Time for another Musing Mondays over at Should Be Reading hosted by Miz B.
Today's question is What kind of books do you like to read? Why? Provide specific examples.
I guess I never really thought to analyze my reading preferences but, when asked this question I had to take a long look at my shelves and see if I could see a trend. Yes, there is definitely a pattern to my reading. I tend to read books about the human condition, lots of family related books, not without conflict but with a definite happy ending. I also tend to read series books and once I decide I like an author, I find I read many of his/her books.
I am not sure why I read series books, or books with sequels, so much but, upon further review, I think I always have. My first "series" books was Honey Bunch's First Visit to Puppyland.
I was quite small when I received this book, I couldn't read it but I remember being read to and liking the concept of "chapters". As an adult I have collected a few more of the Honey Bunch books. Nothing like a collection.
Once I began school, one of my favorite things was the "required" book list we received every September. This was a mimeographed list (anybody remember the purple ink?) of age appropriate books that we were to choose a certain number from, read, and write a book report -- all without prompting from the teacher. We were just supposed to do it and turn it in on our own. I think back, then it was called "responsibility". I don't think it exists anymore. I digress. One of my favorite authors was Kate Seredy and I loved the books in the Good Master series. I loved the covers, the illustrations and the stories. I read them all.
Shortly after my love affair with all these children's books (I still love them, honestly) I stumbled across Shirley Jackson's books after seeing "The Haunting of Hill House" in about 1963 or so. Quite a far cry from The Bobbsey Twins but I couldn't get enough of her writings and while I thoroughly enjoyed "The Haunting" book, I really liked We Have Always Lived in the Castle and have read it more than once. I thought I had acquired all that Jackson had to offer until recently when I discovered another book called The Lottery, published in 1948. My copy includes this title as well as twenty four other short stories. I haven't read it yet because I am caught up in my current series but I think it is the next on my list when I need a break from Aunt Dimity.
As an adult, I still love series books. I have read most of the entire Woman of Substance series as well as Jan Karon's Mitford series.
While I am anxiously awaiting a third book in the Father Tim series, I am enjoying the Aunt Dimity series by Nancy Atherton. I have never been a huge mystery fan but these are really nice little books and aren't so involved as to confuse this easily confused brain! There are fifteen books in the Aunt Dimity series and I am on number five. They are short books and shouldn't take me as long to read them as they do but I am easily distracted. I managed to space them out so that I am reading the "Christmas" book now -- good planning, don't you think?
I would be remiss if I didn't mention Beverly Lewis and all her books about the Amish community in Pennsylvania.
I am not Amish nor do I live in Pennsylvania but I find that I really enjoy these books. I don't know whether it is the inspirational message or the vision of a connected family life that is seems to be diminishing in mainstream American or just the diversion of reading about a culture different from my own but, whatever it is, I find them to be very relaxing reading even though quite predictable.
So, there is my answer -- sorry it is so long!
