Lizzy's Bookshelf

Reading is my escape hatch. I read when I'm bored and I read when I'm stressed. Sometimes I need to forget about my troubles and worry about someone else's. Books give me that. Instead of worrying about the presentation I have to give the following day, I can spend my time worrying about the Fae invading our world turning order into chaos. How can I worry about cleaning the bathroom when the battle between two warring Highland Clans can change the course of history?

I need my mini vacations. Without them I turn into the "Wicked Witch of the West." If you don't believe me, just ask my students.

They know I keep my broomstick hidden in the closet.

I read a lot of books across a wide variety of genres but I have a special fondness for a good mystery. I try to figure out "who did it" before the author tells me "who done it."

Sometime I succeed, other times not.

Mysteries used to be divided into three basic categories or sub-genres, the cozy, soft boiled mysteries, and hard boiled mysteries. The classification was based on the degree of violence and little else.

While I'll read just about any mystery I can get my hands on, my personal favorites are the humorous amateur sleuth mysteries. My Mother's Shoesis an amateur sleuth mystery and I laughed the whole time I was writing it. As the first book I published, it holds a place in my heart and on my bookshelf.

There are hundreds of mysteries to choose from and my favorite authors scheduled releases are marked on my calendar. Every now and then I'll come across a new author with an awesome mystery. Peril in Paradise was one such mystery. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to Marty Ambrose's next release.

I started reading science fiction/fantasy romances a few years ago. It wasn't intentional. It started with a book my husband brought home from a book exchange. It was Dark Prince by Christine Feehan. I read the blurb and turned up my nose.

Carpathians? Vampires?

Nope. It was not my style. I ended up reading Dark Princeone raining afternoon. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Since then I've read all of Christine Feehan's Dark Series and am impatiently waiting for the next book. Dark Slayer was released on September first. It was incredible! The best Carpathian Novel yet.

Dark Slayer



Dark Slayer


Dark Peril
Dark Peril will be released on August 31st. I wish it was coming out sooner, but that's nothing new. Authors can't write as fast as I can read.

John Sandford is another one of my favorite authors. His Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport is incredible. I keep thinking he can top the last book but he does it again and again. Sandford has another series now, an off shoot from the Prey series featuring Virgil Flowers. The main characters in the Prey series are in there, but the story is not built around them.

John Sandford just released a new book, Rough Country . Its from his Virgil Flowers Series. I'm looking forward to reading it, but I need to wait for the weekend. Once I start reading, I won't put it down.

Word of Caution!

Sandford's books have a lot of graphic violence in them.

There are times when life gets the better of me. Most working women have an intimate understanding of stress. I'm no different. Some days I can't seem to set it aside. I'm bogged down with worries, stresses, and exhaustion. On evenings like that, focusing on a new story is impossible.

That's when I reach for an "oldie but goodie." I need to read a book that is lighthearted and fun, or a tangled romance that leads to the "happy ever after." I have a shelf full of books that I call my "stress busters"

They are easy reading
Lighthearted and fun
I know the story and how it ends
I can open the book to any page and start reading

They never let me down.

Last year I got a friend hooked on Christine Feehan's Carpathian Series. When school started this fall she brought in a series of books she discovered over the summer. They were vampire romances but a little more hard core than the Carpathian series. I started reading one, but it was too confusing. I just couldn't get into it. When I told my friend that I was returning her books and why, she told me that they had to be read in series. At least the first book had to be read first.

I tried again.. I have to confess, three pages in and I was hooked. I've read the entire series through twice now and will pick up the books to add to my collection. They're just as good the second and third time through as they were the first.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series is written by J.R. Ward. The newest book in the series, Lover Unleashed, was released in April, 2011. Click on the link below to read my review.
Lover Unleashed-Review

I am a teacher by day and a writer by night. I started writing on a dare ten years ago and ended up having a blast. As a career, writing never occurred to me, but once I started writing I wasn't willing to give it up. My decision to continue teaching and keep my writing a part time endeavor is complicated and not something I don't want to get into now, but I knew that if I wanted to continue writing and eventually publish, I had a lot to learn.

I have read hundreds of books on writing over the years, but I always migrate back to the same three. They may not be the best, but they are the ones that keep me focused and at the computer every day.

Engineers continue to study and learn...

Accountants read up on the new tax laws with the New Year...

Doctors have their journals...

I read for pleasure, but I also look to books to find the answers to those questions that boggle the mind. With the changing economic climate, my husband and I knew we had to make some changes. Retirement is sneaking up on us and we're not prepared. Taking control of our finances took on new meaning.

In an effort to learn what I should have learned years ago, I have been reading, or trying to read every personal finance book I could get my hands on. Unfortunately most were geared toward financial professionals (at least someone smarted than me.) I didn't understand the half of it. And then my future daughter-in-law recommended On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance. It was written for the younger set, but I got a lot out of it. I recommend it for anyone looking to get a handle on their finances.

On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance holds an honored spot on my bookshelf and I give it as a gift every chance I get.

Bird Watching is a big part of my life. I want to recognize the birds I see. With that comes the driving need to understand their behavior, recognize their songs, and how they have impacted society.

Do you know why the Tundra Swan is called the whistling swan?

The Passenger Pigeon is extinct. Do you know why?

What about the Mockingbird? Why do they sing so many different songs?

Did you know the Hummingbird can fly upside down and backwards?

Where did the term "Crazy as a Loon" come from?

How do you Attract Songbirds to your yard?

When I pick up a book I lose myself between the pages. Sometimes I read for pleasure, other times I'm looking for information. But buying three to five books a week is not realistic. I have a library card and I use it. There are some books, like my favorite author's books, that I will always buy, but I stop by the library once or twice a week. Use the library. It is a wonderful resource and in most places it's free.

Whether you buy a book or borrow one from the library, give reading a try. It's the best mini vacation on the market today.