Books are comfort food for my soul. Some of my fondest memories are associated with the characters and plots of books. My parents were voracious readers, and our house was filled with books of all kinds. We had books on shelves in our den, books on tables throughout the house, books in the laundry room, books on the night stands, books tucked away in the best reading corners of our home. I learned to read before I ever started school, so Sally and Spot were already my friends. I was ready for bigger and better! My second grade teacher introduced me to the black stallion and the Laura Ingalls. I adored the library at school, and in high school I worked as a library assistant. I thought I was going to be a librarian when I grew up.

Life changes plans. In high school I discovered that math was amazing. I loved algebra and trig, and I worked in the office as a student aide. There the bookkeeper allowed me to work on the ledger. I continued reading for enjoyment, but decided that I was going to major in accounting.

College has a way of forcing us to re-examine our decisions. At the University of Montevallo, I was taking an English course with a professor who reminded me that I loved reading--doing it, talking about it, writing about it. His influence convinced me to change my major to English. After more than 30 years of teaching English, I have come full circle--I want to be a librarian again!

I may be old, but as long as I breathe, I hope that I will be involved with books. As I pursue my library media degree at the University of West Alabama, I continue to teach English, sharing my love for books with students, who I hope will continue to read for pleasure long after I force them to do it for a grade.

So, here's to the books that have been my companions in life. They comfort me, challenge me, and give me solace. All the things that good friends do. In my blog, I plan to share some of my favorites with my audience in the hopes that I will find kindred spirits who share my enthusiasm for particular books, or point someone in the direction of a book they have never considered before.

Recently, PBS held a contest to determine which book was America's favorite. The series was very interesting and I recommend everyone to watch. The trailer below will give you some idea about what to expect.