions and great gifts.

Happy reading!