Books were not always a part of my life. I was one of those kids who never "cracked" a book, but still seemed to get by in school. It wasn't until I found myself in the USAF, bored to death on late night guard duty, that I discovered the joy of reading. Someone gave me a beaten-up paperback of The Godfather (1969) by Mario Puzo, and I found somewhere between the pages of that classic an escape from my situation. After that first book, I joined every bookclub that offered six or more books for 99 cents, and the reading has never stopped.
In my early adult years I had my favorites. Robert Ludlum topped my list with such notables as The Gemini Contenders (1976), and The Chancellor Manuscript (1977). Even Harold Robbins contributed to my newly found obsession with books like The Betsy (1971), and The Pirate (1974), and of course Irving Wallace added suspense and intrigue with The Word (1972) and The Fan Club (1974).
Somewhere along the way I discovered Dean Koontz with my all time favorite, Lightning (1988), followed not long after by The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (1989), which I consider the most important work of fiction written in the second half of the twentieth century.
As my love of reading grew, so did my library. In addition to books by the dozens of modern fiction authors I had come to enjoy, my shelves became lined with tomes on economics, history, with an occasion biography thrown in just to keep it interesting. I am not sure when, but at some point, I took a particular interest in the condition of the books in my library . . . yes, I became a collector. I rapidly replaced those bookclub editions, paperbacks, and library throw-offs with pristine first editions. Biblioholicism was in full swing by that time, and Virginia suggested either we open a bookstore, or that I seek professional help for my condition.
So here we are, miles from nowhere, doing what I love . . . reading and telling people about it. My advice, read! Get your friends to read, get your kids to read, shout it from the rooftops! Life is short, and there are so many good books.
