Picking a Favorite

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.

~Dr. Seuss

Some of you may not be aware, but I happen to be a voracious reader. The world of literature is my purview, and I dive as deep into it as often as my day job and freelance editing business allow. Indeed, as of August 3, I've read 80 books thus far in 2022.

My preferred genres are military and espionage thrillers, psychological and legal thrillers, and LGBTQ-focused romance. Those are the genres I spend the most time reading because those are the genres I started my business to edit. Having a broad understanding of pacing, character development, and world-building allows me to dive deeper into editing those same specifics within a manuscript.

Most readers will balk at being asked to pick favorites. At any given time in my life, I've been obsessed with a variety of writers and genres. From 2009 to 2014, it was young adult supernatural authors like Tom Sniegoski and Richelle Mead (and yes, Stephenie Meyer--don't judge me). From 2014 to around 2017, it was more adult-focused supernatural authors like Lora Leigh and Charlaine Harris.

Since mid-2017, though, the genres I mentioned above have pretty much taken over my reading life. Both fiction and non-fiction authors in those genres continue to amaze me. Enthralling and addictive and mind-bogglingly complex, authors like former Navy SEAL Jack Carr, Navy veterans Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson, Gregg Hurwitz, L.A. Witt, and Lane Hayes draw me in like very few have previously.

I tell most people, if there's a book in my hand, you'll always be able to tell how good I find it by how close it is to my face. I literally try to dive into the book. And the closer the book gets to my face, the less I want to be pulled out of the world the author has created.

In the words of Paul Sweeney, "You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend."

Picking a favorite, though? Impossible, at least for me. Different authors have had different impacts on me throughout my life. I'm just happy to have read so many good books by so many different types of authors throughout my life. I'm sure I'll continue to expand my library while also expanding the preferred authors, which is all any reader can hope for.