If any other RP posters want to do an intro here as well, please do so. :)

I'm Martin from the UK; just outside London. I've been here for a similar time to Janalyn; I'm not as prolific a poster as she is, though; life has a tendency to get in the way.

Having said that, I always pop up when the Booker Prize shortlist turns up, to give my opinion (for what it's worth) on the shortlist and my prediction for the prize. I think I've been right once in the last ten years - or, to put it another way, the judges have been perverse nine times out of ten :) I'll not forgive them easily for not choosing Never Let Me Go in 2005, Cloud Atlas in 2004, or A Tale for the Time Being this year.

I enjoy the book discussions we have here, and I've led a few. I've kept a few of them from 2004/5 when I was a lot more active, along with some other interesting threads. Every so often I think "I must archive this one..." and then I don't....ah well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Old RP archive

This is a good idea to re-introduce ourselves for the benefit of new RP'ers. I am Ann and I live in Western Australia in a retirement village.
I have been here since about 2002 when I found this forum when I wanted to discuss a book I was reading. My husband had recently died when we were living in the UK and I had no one to talk to about books any more. I didn't know much about the computer which he used in his journalism work but with the help of one of his friends, an IT teacher, I managed to pick up the basics. I sold the computer and bought a laptop which I brought with me when I decided to move back to Western Australia where my children and their families live.
I mostly read mystery novels but have read other books from recommendations here.
I like to join in the discussions and it certainly keeps my brain active. My dictionary gets a good workout at times as I write!
Going onto this forum encouraged me to communicate with people online and I am happy to have so many "friends in a box"! I can talk to them at various times when I feel like a chat as they are all over the world in different time zones.
We have lost a number of posters over the years so I would like to see some more people drop in, too.

Thanks for the link, Martin. The forum used to be a lot more active, but I think back in the late 90's and for a few years afterwards, there weren't too many other reading forums out there. Now there are so many bloggers (I smiled at that reference in A Tale for the Time Being and reading sites....well the internet has exploded. I'm a prolific poster here if there is a discussion going on...but otherwise, no. Still it is nice being absent for a while and coming back and seeing so many familiar names still here after all those years. Send me an email if you find another book you feel like discussing, we often read the same kind of thing. :)

I'm Carolyn and I live in Louisville, KY, home of the Kentucky Derby and Mohammad Ali. I have been here for many years--well before I retired, and that has been 12 years--and once met Martin and former poster Anyanka in London in a bookstore, of course. Also had the privilege of meeting Rosefolly and Rouan a year ago when they came to town for the Jane Austen Festival.

My favorite books are mysteries, without horror, please, but I do read lots of other books as well. I like historical romance if it is well done and true to the time and characters. I love Cynthia Harrod-Eagles' Morland Dynasty series and am sad that she is writing one last book without even getting us to WWII. (The series is enormous and is set in Yorkshire and began with the War of the Roses.)

Welcome to all newcomers and lurkers. Please jump in and then tell your reading friends about the Forum. It's more fun with more posters.

I'm Artiste8 from Ontario Canada. I have just started here. I have been reading the discussions for a few months and just started posting.

I love to read mostly mysteries. Also, love non-fiction, self-help, biographies, fiction, thrillers and love dystopian. My problem is I don't have enough time to read all the books I want to read.

I work full-time. I love nature and animals. I love to read and discuss books.

I'm Sheri and I live in Connecticut. I'm a freelance writer and an amateur genealogist, and I've been part of Reader's Paradise since the late 1990s. Even though I don't post as much as I used to, I've always checked in at least every couple of days.

I like to read all kinds of things, literary fiction, memoirs, YA books, classics, science fiction, romance novels and non-fiction -- most of it inspired by everyone here. I've read and enjoyed so many books and found so many wonderful new-to-me authors because of everyone here.

And after 15 years or so of RP reading recommendations, my TBR pile now takes up an entire bookcase (much to the dismay of my husand).

Janalyn, thanks for starting this thread, it's nice to see old friends and new faces!

My name is Paula, though I answer cheerfully to Rosefolly (and even Rose, which people on the GW forums sometimes think is my name). I live in the Silicon Valley of California. My husband Tom and I are retired and our adult children are scattered across the USA, as are my siblings. One of those siblings is here on RP, and in fact first introduced me to this forum many years ago. I collect and grow heirloom roses, plant trees and native ornamentals, sew both apparel and quilts, and recently began to knit my first sweater. Tom is a radio ham, bicycle rider, exercise fanatic, and our vegetable grower. We are both dedicated readers. His favorite genre is mystery and mine is SF, but I read widely from nonfiction to the occasional classic or (more rarely) modern literary novel. I recently measured and counted up, and there are 200 linear feet of bookshelf space in our house, and just about all of it is filled. It would be worse, except that I am a former librarian and I weed my collection periodically.

We both travel frequently, hiking trips and garden explorations as well as numerous family visits. I would agree with Janalyn that the e-reader has made a huge difference in my travel life. No more hauling multiple books with me in my suitcase to feed my habit. And no more searching for an English language bookstore when abroad if I run out of reading material while away! At home though, I definitely prefer books printed on paper. I like good typefaces and quality paper, too, and care about the bindings. Of course the content is the most important part of a book, but the craftsmanship of the book as a physical object also appeals to me greatly.

Rosefolly

Aloha, I'm Frieda, just plain Frieda. The 'g' on the end of my user name is an artifact from when we had to make some change to the names we were using when Spike owned Reader's Paradise, and then he sold it and we RPers had to reregister (in 2003).

I think I found Reader's Paradise circa 1999, but I didn't post regularly until 2000 or 2001.

I presently have no fixed address because my husband and I lead a peripatetic life. He's a geophysicist and I'm a former journalist. But we still have a house on O'ahu, so I still consider it home although we are away from it more than we are there.

When I read fiction, it's usually historical novels or mysteries. I read about five times (or more) as much nonfiction. However, some of my all-time favorite discussions here at RP have been about novels that I never would have read otherwise. Thanks so much, Martin, for the link to what you archived. Reading it brings back a lot of memories.

Janalyn, I'm so glad you're back! We missed your infectious exuberance. I wish other former RPers would reappear. And welcome to all newcomers! We need you. :-)

I'm Rosefolly's sister, Janet to friends, family, and co- workers, but I always think of myself as Rouan (pronounced like Rowan) here on RP. I've been a member here for so long that I don't remember exactly how long ago I joined, sometime in the late 1990's, I think.

I like to read, garden (my passion is growing and using herbs), ride my bike, hike, and play with my furry companions.

I live in central New York, in the Mohawk Valley region, just on the edge of the Adirondack's. Winter can be challenging here so I like to have plenty of books on hand for those cold, snowy evenings and weekends.

I like to read Sci-Fi/Fantasy, mysteries (no horror or gruesome gory details please), YA books, some children's books, and many others that I find from recommendations here, even though they're not something I would pick up on my own. It's good to get out of my comfort reading zone now and then!

I'm Joan, and I'm sorry my user name has always been the ugly jwttrans but when I registered (2004?), the user name had to be part of one's e-mail address. I signed up for GardenWeb before finding the Reader's Paradise, and maybe that was part of the problem. In any event, I was unable to change my user name.

I live In Oregon now but lived many years in WA state, many years in Chicago (where I was born), and quite a few years in the south and in MA.

I taught college and wrote my dissertation on William James but life got in the way of these literary pursuits, and I've spent the greater part of my time doing free-lance translating, mostly from Russian.

I have no Slavic background--just enjoyed studying Russian and kept at it.

I'm not even a big fan of Russian literature but I like dealing with the language.

I read mostly fiction but some nonfiction, especially biography. I particularly enjoy Anthony Trollope, Mark Twain, Flannery O'Connor, George Eliot, William Trevor, Dickens, Hardy, Conrad, Henry James, Anita Brookner, Olivia Manning, Elizabeth Bowen, Anthony Powell.

I'm not an avid gardener but have some house plants and patio plants that I keep trying with. I enjoy music and used to play cello, piano, and recorder--and did a lot of choral singing though I was only moderately adept at music

I've done a lot of crocheting, knitting, and needlepoint and have even tackled quilting.

JWT, I had to look up where WA was in the US as to me WA is Western Australia!
I usually write this in full to save confusion as I knew there was a WA elsewhere but hadn't checked where it was!
I only managed to get to Manhattan and spent a lot of my week there in a hotel room sorting out a situation some imbecile had messed up! I did mean to go back and see more of the US but as they say "Life intervened"!

I'm Vee a stand-in name for Virginia which was my US Grandfather's home state, of which my many elderly Great Aunts were amazingly proud. We would here stories about the Civil War, Daughters of the Revolution, burying the Family Silver (an ancestor was a Huguenot silver-smith) even have Patrick Henry as a distant twig on the family tree.
Despite all this I am English and live in rural Gloucestershire, near the border with Wales, in a gritty area called the Forest of Dean (think a small West VA).
I've been at RP since about 2002 when DH came upon the site where a very long and heated discussion was taking place on B*tty M*cDonald (for ages we couldn't write her name or hate mail would arrive from a so-called group of admirers/fanatics).
I mainly enjoy reading biographies, histories, travel books with the occasional novel thrown in and am making a conscious effort to read a couple of classics a year. I don't much enjoy Sci/Fi, mysteries, fluffy stuff, most 'must-reads' or anything 'magical'.
Being at RP is the first time I have had a chance to discuss books (no-body round here reads anything) and I've certainly read far more US-orientated books and met a fascinating group of people . . . without the need to leave my desk.

I'm Kath from Adelaide, South Australia, home of the best Australian wine.
I joined a long time ago, probably in the late 1990s, and have been coming, with small breaks, ever since.
I read mostly fiction, and like crime, thrillers, historical and some contemporary. I am lucky enough to work in a book shop and when the Fifty Shades phenomenon hit, I tried to read them in order to be able to discuss them with customers (dreadful writing, although I can see how the story lured readers in, especially those who didn't read regularly) and then went in search of better erotic romance and am now the shop expert LOL.
I have a wonderful husband who is a forensic chemist and reads as much as time allows, and two grown sons, one who has left home and one who is about to (hurrah and huzzah!)i and an elderly Border Collie called Whisky who has featured in at least one of my Christmas bookmarks.
In my years here at RP I have enjoyed many good book discussions, but I think the threads I have most enjoyed have been the slightly off topic ones - how we pronounce words differently (remember my youtube piece?), exchange of recipes, schooling, clothing and so on.
What I particularly like about this site is the way we can discuss things without any rancour, even if we disagree. So refreshing!

I'm Netla, from Reykjavik, Iceland. I've been here since 2002. My profile states I'm in my late thirties, but that's just because it has been several years since I was last able to save any changes to the profile (webmaster: if you read this, please do something about it). I'm actually in my early forties. I'm a technical translator and an avid reader.

I find this forum to be a haven where I can discuss books without anyone criticising my choice of reading material and I try to visit at least once a day. I usually find something to post a couple of times a week, but I wish the forum was more active. New members are a welcome addition and I urge you to be active in posting.

I can't begin to enumerate all the books I have discovered through this forum, or the recommendations that have gone on my To Be Read list.

I'm an omnivorous reader, but I prefer travelogues, historical non-fiction, popular science, mysteries, fantasy and romances.

I'm Mary, now living in the beautiful old city of Charleston, SC, having relocated here from Tidewater, VA 3 years ago. I think I discovered RP about 1999, in the "Spike Days."

My monniker comes from having lived in a house almost surrounded by woods, in Virginia. I spent a lot of time hiking the forest trails, bird-watching, and taking photos of fauna and flora. My specialty was wild-flowers.

When I relocated and downsized, I gave up my car. Now, I walk and ride my bicycle almost everywhere in the city. My loves are history, antiques, beach-combing, classical and ethnic music, and ballet. I dabble in creative writing and have had some poems published.

For background, I lived a year in Paris, studying at the Sorbonne, later traveling widely in Europe, even to Russia. Past career was mostly in libraries and historical societies affiliated with museums. I've lived in 5 different states in the US.

My reading tastes are eclectic: I've enjoyed Hardy, Rilke, Yeats, H. James, Wharton, Twain, Alcott, Dickinson, Cather, Fitzgerald, K. Porter, Hemingway, H. Hesse, Eliot, A. Paton, P. Bowles, to name just a few. My favorite modern poet is Mary Oliver, of New England.

I think I'm at heart an iconoclast, a composite of my southern upbringing and my European education.

My name is not amy, but Kim. I am a retired teacher and librarian and live in Texas. I am a lurker here, mostly. Remember those postings about The Egg and I? I was here back then and before. I get lots of great suggestions from here and my favorite was I Capture the Castle. I love books set in England, especially from the first half of the last century. My favorite author is P.G. Wodehouse.

I'm Karen, and I live in Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. I also lived in France for a couple of years.

I have 2 children, one in college (studying film) and the other preparing for graduate school (veterinary science). I work full-time as an editor in the college textbook market, a dying industry, I fear. I belong to 2 book groups, and my husband (an economist) is in his own (all male) book group. I once belonged to 3 book groups at one time, and that was a bridge too far.I enjoy cooking, travel, and gardening when I am not working.

I mostly read literary fiction, memoirs, biographies, and have some favorites that I return to (including Faulkner and Dickens). I seldom read mysteries or science fiction/fantasy unless one of my book groups makes a selection in those categories. I discovered this site by accident and post only sporadically. It seems to me that the traffic on this site has diminished in the last year or so but maybe I'm imagining that? I love to come here and get ideas about what to put on my TBR list--there is such a wide range of tastes, which is lovely.

I would like to thank all of you so far who have taken the time to introduce yourself. So glad you are all my internet book club buddies. BUT some of you still haven't shown up here, so I'm waiting....you know who you are!!
Looking forward to your intros before I have to start listing specific names!! *big wink ;)

Hi, I'm Cheryl from northern Virginia outside Washington, DC, and those of you who read the appendices in the Lord of the Rings will recognize that Donnamira is the name of Bilbo Baggins' aunt (the books name his mother Belladonna as one of the "three remarkable daughters of the Old Took", but the sisters' names are listed only in the hobbit family trees at the end, which makes a great trivia question for Mythopoeic Society picnics), and from that know that fantasy is one of the genres I read. :) I also enjoy science fiction, historical fiction, Young Adult, and non fiction in the science disciplines and history. Thanks to RP and a couple other online book clubs, I have branched out into more modern or mainstream fiction.

I've been visiting RP since the late 90's and remember the infamous Egg & I thread, as well as being 'sent to Disney' - once when I was trying to describe the new pussy willow tree I planted in the back yard!

One of my favorite discussions was the Crusades thread! I liked how we picked a topic, then individually read any book on the subject, both fiction and non-fiction, and how all the sources enriched the discussion.

Greetings from the northeast on this sunny but chilly Veteran's day. Like Sheri above...I, too, am a resident of Connecticut...and a freelance writer albeit somewhat retired these days. Unlike Sheri...I'm one of those infamous lurkers and have been for many years. I often stop by to see what you're reading. Other times, to see if you have any comments about a particular author of whom I'm enamored...or to browse through any threads that catch my curious eyes. I found the recent entries regarding reading for enjoyment most interesting and I was relieved to see that I'm not the only one who has tired of the blood and guts literary genre.

Currently, I have my nose buried in Anne Perry's Charlotte and Pitt series. Prior to this interest...I happily devoured all of P.D.James, Deborah Crombie and Elizabeth George works this year adding in some of the newer novels of my old standbys like Daniel Silva. And...I'm anxiously awaiting the next Ken Follett edition.

I have the wet variety of macular degeneration in one eye for which I am receiving a relatively new injection therapy. Nothing will cure it but this therapy seems to be arresting its progression. This may give explanation to my voracious reading habits. I shall be most annoyed if I find there's an interesting bit of literature that I'm forced to miss before I die.

Thank you for the welcome. I'm very pleased to be meeting you and hope to contribute my own thoughts on a more regular basis in the future.

Anne

I'm Grumpy from Georgia. And it's been a while since I visited and posted here... but I'm seeing my reading list getting smaller and less diverse, as I venture into the realm of teenage reading in hopes of keeping up with oldest who is an avid reader! I've decided it's time to fix that! I used to visit here from the late 1990's until just before my oldest was born.

I, owe, many of my happy hours of reading to the people here, through them I found new authors that I wouldn't have tried otherwise! I used to enjoy the book club that we formed back then! :)

I used to be an avid horror (Stephen King, Robert McCammon) reader, but now I'll try anything except mystery (I solve them usually by chapter 3.) In my real life, I'm the homeschool mum of 3 girls (12, 7 and 4.)

I have been on the gardening forums since 2001 or so. I happened on RP when I was looking for something to read. I have found many good suggestions here. I live in Texas and retired from teaching a little over a year ago. I had plans to do all kinds of reading, but grandkids have intervened. I keep a three year old and a toddler so I only find time to read at the end of the day. I loved fairy tales as a child, and I still like fantasy. One of my favorite authors is Tony Hillerman.

My name is Pat and I live in N. California. I am originally from Nottingham England-hence my name "Sherwood".
I used to be a regular here, and see lots of names of regulars, but I have not been posting much for some time, but started here in the 1990's too and I do pop in to check who is here!

I did meet Janalyn years ago in Vancouver when my daughter & I were on our way to visit an old English friend who lived in BC and we were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary-and I was one of her bridesmaids.

My husband & I are both retired and my daughters are all grown & moved on, one lives in the Seattle area with her family and my youngest is an RN -she recently signed up with a Traveling Nurse Agency so we don't see much of her as she seems to be sent further & further away each assignment.

We are dog lovers and have had as many as 4 at one time, but are down to one Lhasa Apso who is now 13yrs old. Since we are both slowing down she is about all we can manage LOL!

Pat

I'm Nicole and I live in Whittier, California. I found RP around 2004 or 2005 and still remember the "Literary Baby Names" thread that you all responded to in 2007 (we went with "Jane" for our oldest and have since had two more daughters with family, not literary, names).

I am a public librarian and love the book recommendations I get from all of you, often passing them on to patrons, especially in the mystery genre, since that is not my cup of tea.

I currently don't have internet at home, so don't pop in as often as I used to. (Since my husband is a stay-at-home Dad, we are temporarily skipping the internet, cable, etc. to be able to afford to keep him home with the girls.) Paula, my husband just got his HAM license! He is so excited and is studying for the Extra Class now.

So nice to see so many familiar names still here. And I've been enjoying all my bookmarks coming in!

Glad to see posts from Sherwood and Phaedosia.

I'm Kathy. I live in Columbia, Missouri - home of the Mizzou Tigers. (I only mention that because we happen to be doing well this year, playing in the Cotton Bowl in a couple of weeks.) I enjoy living in a mid-sized university town - lots of interesting people and events, and only a 10-minute commute to work. I earn my living as a technical writer.

I've been visiting RP off and on for quite a few years. It is one of my main sources for finding interesting books to read. I remember once when conversation was lagging, I started a thread asking "What are you currently reading?" I believe that thread has been renewed every month since - as I see it every time I check in. Not all my threads have been so popular however, as the current "Best Book Club Discussions" demonstrates. :^)

I'm a dedicated member of a local book group full of intelligent, vibrant women. We used to have a few male members, but they fell by the wayside after they married the women they were dating. (It seems that attending your fiancee's book club meetings is part of the dating ritual among middle-agers around here.) Civil War book selections have fallen off sharply since.

On my own, I pretty much always choose fiction for my reading pleasure - mostly contemporary, occasionally classic. My book group's selections have expanded my horizons in this respect, and although I don't always love the books we read, I do always enjoy the discussion and often come away with new insights into topics I wouldn't otherwise give much thought to.

Hello everyone,

My name is PAM. I write it in all CAPS as there used to be about five Pam's here and this was an easy way to help differentiate. Not an ego thing, honestly.

I hail from central PA. I have been on RP since the mid-1990's and remember the Spike years and being "Disneyed". I visit here regularly but have posted less frequently since I 1) got divorced and 2) started to work full time. But now I am getting back to RP and it feels great to be back "home" amongst friends.

George Gissing is my favorite writer and I tend to go on and on about him occasionally. I do enjoy the classics but need to read more of them. As I get older, I find I am spending less time on fluff and more time on the non-fiction and the classics. (Present book club book EXCEPTED... ugh... true crime by Ann Rule.. someone SAVE me, please.)

I read almost anything except romance, western and sci-fi. LOVE well-written non-fiction especially micro-histories. I shall definitely be crushed one day by my books.

I love to garden but need more time.
I enjoy needlework but need more time.
And when it comes right down to it... I put away the needlework, let the weeds grow, and pick up a book.

I am in three book clubs but often just show up for the wine. (AstroKath... Rosemont Estates is one of my favorites.)

My favorite thing about RP is that reading is such a solitary passion (not hobby, PASSION), but here at RP, I can share with like-minded, intelligent, kind, people.

Oh, and I am engaged and soon to be married. Life is so good.

PAM

PAM, Congratulations, you must be feeling wonderful! It is so comforting to find someone to love after a divorce.

I'm Nora and live in the country in the Midwest. I have one husband, three grown children, four grand children, three dogs who chose us and two cats I chose from the local shelter.

I'd rather read than almost anything else -- certainly more than cleaning house. Gardening has always been a close second, but a couple of hip replacements have slowed that down the past two years.

Like many of you, I've gotten great reading suggestions from here for years. I rarely post, but do follow this forum pretty closely. After years of hunting for a book group, I'm now in two. It seems I'm not easily pleased by the books chosen since after saying I liked one book I got a round of applause! A lot of books I start hit the couch after reading about a quarter of the way through. Life is too short to read something I'm not enjoying when there is so much good stuff out there. Just because someone chooses to write about abusing either children or animals does not mean I need to read about either.

Thanks to all of you who share your reading habits with others. You have made my life more interesting.

Welcome to all the new posters and also welcome to those visiting us from gardenweb's KT, the Kitchen Table!

I'm Bill. I used to be on the forum regularly in the late 1990's but disappeared for several years following big changes to my life. I was born and brought up in Scotland, but moved to Wales in 2000 and, through work commitments and then starting my own business, found little time for internet browsing. I never lost my love of reading however, normally having 2 or 3 books on the go at any given time.

I enjoy historical novels and fantasy, combining both in the pursuit of any books I see on the Arthurian theme and have been known to dabble in writing some poetry. Having given up my business some months ago, I find I now have more time on my hands (after finishing the daily list of household chores - it's a hard life being a house-husband) and I intend to become more active on the forum. It's nice to see some names still posting that I remember from all those years ago.

Bill, I remember you from years ago. Welcome back. I also dabble in poetry and love the Arthurian themes.

Bill, I remember you as well.

Like you, I enjoy reading fantasy. I also had the pleasure of visiting Edinburgh this summer, my first visit to Scotland ever. While there my husband and I took a literary tour of the city which we enjoyed very much. He has been reading Ian Rankin since we returned home. So far I have not visited Wales, but perhaps that will happen one day as well.

Nicole, I am sorry to say that I missed your mention of your husband being a ham radio operator before when you posted it. I wonder if our DH's have contacted each other at some point. It seems quite likely.

Rosefolly

I'm Vicki, known here as Sarah Canary -- from my favorite book. (I noticed that Martin archived our discussion of that book - thanks, Martin.) I live south of Sacramento, CA, on the beautiful California Delta with my retired husband and two dogs. I have a son and daughter, both grown and living within 2 hours of us.

I am a semi-retired writer and copyeditor, currently editing a 500-page book about the Founding Fathers and the early days of America.

I first discovered RP in the mid to late '90s, like many of you. Over the past few years I haven't visited here much, but I hope to have more time now to stop in more often. Some of my favorite books and quotes have come from RPers. For example, I loved "Lonesome Dove," a book I would never have read if not for RP. From it, I got one of my favorite quotes: âÂÂIf you only come face to face with your own mistakes once or twice in your life itâÂÂs bound to be extra painful. I face mine every day -- that way they ainâÂÂt usually much worse than a dry shave.â -- Gus (Augustus)

So thanks RPers old and new. You have enriched my life.