Habitual Reader Profiles - Page 2

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	Name: Jeannie Mancini
	City & State: San Mateo, California
	Vocation / Avocation: Owner, Books Unlimited
	Website: www.abebooks.com

Why I'm a Habitual Reader:

Growing up in New England where one can find the best used bookstores in the country, had me at a very early age digging through stacks of books like a young archaeologist. My parents are avid readers & raised both my older brother and me to do nothing but read & collect vast amounts of books. An early upbringing for this addictive hobby has me today the owner of a small used bookstore located just south of San Francisco. I'm a reader of all genres, although it has not always been so. Owning a bookstore has certainly broadened by horizons & opened my eyes to appreciate many more categories of books than what I used to read. Somehow in the midst of my busy schedule of running the shop solo, I still manage to devour close to 150 books a year. Within the realm of fiction I tend to lean mostly towards historical fiction, but also read sci-fi/fantasy, mysteries, action/adventure, and romance as well. When picking up a book, if the plot sounds creative and when flipping the pages it appears well written, I'll try almost anything. I've recently turned to non-fiction as well, and in that area I like travel narratives, maritime history, ancient & medieval history, science, self-help and on occasion when the moon is blue, a biography. Variety is the spice of life they say, and I believe that in reading books that this is a good philosophy to follow. One hand has you learning more, but on the other hand, boy do the piles get higher and higher. My store has over 25,000 titles in stock, and my own home library has over 6,000!!

My List of Ten: Fiction

1. The Book Thief
Author: Marcus Zusak
The best book I've ever read in 49 years! This is a masterpiece!

2. Byzantium
Author: Stephen Lawhead
Historical fiction at its very best. I kept stretching it out so it wouldn't end, then cried my eyes out when I finished the last page.

3. Iron Fire
Author: David Ball

4. The Time Traveller's Wife
Author: Audrey Niffeneger
Two thumbs up for creativity! A brilliant idea uniquely executed in a way not done before.

5. Djinn
Author: Matthew Delany
Scariest, goriest book I've ever read. Not for the weak.

6. Mysterious Island
Author: Jules Verne
Fifth Life of the Cat Woman

7. Kate Dexter
Author: More ingenious creativity. I love when an author simply does something no author has thought of before.

8. Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque
Author: Jeffrey Ford

9. Rora
Author: James Byron Huggins
More fabulous history!

10. Area 51 (9 book series)
Author: Robert Doherty
For those who are leary of trying out sci-fi fantasy, this series was the one that got me started loving this genre. Fun, adventurous, full of myth and legends from around the world, archaeology, and aliens. I have never been so riveted and glued to a chair for months while devouring this fantastic series. I never knew books like this existed and now I read quite a lot of it.

Have you read any of these titles? Review one now.

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