Reading Profile
I have been an avid reader my entire life. I literally cannot remember a time when I wasn't reading a book, or even holding a book. I started off with mysteries and "scary" books at a young age. Specifically, I remember reading a lot of Goosebumps (from the library) and my grandma's old mystery series called The Dana Sisters (written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene) and I never really lost that love for the those types of books. There's something about the thrill and intrigue that has kept me hooked even as an adult. In addition to that, over the more recent years since coming out, I have absolutely fallen in love with LGBTQ+ fiction. I did not have the biggest community when I came out and reading these books helped me feel a little more comfortable in my own skin.
In 2023, I read almost 140 books. This year, I aim to read at least 150 or more. Preferably more, but I had a rough start to the year. Currently, I am reading a few different books, because I literally can't settle. I'm currently reading Pharaohs: The Rulers of Ancient Egypt for Over 3000 Years by Phyllis G. Jestice, The Only One Left by Riley Sager, and re-reading The Walking Dead series by Robert Kirkman. I own more books than I care to count (and more than my fiancé cares for), and my personal library room at home is bursting at the seems currently.
Here are some of my favorites you might want to check out:
Top Five Books of 2023:
- Kiss Her Once for Me by Allison Cochrun (LGBTQ+)
- How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Horror)
- The Most Dangerous Animal of All by Gary L. Stewart (True Crime)
- Mister Magic by Kiersten White (Horror)
- Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney (Mystery)
Top Ten Books of All-Time:
- The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
- The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
- Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney
- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
- The Shining by Stephen King
- Misery by Stephen King
- Dreamcatcher by Stephen King
- Island Time by Georgia Clark
- Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
- The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer
Hi Kayla. I like Goosebumps too as a child. I also read all of V.C. Andrews books when I was younger. I would feel comfortable classifying V.C. Andrews in the horror genre. My home library shelves are also bursting at the seams. I made the hard transition over to kindle and E books. While I love real books, I just don't have the space.
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer,
DeleteI've never been able to really read books on a screen... My attention span blows in those situations. I start just looking at everything else I have up lol. I give you a lot of credit for being able to do so!
Hi Kayla! Wow, I can't imagine being able to read over 30 books in a year, let alone over 100! I'd love to reach that someday, though. I was a big horror book kid, too! I read Goosebumps a bit, but my favorite scary books from elementary school were the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series, and then reading the Skeleton Creek series (and the accompanying videos before Adobe got murked) in middle school.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to read Grady Hendrix for a while. Do you think your favorite would be a good starter, or should I give another of his first go?
Hi Annaliese!
DeleteHow to Sell a Haunted House, honestly was the first book I read by Hendrix and I really enjoyed it. His writing is a little kooky, especially for horror, but it's enjoyable. Another good one that a lot of people like (myself included) is Horrorstor. The premise is basically a haunted Ikea-like store. I've also read We Sold Our Souls, which was pretty good. The one book I've read and had a really hard time with was The Final Girl Support Group, but I think I got hung up on trying to link Hendrix's characters to the real horror movie inspiration. I got way too distracted in that one.
Hi Kayla! I used to watch and read Goosebumps all the time when I was a kid which is funny because I am the biggest wimp now and usually will not touch anything in the horror genre! I am very much a romance and fantasy reader but this class may force me to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. I'm looking forward to reading some of your book reviews this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Allison,
DeleteI've always loved horror. Even as a little kid, I liked being scared like that. But it's not for everyone, I get that. What kind of fantasy do you read? This is a genre I don't delve into as often, and I'm really boggled by some of the high fantasy that comes across my desk at work.
Hi Kayla! I love high fantasy! Generally whenever I pick up a fantasy novel I want it to be in a completely different world. I love learning about new worlds and the powers of the people that live in them. I'm not sure why but low/urban fantasy tends to bore me a little bit. Can't really explain why on that one. There are a few exceptions to that rule and one if them is Cassandra Claire's Shadowhunter series. I started reading them when I was in high school so maybe that is why I still like it but I really love that series. I'm actually re-reading it right now!
DeleteHi Kayla! This year I'd like to get more into horror, so that is one of my genres for class! I've been intrigued by How to Sell a Haunted House. My hold kept lapsing on Libby before I could finish it when it first came out. I am getting ready to start The Only One Left for my thrillers pick! It's been on my list for quite some time. I even made it my book of the month, but just haven't had time to pick it up yet. Happy reading! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mallory!
DeleteI really enjoy Riley Sager. I've been reading his books since they first came out. I'm only about 10 pages into The Only One Left, but I've been waiting for it for a while. I've only ever had a hard time with one of them. But one of my all-time favorites in Lock Every Door. It's reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby, Rear Window, and Agatha Christie. The storyline is just really really intriguing and you just get sucked into this world inside this elite apartment building.
Also... If you're looking for a good horror read, I highly recommend Hide by Kiersten White. One of my favorites. She's a good writer in general, but this was her first adult fiction book and it was *chef's kiss* amazing.
DeleteHi Kayla!
ReplyDeleteI've also fallen in love with LGBTQIA+ fiction in the last few years. When I was first getting back into reading after finishing my undergrad, I truly had no idea there were so many books being published by and about LGBTQIA+ people. There could definitely be more, but it makes me so happy knowing children and teens in libraries have access to stories about people like them.
I don't know if you've read it already, but Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth is a sapphic horror! It's been on my shelf for ages and I'm going to try to finally read it this year.
Hi Morgan! I haven't' read that one yet, but it's on my TBR list. when it comes to LGBTQ+ fiction, my tastes are all over the place. I could read YA, J, Horror, Mystery, Romance, etc. But you would never catch me reading traditional Romance. I don't know why.
DeleteHi Kayla, Are you going to read Stephen King's new "You Like it Darker" book when it comes out? It's on pre-order now. It is supposed to be a collection of 12 stories. I saw that several of the books on your best 'books of all time' were Stephen King books.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. It's a follow up to his short story collection "Full Dark, No Stars," and the title made me ugly snort laugh, which I appreciate from him. Stephen King is my idol. There are some *newer* authors that I've really become a devoted fan of, but the King is my ride or die when it comes to horror authors.
Delete