What You Need To Know About Me

I love books. I've always loved books, and I will always love books. My family and friends recount stories of me reading while I ate dinner or lunch at the table with them, reading as I walked back and forth from the bus stop, reading while I sat in front of the television or computer, and so forth. Many of my memories of growing up include books. I can vividly recall the sensation of being hot and sticky from humid August weather, sitting in front of the fan (which I would turn to face me in defiance of my mom's blow-hot-air-out-of-the-house rule), and reading Sweet Valley High books. I remember snuffling tears into my sleeve at grade school while I read the end of Charlotte's Web. I remember packing six books on a seven day vacation, and reading four more besides. Books are a way of life for me, and I want to share my opinions of them with the world.

Now, saying that, I'm also a judgmental grump. I love a good many books, but I also hate a good many books as well. I don't always (read: rarely) agree with popular opinion, but that shouldn't matter. I will write horribly harsh words about books or shows I adore because I'm all about tough love. I swing wildly from intense praise to jeering rants in moments. I read fantasy, sci-fi, romance, young adult, mystery, and everything between those. I hate being snubbed because people think my reading taste is pedestrian or low-brow. I read romance novels, and the embarrassing kind at that. I'm a recovering fan fiction addict. My favorite book is either Pride and Prejudice or The Westing Game or The Hero And The Crown. My favorite author is Robin McKinley. She should be more famous than she is.

I hate Twilight (or at least the two books I've read of it), I love Harry Potter, and I've never read Da Vinci Code. I do watch television, but I've spent years regretting the end of Veronica Mars and nothing besides a V. Mars movie will ever make it better. I love science fiction and fantasy and superhero movies. I'm a shipper, a romance lover, and a first kiss junkie, but I hate bad romances mixed in with my media. I will often complain to my husband that "the romance was so stupid and obviously added on for what Hollywood believes women want" after we see a movie. Don't include a romance in your work if you can't write a compelling romance.

I want to tell you about the books I like, the books I hate, the books I didn't finish, and the books that I will reread every year from now on. I hope you enjoy my reviews. Don't take them too seriously. I just write them because I love books.