the Secret Life of the Bookworm

I love to read, i have ever since i was a little girl. My dad and i would cuddle and he would read to me until i was old enough to read to him. I still remember the first book we ever read together: BFG by Roald Dahl. I remember being impressed with myself every time i was able to read one of his crazy made up words, and the smile my dad would get on his face when i would read a difficult word without having to sound it out.

In Jr High and High School i would hide the fact that i would carry around books, and i didn't tell people, but i LOVED that my high school had a mandatory reading period. Other kids would groan every single day, and i would join in, but have my book in my hand ready to go before the bell rang. Sometimes when i didn't feel like going out with my friends, i would tell them i was too busy with homework, or that my parents were 'making' me stay in and i would hide out in my room with snacks and read for hours. I get frustrated on the stretches where i have to work back to back shifts because my only opportunity to read is during my never long enough lunch breaks, or leave my husband in the living room to snuggle with our animals and read a few hours before we have to go to bed.

Its a bittersweet thing that the books stores are closing all around us. I was very happy to still have a Borders close to where i work, and even though i have a kindle (and i love it probably more than i should) i would sometimes walk around on my lunch breaks and just be around the books. I know that probably sounds strange, but its something i must have gotten from my dad. There is a little thrill that comes from perusing the different sections and the treasure hunt of a new book. My favorite experiences doing this have always been when i was travelling and came across a little ma and pa shop, i think it has to due with the atmosphere. Does anyone understand what I'm describing or do i sound like a total loser?

Early on in our relationship (back when he did stuff because he was still trying ha ha) we would lie together and read aloud to one another. The funny part of this story was that it was the first Harry Potter (if that tells you how long ago this was) but he was never really into it, he just did it to make me happy. Now, i carry books (or my kindle) around with me everywhere i go because you never know when you are going to get a chance to read. I am still made fun of for our trip to Chicago when everyone was in awe of the buildings around us and the city... and this is what i was doing...

I am not embarrassed to say i was reading Twilight for the first time (all the books had already been published- i usually think I'm not going to like something if everyone is obsessed with it but my little sister Lili dared me to read the first book on the plane and i spent the rest of my trip tracking down the other 3 in various Walmarts haha)

I don't know why i am obsessed with reading books that are movies, but it is one of those things i almost cant stop myself from doing. As soon as i see a preview for a movie that was based on a book i am all consumed in finding that book and reading it before the movie comes out. Most of the time i think it makes watching the movie or tv show better, (like Twilight, Harry Potter, Pretty Little Liars, Dear John, Revolutionary Road, and I'm sure i will be adding the Help to that list once i see it). There have only been a few times where i have been disappointed, but i was also disappointed with the book so it was no surprise (i am referring to the Lovely Bones which got all this attention, and in my opinion sucked!)

I am also obsessed with books written by celebrities. Its a known quirk of mine that i love celebrities and am all knowing of their lives. They also tend to be really great writers. Some that surprised me and turned out to be some of my favorites are Chelsey Handler, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, Lauren Conrad, and Lucielle Ball - just to name a few.

To conclude my all over the place taste in books (my iPod artists would reflect this as well) i also love the books that you wouldn't hear about on tv or in magazines, because you have to discover them yourself. The unknowns, as i like to refer to them. To list them would be pointless, since no one has heard of them lol but i have found some real gems by trusting the description on the back cover.

All this is a result of my latest visit to the going out of business Boarders near me. I picked up 6 books and paid less than $40 for them. I am happy my pocketbook is not empty, but i am sad that soon i wont have the option to explore the books, to feel them, smell them, and just get lost in the unknowns... What kind of books is everyone else into? What is it that you like to read?

Here is my 'que' of books if you will that i have scored from going to the closing sale every paycheck... its quite long and it doesn't include the multitude of books i have downloaded onto my kindle waiting to be read...

"The Wedding Girl" by Madeline Wickham (she is also known as Sophie Kinsella)
"Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" by Emily Giffin
"My Booky Wook" by Russell Brand
"The Day I Shot Cupid" by Jennifer Love Hewitt
"The Suicide Index" by Joan Wickersham
"The No Asshole Rule" by Robert Sutton (to help me with my management skills)
"My Horizontal Life" by Chelsea Handler
"Mean Little Deaf Queer" by Terry Galloway
"The Private John Lennon" by Julia Baird (his sister)
"The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis (this is the only one i didn't wait until i saw the movie)
"One Day" by David Nicholls

I am also looking for the book that inspired 'i love you phillip morris' but i have been unsuccessful... At some point i need to finish the many books that i have started to write myself but get stuck and move on to the next. One day i suppose i will finish one and then maybe i will become an unknown ;)

Which one should i read first?