My Librarian: Joy

“When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.”  - Desiderius Erasmus

Like food, water, and air, books are one of life’s necessities, at least for me. When I was growing up, one of my favorite characters was Jo March, from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, who loved to read and write as I did. Later, I learned to squeeze my ongoing attraction for British detectives such as Roderick Alleyn and Lord Peter Wimsey into those odd corners of my busy life.

My father would inspect my house whenever he visited, wondering if the weight of all my books had started sinking the foundation. Now my time is stretched thinner than ever before, but I am still creative in making time for mysteries, English women’s novels, and books on writing, since a day without reading feels incomplete.

Fortunately, my work requires extensive reading, so I never feel guilty about sitting down with a book. While I read widely and rarely refuse to try a new genre, I have favorite categories for my personal reading time: British mysteries, World War I fiction, classics, 20th-century women’s novels, Christian life, and writing.

After years of teaching and encouraging others to write, I am finally dabbling in some essay writing with hopes of starting a book in the near future. Baking bread, learning to knit, herb and flower gardening, and watching movies/programs such as A Room with a View, Sherlock, and Downton Abbey fill any leftover hours.

I love to talk about the books I am reading and look forward to helping you find your perfect next read.