Memberkdenissen

My at-home library was overflowing and in an effort to improve my chi I needed to rid of the clutter. So, I kept my absolute favorite books and all the ones I have not read yet. BUT- I sent most of the books I've already read to a used book store. Unfortunatly this was before I discovered LibraryThing and so those books were not entered here (unless I remember that I read them off the top of my head).

So- my library contains many books that I have at home on a book shelf but that I have not read.

Any book rated and/or with comments are my favorites that I still own and have read or that I read since joining LibraryThing.

From now on I hope to document my reading as I go on LibraryThing BEFORE I send any books back to the used book store!

I've had my nose in a book since I was a little girl. My mother often gave me books only as a special reward because if given one I would not help with chores or leave my room for meals until I completed it. I spent 6 years in college and graduate school and had my fill of nonfiction. I've been on a fiction bender for a few years now. I just love a good story and feel that fiction often reveals and better describes the "real world" better than nonfiction sometimes does.

My favorite author of all time is John Steinbeck and I remember loving The Grapes of Wrath when I read it in a high school English class. I've since read many of his books and have not found one I do not like.

Beyone that, I read more contemporary stuff than classics. I'm an avid Bookmarks magazine reader and am turned on to a lot of good new books that way.

I spend a lot of time on literary fiction and really enjoy Dave Eggers and Johnathon Safran Fore. I'm also a huge fan of Margaret Atwood, Jeanette Winterson, and Barbara Kingsolvers novels (not so much into her memoir/essay stuff but did like High Tide in Tuscon).

I always feel a bit guilty about loving mystery and crime novels because they are not considered to be all that intelligent and pretty light reading. But, I have to say- I love many of them. Maybe it stems from my childhood love of Nancy Drew. I like Agatha Christy and enjoyed Chandler's The Maltese Falcon. Because I live in Minneapolis I am on a mission to read all the John Sandford Prey novels in order and I can usually cruise through one in a day (or I listen to them as books on tape). I am also a big fan of new author Tana French and the adventures of Cassie, Rob and Sam.

I also enjoy reading the occasional book about national or local politics, the state of our democracy, etc.

While there is never a genre I would totally write off, I tend not to read much chick lit, historical fiction (stuff that takes place in the gilded age or with kinks and queens), or sci fi.

Outside of reading, I work in public policy and youth development. I love to cook and hang out with my cats and dog.