Confessions of a book-aholic...

Yes, I'll admit it, I'm a total book-aholic.  I would rather read a book than watch a movie any day of the week.  I've been this way as far back as I can remember.  My mother is a book-aholic.  So is my grandmother.  Thankfully I've also passed this lovely trait on to my own daughter.  We catch her reading in bed almost every night when she is supposed to be sleeping.  Some nights she'll fall asleep mid page, with the book on her chest.

I have always loved fiction.  Some of my go to authors are Danelle Steele, Nora Roberts, James Patterson and Barbara Freethy.  However, after my lifelong love of this type of fiction, I picked up another type a few short months ago after reading about A Time to Embrace by Karen Kingsbury on another blog.  I haven't read anything by any other author since that time.  I'm hooked!  Not only are her stories completely awesome, but they actually inspire you.  I am so completely addicted to her books that when my mother and I stopped by her local library in Florida, I quickly headed back and checked out their selection of Karen Kingsbury books.  I lucked up on two I hadn't read yet and quickly snatched them up.  Two books in the three days I had left on our trip.  Was I up to the challenge?  No problem...I finished them both with time to spare.  Here are some of my personal favorites:

1. A Time to Dance (the first book of hers that I read and the one that hooked me forever)
2. A Time to Embrace
3. Dandelion Dust
4. Waiting for Morning
5. A Thousand Tomorrows
6. Oceans Apart
7. When Joy Can to Stay
8. One Tuesday Morning
9. Beyond Tuesday Morning
10. Shades of Blue

I could keep going and going.  Thankfully she's written a ton of books, some of which are being made into movies!  To be honest, I've yet to read even one of her books that wasn't completely awesome.  Some are sadder than others, some are more inspiring, but they are all excellent books.  Having read something so meaningful, its hard to look at my previous book preferences the same.  They seem lacking in some way.  Karen's books are written from a christian perspective.  They portray real life circumstances and seemingly real people.  These books cover some serious subjects such as death, abuse, abortion, adoption, autism, Down's Syndrome, alcoholism, infidelity and so much more.  They portray real, everyday people dealing with tragedy, heartbreak, love lost and found, but most of all finding their faith in God. These books are hard to put down once started, and ones that you will never forget.  They truly are "life changing fiction" at its finest.

But you know what I like best about the books and Karen Kingsbury?  She's a christian.  She shares her faith and love of God with her readers in each and every book she writes.  She's also a homeschool mom just like me.  Someone I can relate to.  Now if only I had her writing talent!!  She also tends to write multiple stories on the same characters, so you really get to know them.  They become real to you as you watch them change and grow.

So the next time you're looking for a good book to read, check out one of hers.  You will not be disappointed!