Habitual Reader Profiles - Page 2

<< back next >>

	Name: Wendy Runyon
	State: California
	Vocation / Avocation: Professional, Wife, Reader, Animal Lover

Why I'm a Habitual Reader:

I love a good story. Whether I am in the mind of a private eye as she pieces together a mystery, fighting alongside dragons, falling in love, struggling to survive, or coming into my own, the moment I step inside a book is the moment I am swept away by the story. There are many reasons to read: to learn, to grow as a person, to be inspired, to escape, to be entertained, or to broaden one's horizons just to name a few. I read for all of these reasons, depending on my need in that moment. I cannot imagine my life wihout reading. It is a part of who I am.

My List of Ten: Top Ten Favorites (work in progress)

1. Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice is a true classic that only became one of my favorites on the second reading. It is a beautiful love story, one that has influenced many writers and readers over the years.

2. Mists of Avalon
Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
There is no other fantasy novel that has haunted me as much as this one. The story, the themes throughout, the characters, the writing. Everything about this novel spoke to me.

3. Jane Eyre
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Jane Eyre has long been a favorite of mine. One of a handful of novels I have reread. I like the atmosphere of the novel, Jane's character, and the complexity of the story.

4. Crime and Punishment
Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I read Crime and Punishment many years ago and fell in love with the story. It is tragic and meaningful in so many ways.

5. Middlesex
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
I most enjoyed the historical aspects of this novel and how the author weaved those threads into his main story. Middlesex was both thought provoking and entertaining.

6. The Princess Bride
Author: William Goldman
The humor throughout this gem of a book had me in stitches. I had seen the movie several times before reading the book and now wonder what took me so long to get to it.

7. One Child
Author: Torey Hayden
I often credit One Child as influencing me in my choice of career paths. It was a tragic story and the hope and dedication that Torey Hayden demonstrated on behalf of this girl warmed my heart. I have great admiration for her.

8. Stones From The River
Author: Ursula Hegi
I have long been drawn to literature set during the time period of World War II. Stones From the River was one of the first novels I read that offered me a slightly different perspective than what I had been reading before about that time period.

9. The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
I reluctantly read this book and ended up loving every word. It was a heartwrenching story and the humanness of the main character, with all his faults, struck me in the heart.

10. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Author: Lisa See
Another powerful and beautifully written novel that will have a lasting impact on me.

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

back to the top