Read-a-holic Me

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Reading, sitting in a corner of the couch with a cup of tea or coffee, with Timmi napping on his pillow, is my happy place. Currently, I'm reading a Jane Foster - Valkyrie Marvel comic compilation, and also a fantasy book involving magic. I just finished a science fiction work dealing with the nature of reality. I have Kindle books, paperback books, and graphic novels, and like all the types. If it challenges my assumptions and makes me think about life, death, the future, or is a puzzling mystery, I am ready to be sucked in. 

I go into an alternate universe, and the normal universe moves on around me. My mother gave me that, I guess. Once, when we lived in a two-story house, we kids were upstairs, and Mama was sitting at the kitchen table downstairs reading. She didn't notice the flood until it reached over the tops of her shoes. Oops!

It's not just something to do alone, either. I love when I can find a kindred spirit. Comics and superheroes - I have a group of friends for that. Science fiction? A few friends for that. Mysteries? Norway has a real culture behind that. As a matter of fact, 'crime' is a big part of Easter vacation here! Everyone takes their mysteries up to their cabins for that week.

I have lists of books on paper or on my devices, and I keep picking up books at the 'phone booth mini-libraries'. (Read all about it! The link tells their story.) The good thing about those phone booths is that you're supposed to *trade* books. So my pile of books I have finished goes back to the phone booth, instead of growing over my whole apartment.

I can delve into genealogical crime mysteries, learning about the ways people lived and treated each other, and how we can use DNA to solve cold cases. Nathan Dylan Goodwin is my absolute favorite author of those. 

What about learning Norwegian? My favorite crime fiction writer here is Gunnar Staalesen, and his Varg Veum series. His books are being translated into English more and more, and are available on Kindle. 

How could I not mention my current favorite science fiction author? John Scalzi has such a skewed sense of humor that I can't help but love his stories. For you Trekkies, remember how the Enterprise crew members with red shirts always died on away missions? Read "Redshirts" where Scalzi imagines that the crew has figured it out, and they don't want to die. Spoiler alert: the link tells too much if you haven't read it yet. His blog Whatever is the reason I am writing weekly posts here on my blog.

I haven't mentioned comics yet, and that's because they vary all over the types of literature, from fun and silly (Lumberjanes by Stevenson, Ellis, Watters, & Allen) to superheroes (mainly Marvel) to graphic novels (Chivalry by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran). All they have in common is that they are not text-based.

What are your favorite reads? Please tell in the comments.