In Honor of My Mom, For Mother's Day

If the evil that is breast cancer hadn't stolen my Mom twelve years ago, I am sure many things would be different. She was an amazing woman, full of life, love, and creativity. She is responsible for introducing me to many, many things but a love of reading is what I want to talk about today. (I could write about Mom for hours, and still not say all that I want to say.) I have mentioned that I remember both of my parents reading to me, something which I know has influenced me heavily in my life. READ TO YOUR KIDS!! I cannot say it enough! Today, I want to remember Mom by talking about just two series that she introduced me to. The first is the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. (If you haven't heard of them, I don't know what rock you have been living under...) These seven books may have changed my life. My older sister got this set for her birthday (12th?). I remember reading them for the first time, and getting so sucked in that I could not put them down. This is the first series that I remember being so entranced by. I couldn't read them enough. I still love this wonderful series, it never loses its magic for me.

Then one day, as I was browsing the bookshelves in our living room, mostly filled with Mom's books, I found this book: Dragonsong, by Anne McCaffrey. How had I never seen it before? Such a wonderful book, I immediately started reading it, and was taken away, once again to another world. Even better than reading this one, was finding out that there were TWO MORE! Not to mention a whole other series written about this magical world of Pern. So, thank you Mom. Thank you for your inspiration, imagination, creativity, music, and love. I would be nothing without you, and miss you every day, with every breath. I love you.
(on a side note, I recently saw an interview with Meg Cabot in which she talked about this series being one of her early influences....cool!)