By Stephanie Beck
I’m not an equal opportunity reader. In fact, I
read with extreme prejudice and tend to stick to certain themes, authors, and
series, because I consider my reading time, my
reading time. When I sit down with a book, I want to laugh, smirk, and find a
cast of characters to be my new best friends. Anything less...oye. Not good.
(My husband still teases me about the time he came home from work and found me
yelling at a book because someone disappointed me).
Very rarely do the people in my life give me
books. They know what a picky reader I am, and know I stick to a few authors
and series—they love me through my quirk on this. This spring, though, a sweet
teenager I adore gave me a book as a gift—The
Fault in our Stars by John Green. She had these big eyes as she explained
how much she’d loved the book and how she knew I’d love it, too, and she
couldn’t wait to talk to me about it when our families vacationed together for
a few days over the summer.
I had to google the book title, and when I
did...>Insert head slamming here<. I don’t read sad books. I haven’t
since the third grade when I read Where
the Red Fern Grows and the dogs died. I know I’m missing some great
literature and all of that, but I just can’t do it. I become too emotionally
invested in characters. Real life is full of tragedy and sadness. I don’t read
for that sort of emotional hit. Nope. Not. For. Me.
But she was so sweet and earnest, and like I
said, I adore her, so I read the darn book last weekend when I was laid up
after getting my wisdom teeth cut out. The story was fine. It made me laugh,
and also made my heart hurt. I fully understand why my young friend loved the
story, and I bet it is a very engaging movie (which I will NOT see btw—no
matter how big my friend’s eyes get). I’m okay with the fact I read the book
(no, I didn’t grow, or learn a lesson about reading books people recommend or
give me) and I’m glad I’ll be able to talk to my friend about it. I would have
really, really preferred to read a shifter story where they eat too much food,
get caught in awkward situations, and in the end fall madly in love—which I did
immediately following the sad book because I needed a clean slate.
What was the last book someone said you ‘had’ to
read, or even gave you? Are you one who enjoys that kind of gift?
All the best, and happy reading!
Stephanie Beck
 |
| Available HERE |
Available Now!
Jenn’s love of basketball and travel
lead her to Greece, but only one man could keep her coming back. After sharing
sexy summers with distinguished businessman Dorian Logos, Jenn returns for a
seventh with more emotional baggage than she’d like, but her feelings for
Dorian push her out of her comfort zone.
Dorian has loved Jenn for years, the young American delivering spice and sweetness during their weeks together. When she arrives in Hellas, limping from an injury, he quickly sees more than her knee is hurting. He wants his love to be enough to heal all ails, but it’s hard to show his love to a woman who can’t tolerate his touch. If he can help Jenn get well, he might be able to make their usual summer last and bring her home to Hellas forever.
Dorian has loved Jenn for years, the young American delivering spice and sweetness during their weeks together. When she arrives in Hellas, limping from an injury, he quickly sees more than her knee is hurting. He wants his love to be enough to heal all ails, but it’s hard to show his love to a woman who can’t tolerate his touch. If he can help Jenn get well, he might be able to make their usual summer last and bring her home to Hellas forever.
#stephbeck123, #decadentpub
