Turning To Page 1

Back in my more formidable years, when I was but a freshman in high school, my good pal BS loved to read. He would read before school, during any free periods we were lucky enough to have and at night instead of watching eight hours of television, my preferred form of entertainment back then. I never used to understand what he found so interesting in those pages of text that he thought were more entertaining than my quick wit and sharp sense of humor. It got to a point one day when - and I'll always remember this - I said to him, "BS, you're such a loser with how much you read." As BS was uttering some nonsense about Shakespeare loathing those who dost read so little, I grew tired of his sonnets and headed home to watch the new episode of Charles In Charge.

Fast forward 15 years to the present and oh how the tables have turned! Well, not really turned so much. More like, oh how I have switched my seat at the table. While BS and I are still good friends and he continues to be as much a fan of the written word as he was back in the day, I have followed my buddy's role and have switched from a loather of all things book to a lover of anything bound. I can't get enough of reading. For about the last 8 years, I have been an avid reader. Finishing 2-3 books a week, I will pretty much try any genre of book. Although my preference is heavily tipped towards mass commercial fiction with an emphasis on the mystery/thriller sort (i.e. Lee Child, Michael Connelly, etc...), I have been known to read anything from literary fiction to science fiction to gay detective novels (though I did not much like this last one, not because of the gay-oriented theme but simply because it was predictable and uneventful). I have even incorporated reading into my other passion in life: running. Since learning about books-on-tape and their availability for download on Audible.com, I am now able to listen to a book being read to me whilst out for a jog or two everyday.

Anyways, I have set up this blog as the companion to my running blog, Runners Write. In this sphere of my life, I hope to provide reviews of books I have recently read as well as recommendations as to my favorite books within given genres. You will be able to see what book I am currently reading and listening to as well as the stack of books I cannot wait to begin. I plan to also write about current events as they pertain to reading, authors or other publishing related issues and, possibly, about how books have played a role in my personal life. I hope to write at least 4 posts per week, but I cannot guarantee anything as I am but one man. I hope that you, dear reader, will provide me with your reviews of books I have written about and encourage you to disagree with me where you may and praise me where justified.

Reading means something different to each person. To some, it is simply something you must do while in school. To others, it is a way to kill time. But, to those of you like me who love reading at any opportunity, it is a way to escape reality for even the briefest of times. It is a way to meet new people and hear about their stories (though these people tend to seldom interact with you in a physical way). It is a way to laugh. It is a way to cry. It is a way to smile. It is something that moves you. It is something that makes you think. It is something that is simply to vast to list. It is never the same and can always surprise even the most veteran reader.

But, in my mind at least, that's what makes reading so enjoyable. That's what makes reading so popular to so many people. In the end, that's the great thing about reading.