| There are few experiences in life that match | | | | reading to explore. I'm particularly drawn to online |
| curling up with a good book and losing yourself in | | | | bookstores that are the equivalent of independent |
| the lives of the characters, the exotic settings, | | | | brick and mortar bookstores - those that have a |
| and the twists and turns of a compelling plot. | | | | depth of selection within many different genres, |
| Reading continues to be one of the great joys in | | | | but that don't purport to stock every book ever |
| my life, and I so appreciate the effort that | | | | published. I've found that the mega online |
| authors put into crafting their work. | | | | bookstores are difficult to browse; keyword |
| As I've gotten older, though, I've found that I am | | | | searches bring up unrelated titles and I have to |
| more apt to read fiction, and to stick to a set of | | | | dig through all of the wannabes in order to find |
| authors that I know and love, or to a single genre | | | | the gems I'm looking for. |
| of books. Personally, my great escape isn't in | | | | So far, my quest to expand my reading horizon |
| literature, but in what I term "junk food for the | | | | has led me to read non-fiction books like |
| mind" - reasonably well-written murder mystery | | | | biographies (one on Rosa Parks was a favorite) |
| novels. I enjoy taking the journey with the author | | | | and autobiographies (Madame Secretary, by |
| down one dead end lead after another, reading | | | | Madeline Albright is a winner), as well as African |
| with bated breath as the protagonist extracts | | | | American titles like Black Trials, which traces a |
| himself or herself from harm's way, and finally | | | | path of civic identity through the prism of the |
| understanding how all of the puzzle pieces fall | | | | legal system. I've even read a graphic novel. It |
| together and point the finger at the book's true | | | | wasn't to my taste, but I can at least say I've |
| culprit. | | | | given the genre a try. I've also found a new |
| Although I absolutely adore this genre, I also | | | | delight in children's books. Some of the classics are |
| know that I'm limiting myself in my reading | | | | as good as I remembered, and there are new |
| choices. That's why my New Year's Resolution | | | | authors proving that children's books can, indeed, |
| this year was to expand my universe and read | | | | be considered literature. |
| books that I wouldn't have even glanced at | | | | I'm enjoying fulfilling my New Year's resolution, |
| twelve months ago. Because I've never been | | | | and look forward to browsing my favorite online |
| fond of browsing the aisles of a bookstore, I've | | | | bookstore for more ways to expand my literary |
| turned to online bookstores to find new areas of | | | | horizons. |