Introducing Vickie!

I love words. I have been a reader for many years.  From the age of 2 I became fascinated with the written word and was reading fluently by 2 1/2.  The way words paint pictures, transport you to other places and give you insight into what people are thinking has kept me spellbound even nearly 50 years later.  Early in my life I realized that my mother used certain words when angry, frustrated and happy.  She would stress certain syllables when making a point and always called me by my full name when I was in trouble. But for all my love of words I am no writer
I love books. I though holding a book and smelling it was one of the best things in the world, until my son gifted me with a Kindle in 2012. That was Nirvana.  Now I can read anywhere, anytime, any book and still have access to my dictionary. I believe that writers are a special breed and a gift to humanity. But there are writers, storytellers and world-builders. Writers put words to paper and paint a picture. Sometimes we get the picture and sometimes we can barely discern it.  Storytellers don’t care too much about the words they care about the story.  They want to leave you with a tale that resonates and you want to be part of it.  Then the worldbuilders create new worlds that suck you in and make you want to go there.  They paint pictures, tell stories and offer you a view of something magical.  Few writers are worldbuilders but that does not diminish the skill or talent of the others.

I read for fun.  I do not read to be afraid, scared witless or feel hurt.  Although I read biographies I hardly ever want to read about people who are still living their story.  Although I recently finished “Born a crime” by Trevor Noah and was thoroughly enchanted.  It was practically a fantasy book for me. I appreciate books that take me away from my life (which is pretty great btw) and transport me into magic. I love fantasy books. They represent for me a world I wish I could see and visit.  I love romance.  I appreciate happy endings more than sad endings but and enduring romance is a thing to be admired.  I love dragons.  I would love to see a dragon even if I am eaten by it after.  So, can you imagine how delighted I am when I read a good fantasy romance book about dragons. *sigh*

I do have a problem with books though.  There is a present epidemic of poorly written, grammatically incorrect and endless typos in online books. I know that we are all human and make mistakes but isn’t that why we have beta readers and editors.  I am not a grammar police but poor writing and bad grammar halts the story for me and brings me back the real world with a jerk.

I have a book buddy.  She is very much like me, except she loves bad boy, shifters and erotica books. Sometimes we don’t see eye to eye on the books we read. I need an outlet for my book highs and this blog it.  This is all about me reading books and sharing my thoughts.  It’s not about the authors, it’s not even about the book itself but it’s about the stories.  Sometimes we miss some great stories in some of the most foolish sounding names for a book for example “Venomous” by Penelope Fletcher.  Sometimes a higher revelation can be seen in some of the most unlikely books, like “New Species” by Laurann Dohner and PSy/Changeling by Nalini Singh. I like to read New Authors and watch them move from being writers to being great storytellers and when they attain the level of worldbuilders it is amazing.

I hope I have whetted you appetite for more and that you will join me on my amazing journeys into world never seen, experiences that are too fabulous and people we learn to love because we travelled with them to outer space or between the darkness or under the seas.  Come on let’s read!!!!