For my first blog post, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss reading. I love reading! And I will pick up almost any book, no matter what genre and read it if someone recommends the book to me.

My first favorite book was the Outsiders by S.E. Hinton that I read when I was just entering my teenage angst phase. I had other favorites along the way but didn't truly become an avid reader until I took six weeks off work following paramedic school (the most stressful time in my life) and backpacked through Europe. During that trip, I brought with me On the Road by Jack Kerouac and the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I quickly finished both and found I wanted to escape into more great stories while walking and traveling my way through each new country. I read 12 books in those 6 weeks and have been reading non-stop ever since.

Some of my all time favorite books include:
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
Modoc by Ralph Hefler
Bringing out the Dead by Joe Connelly
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (or anything by Mitch Albom)
The Walk series by Nicholas Paul Evans
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern