B is for Books #AtoZChallenge

If you ask me "what is your favorite smell, Lisa?" . . .I would answer "the smell of old books - like in an old library."  I've loved to read since I was a mere child (I've always wanted to write that - mere child!).  When I was a kid, we walked or rode our bikes to the local library.  I can close my eyes and remember where everything was in that library.  In the summer, I would ALWAYS sign up for the summer reading program and my goal was to WIN.  I wanted to read more books than anyone else! 

I've always read for all sorts of reasons - I read because I enjoy it; I read for escape; I read to procrastinate; I read to make the time on the stationary bike go by quickly; I read if I'm lonely; I read to learn new things; I read because I have to read to teach a Sunday School lesson, etc.

The story is told by my sister-in-law that on the day Mark and I were getting married, I was all dressed in my wedding finery sitting in a corner of the bride's room at Trinity reading a book.  What can I say?  I like to read.

I was thinking about the various books I've read over the years.  I tend to read thrillers and mysteries.  My kids used to ask my why all my books had blood and knives, etc. on the cover.  I finished a book tonight that was downright disturbing.  I've been reading books by James Patterson for years and I've LOVED most of them but I only finished tonight's book because I made myself.  The name of the book is Never Never. 

Alabama has produced some great authors.

Have you read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg?  She has written several other books, too.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was required reading in our schools.  I met someone last year who was good friends with Harper Lee and had dinner with her regularly.  How cool to be able to namedrop Harper Lee?

Have you read All Over but the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg?

Years ago, I read 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey by Kathryn Tucker Windham.  She came to speak at an event at our church one time when I was a young stay-at-home mom.

One of my favorite authors from Alabama is Anne George.  She wrote a series of books about the southern sisters and I would laugh OUT LOUD when I was reading one of her books.  How can you not laugh when reading a book by the tile of "Murder on a Girl's Night Out"?  She also spoke to our women's group at a luncheon years ago.

This past year, a gentleman in our Sunday School class self-published a book of stories.  For several years, Steve has been emailing his short stories to me.  They are true stories written from the heart.  I love his stories so much that I have an email folder with his name on it!  His stories tell of growing up in Alabama in a very poor family and one of his stories tells of the night his mom died and how the Christmas Eve service at our church came to be.

I love books . . .I love my kindle, too!!  There is not an old book smell when I read my kindle.

Are you a reader?  Do you enjoy books?  Do you have favorite authors from your state?