Bookmarks Subscribers discussion

Hello Everyone!

I've been a reader since I was a little girl. My favorite time in elementary school was when the Scholastic book order would come home. Fortunately, I had parents who indulged my appetite for books. I passed along the love of reading to my oldest son. He's the one who turned me on to Goodreads, where I immediately discovered this group.

I spent a couple of decades working as a Certified Ophthalmic Technician and retinal photographer. In other words, I performed eye exams and took fancy pictures of eyeballs. I was well suited for this profession since the sense of sight provides me the most pleasure.

I did my stint as the "book fair lady" for several years after I quit work. Nothing is as exciting as seeing the faces of elementary and middle school kids picking out books.

I'm now earning a reputation as the "Goodwill Queen" or "Bargain Book Babe", because I've recently discovered a treasure trove of books at my local Goodwill. The lure of finding great books at a steal keeps me going back weekly.........and sometimes more! Other members are rapidly seeking the thrill of the hunt at Goodwill after seeing the books I've been able to add to my library

Books truly are my biggest vice. If I'm not actually reading a book, then I'm reading reviews about them in Bookmarks magazine or the New York Times or I'm checking books off one of my many to-read lists. I'm obsessive about my books. I can't go to the store without buying a book. I love owning my own books because I need to be surrounded by them. I get a sense of peace just knowing I always have a variety of books on hand to suit any mood.

Trivia fact: The first Bookmarks issue I ever read was #18 Sept/Oct 2005 and I've been addicted ever since!

I'm happy Steph asked me to help her co-moderate this group and I enjoy all of our discussions! Keep reading and keep active. I smile every time someone adds a new comment. I want that smile plastered to my face!

Lisa :D

Hi, everyone.

Lisa and I will be updating our book group site and introducing some new topic areas and activities for 2014.

I became a co-moderator about a year ago, but never really had a chance to introduce myself to the members of Bookmarks Subscribers. Like Lisa, I started reading at an early age. English was actually my second language as a child, which I didn't learn to speak until I was 4. I also relished when the Scholastic book order form came home, and I found myself giddy with joy when my books arrived at school. My family didn't have much money when I was growing up, which made the Scholastic books a real treat for me. Otherwise, my mother often took me to the library. I remember having my own library card when I was 6 years old, and I believe that my experience with going to the library as a child is what continues my love of libraries today.

I have been a member of GR since 2007. I have made many friends through GR, some of whom I've had the chance to meet in "real life". Reading is a great passion of mine, and like many avid readers, I have many books going at once: an audio book in the car, a Kindle book that I read on my PC during my lunch hour at work, and at least one book for home, which I then bring to the salon and other places where I will have downtime to read. I had read more mainstream books prior to GR, but now I have really expanded my reading to include more of the classics. I want to be well-read, not just known for reading lots of books.

On a personal note, I have been a corporate lawyer for 20+ years, which has allowed to buy more books even though I still go to the library every Saturday. The fun thing is that I have been taking my daughter to the library every week, too, since she was 2. She's now 4 and starting to read on her own, which is a beautiful thing to see as a parent. It's true what experts say about how to raise a child who likes to read, and my husband and I heeded that advice to the tee. When not working or reading, I spend as much time as I can with my family. They both ground me and make me incredibly happy. I don't allow myself to take them for granted.

With my busy schedule, I am surprised that I find myself co-moderating a group on GR, but Bookmarks Subscribers is an important group to me, and I want to help Lisa make it a success. I am interested and excited to see what you as readers are interested in and excited by, and I enjoying learning from each of you and for helping me to identify those little gems of a read that might be overlooked if I hadn't heard about them from one of you.

I'd like to see more participation from the group, including, nominating books to read. I don't want this club to be about a few of us selecting the books for everyone else. It would be nice to have more of you involved. If you have any ideas but don't want to post them, send them to Lisa or to me, and we'll be happy to discuss them with you.

Bookmarks magazine has been a great find for me. I learned about it on GR and have been a subscriber ever since. I read other book publications as well, but I find Bookmarks to be the best in regard to its comprehensiveness and objectivity when it comes to book reviews. Jon and his staff do an incredible job of taking the magazine to a more personal level with his readers. Increasing our participation in Bookmarks Subscribers also increases visibility into the magazine itself, which is important to both this group and the magazine.

Lastly, I want to thank each of you for being a member of group. Without you, we don't have a Bookmarks Subscribers book group, which is why I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your being here.