Sandi
One word...eclectic!

Dianne
Eclectic! The books on my shelf vary in subject and genre from treasured picture books to philosophy, historical fiction, politics to biographies, to how-to books and recipe books, to true murder mysteries to oldies/classics!

I really think my reading selections are no different for anyone who is passionate about the written word!

F. Tessa Bartels
Is there ANYTHING she WON'T read? She is one voracious reader!

Tamara Randi
I started young with Bobbsey Twins and when I moved on to Agatha Christie, my mother was concerned and talked to my eighth grade teacher about my choices. He told her I would learn better English from the books, then proceeded to have me read Zane Gray every day aloud to the class. Some people have said I have read everything, but we know that isn't true.

Linda M. Johnson
That I read a lot and am an eclectic reader.

Kathy Boucher
She reads books about real life; does not read sci-fi or fantasy, as she prefers "real" stories; even if they are fiction, they need to be seen as possible. Mysteries intrigue her, perhaps because at one time she envisioned herself as a private detective. She hasn't changed much through the years in reading habits, although has branched out a bit more into biographies and other non-fiction.

Natasha Floyd
Someone would say that I read mostly fiction, some memoirs, and that almost 95% of what I read is written by a woman.

Benita Sirkin
I've seriously kept a reading journal for about 13 years because most of the members of the book club I joined then journaled what they read. I do think your poll question was a little too specific. My reading habits have changed over time, but not dramatically. I still read historical fiction and biography, but I have branched out more into nonfiction. I hope someone would say I have become a more eclectic reader than I was ten years ago.

Coral Harrison
I am someone who likes to read mostly mysteries, but still real many different types of books. I do not read Science Fiction so guess that makes me more literary

Candace
They would be surprised that one person would read such a diverse and varied selection. They also might be surprised to see how compulsive I am about reading --- one winter spent reading nothing but fiction about World War II, another winter reading nothing but Holocaust nonfiction and fiction, the writings of both Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill, and a bunch of chick lit thrown in with THE LEATHERSTOCKING TALES by James Fennimore Cooper. I don't understand it myself, but it's surely been fun!!

Mary Alice Gorman
They would say I own Mystery Lovers Bookshop and write a regular column for Mystery Scene Magazine, "Very Original" because that's where the risk-taking in publishing mystery books still resides!

Christine
They would ask why I only seem to read female writers.

Janice Hoaglin
If someone looks at my list of my most favorite books from the last several years, they would see novels that deal with grief and loss at the top; they might think of me as someone who has either dealt extensively with these issues (probably not any more than others) or who is quite maudlin --- also not true. I think what I love most about these books, as well as others, is the strength of the "human spirit" they exemplify, how the characters grow and triumph through their pain, becoming stronger and more compassionate.

Kay
They would say, "Wow! She loves mysteries!" They would also say that I don't read much non-fiction but have branched out from mysteries in the last 10-15 years into regular fiction and other genres at times. I know that meeting other readers through internet sites and groups has helped make my reading habits more well-rounded and has made my TBR (to-be-read) list grow by staggering proportions!

Suzanne Novoselac
They would probably think I had very eclectic reading tastes! I've read everything from Tolstoy to Evanovich. I like biographies, history, romance, mystery, suspense, true crime --- just about everything except sci-fi.

Lisa
Hopefully, that I have eclectic tastes and that I'm open to many different genres.

Candace B. Levy
The first thing someone would notice about my lifelong reading list is that I am an eclectic reader, willing to delve into almost every genre. The second, that I tend toward character-driven books in both fiction and nonfiction --- from mysteries to biographies. Third, since I was a young girl I've loved books about other places and other times, from fantasy to history. Fourth, I read *a lot!* I won a reading contest in first grade by reading and then writing a short report on 52 books during the school year. Last year, I easily met a challenge from our local library to read 50 books between June 1 and December 31 -- at least 5 books on that list were more than 700 pages long. I work full time as a freelance book editor, so I read pretty much all the time; none of the books I read for work was on my list of 50 for the library, though. The final thing someone would say about my reading habits is that I've turned to unabridged audiobooks more and more over the last six or seven years. I love being able to read while exercising, cooking, or gardening.

Brenda Moak
Very eclectic, with a wide range of interests, and open to new reading experiences.

Margaret Nance
I would hope they would say I have matured and grown in the selection of the books I read. Instead of just reading mysteries I have expanded my selection of fiction and now non-fiction.

Debi
What my family says: Get a life, Mom!

What my colleagues say: How do you find the time?

What my friends say: What are you reading now?

What my dogs say: Sit! Stay! Read! I need the sleep!

Nadine Heinlen
Don't you do anything else but read? Or, they have said, "You read all those books?" They wouldn't say anything about the kinds of books I've read, just the quantity.

Karen Terry
They would say I was stuck on Stephen King. He was the author for me. I would read almost all of his books when I got a chance. Then, one day, my husband decided to order catalogs of books for sale, and that changed my life forever. I realized that I was missing out on other authors that I hadn't read before. I became a reading demon ever since. I loved murder mystery, horror, and now I love military thrillers that I wouldn't have touched with a ten foot pole.

LuAnn Morgan
This person reads just about anything and everything!

Merrilee
Frankly, I have no idea!!!!

Dianne
Holy cow, when do you find time to fit these in? Then I think they will start to pick apart the titles and see that I read whatever suits my mood at that time. There is no rhyme or reason to what I read or when I read it.

Diane Meyer
Well, I started out reading romantic novels in high school, then I switched to fiction, Stephen King and then my reading dropped off almost completely in the following years. I got back into reading 3 or 4 years ago, and I am now a true crime, horror, and fiction reader. They probably wonder what on earth is going on in my life to create such a change. They especially would not and do not understand my passion for true crime.

Lori Furan-Schultz
Either a split personality or very versatile with a wide variety of interests. Well rounded? Sure, that sounds good.

Melissa
They would say that I was complex, as I read typical book club books, and on my own, I read horror books.

Norene
They would be impressed by the depth of my intellect and the variety of my choices.

Terri Loeffler
"Wow, she goes from the sublime to the ridiculous!"

NFrazelle
Hopefully someone would say that I am "well read" and would ask what my year-to-year favorites are, much like the BR questions "Who would you like to be stranded on and Island with?" or "Which writers would you invite to dinner?" I love finding new writers (new to me!) and exploring their work as well as following up with my favorites.

Martha E.
If someone saw my "reading list" (which I actually keep) they would say that I read a lot (a book every 2-3 days). I also read a variety and like to read all books, in sequence if possible, from my favorite authors.

Kathryn
She reads many obscure, unknown and even foreign writers; they frequently become 'discovered' years later!

David Rudy
That I have a wide range of interests --- from scientific and technical books (histories included), to fiction that covers mysteries, personal/endearing stories, sci-fi, imagination, to books that tell personal stories of effort, faith, and wonderment.

Karen
Someone once told me that I was the most ecletic reader she had ever met, since I read EVERYTHING!

Jean
I think they could see that my reading selections vary with my mood and life situations. At times, I want deep reading and other times, I'm looking for escape. In any case, I'm never without a book...or two!

Michelle Miller
I think if someone looked back on what I read in my late teens/early twenties, they would see my immaturity as a reader. Back then, I read a lot of horror and fantasy books --- and not good ones, like Stephen King and Tolkien. A good lot of them would be considered "pulp" novels in those genres. There are a few authors that I read back then to whom I am still very loyal --- Stephen King, Anne Rice, Terry Brooks --- but I have also expanded my reading tastes over the years with many more classics, like Jane Austen, Henry James, the Brontė sisters, etc. Also, authors like Arturo Perez-Reverte, Edward Rutherfurd, Caleb Carr and many others are part of what I would call my well-rounded reading repertoire. I like to read new authors, and the child in me loves to read J. K. Rowling, Christopher Paolioni, and C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. I do believe if someone came across my reading record in the future, they would conclude that I had matured and developed in the significance of my reading.

Jean Maurie Puhlman
They would say I am a Tarot card reader, an Astrologer with a great interest in self-help for myself and my clients. They would say I have an interest in past lives and how to access them. They would ask me what I write because I have a library filled with writing books too.

Susan
I love variety and I my reading list has matured greatly.

Lou
Spiritual, but lazy.

Carolyn Kindle
An eclectic list for a person with diversified interests.

Dorothy Cowling
Dorothy is a very eclectic reader, not to mention a voracious one! Her choices run the gamut from mysteries to biographies and books with spiritual depth.

Fran
I believe that they would comment about my eclectic style. I don't surround myself with only one type of book. I enjoy a variety.

Debbie Johnson
That I love thrillers and mysteries.

Lea Ann in Seattle
They would say that I'm quite eclectic in my choice of reading materials --- like just about anything. I do lean toward non-fiction or historical fiction, but enjoy just about all genres.

Manish Patwari
That I have very eclectic tastes in books and that half of the books I read and collect are nonfiction. The person would say I have a very curious mind that loves to dive into many topics from humor, quotation books, trivia, international history, medicine, wildlife, mystery novels, animal rights,etc.

Pat
I don't think that anyone who saw the list of books I have read could get a real beat on me except to say that I prefer contemporary fiction. But the few American non-fiction books might throw them off. There are no bestsellers on my shelf as I routinely avoid them and prefer to discover less well-publicized writers. I also avoid books that have violent themes, especially if children are involved.

Debbie
That my reading tastes have grown a lot, although I have been called a book elitist.

Linda
That I tend to read a great variety of books. I have always and will always enjoy mysteries/thrillers, but have started to move toward fantasy and literary fiction.

Sandra Hughes
That I was an avid reader and I enjoyed reading tremendously!

Jean Toth
They would say I have a wide range of interests when it comes to reading, but that I also find authors I really enjoy and stick with them.

Michelle
She's reading for enjoyment, is sure of herself and is not trying to prove anything to anyone with the reading choices she makes.

Lesa D
They would think I have an inordinate amount of interest in spies, spying and cryptology. (I've been on quite a spy thriller kick for a while now.)

Carol Smith
Is there anything that you don't read?

Carole Turner
That I tend to read by author and subject matter, and that I read very little fiction and no mysteries. They would say that I am a bookworm.

Danny Wilcox
My reading is very eclectic --- from from pulp nonfiction to the Classics. They would see I am very intrigued with people's lives and as a psychologist, I enjoy analyzing why a person did this or that to whomever. The little fiction I read is intertwined with fact, and real events and people, such as MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL.

Kathleen Nightingale
You really have a diverse and eclectic list of reading styles.

Marion Miller
I am an avid reader with a varied list of books. I sometimes mix in non-fiction but mostly fiction that is recommended. I always say, "I don't read junk,"

Bill Howe
He is boring and reads boring books.

Carol A
Eclectic and voracious.

Mary A
Once they get over the shock of the sheer volume of books I read, then I think they'd say, "if it's a book, she'll read it."

L. M. Jones
Those who know me well would not be surprised, but the rest would be surprised.

Debbie D.
Someone would say I love adventure and mystery in life and in my reading. I'm also interested in personal conflicts and struggles and how people come out of it still kickin!

Nancy Lowell
I have been referred to before as a Book Nerd.

Lyla
That my reading choices are VERY eclectic!

Suzanne Novoselac
I think they would say that I'm "eclectic" at the very least. I read just about everything that comes along, but my favorites are romantic suspense and historical novels. That being said, I also read true crime, thrillers, biographies, history, self-help, mysteries...everything but science fiction! I prefer "eclectic" to "doesn't have a favorite genre".

Norma
That I have a very eclectic taste in books, I must be a very interesting and well-read person, and I should tidy my shelves a bit!

Janet Stewart
Her choices were boring and predictable until she joined some book trading websites.

Loretta Sanford
Wow, I am up to 2,132 books read! Sometimes you can see the different stages of my life --- Junior High, High School, College, newly married, pregnant, married awhile, the cheating husband, the divorce, trying to get by. But there is a lot of plain old entertainment. I am so mad at myself for not writing down all the books I have listened to in the car.

Marjorie L. Carmony
They would say that I have about as wide a variety of interests as a person can possibly have. Although I read mostly fiction, I do read some nonfiction, again on widely varied subjects.

Mary Allred
I have always enjoyed books in which I could feel as if I were one of the characters. Perhaps it was a way of escaping, for I grew up in the 40s and being an only child, my best friends were my books. I spent a lot of time at home because of an over-protective mom. As I grew older, I became fascinated with the classics and still read them over and over --- especially Balzac. I love the English, Irish and African/Middle Eastern writers of today. I also enjoy short stories, mostly by Alice Munro. I try to read a good selection by today's political writers. I am a reader of books on religion and many of today's Christian writers --- Leonard Sweet, Max Lucado, John Ortberg and on and on.

When I just want to read for fun, I get out a good mystery or political thriller. I am currently enjoying reading Vince Flynn. I live in the south and am enthralled with Southern writers like Randy Wayne White, Lee Smith, Jill McCorkle . . . too many good ones to name. I generally read a couple of books per week, plus material I read for teaching a class or study or book group. And then there is my own personal reading of the scriptures daily, along with several devotionals.

I saw a quote today that went like this: Tto find out what I hold most precious, I will try to imagine giving it up. My answer would be God and my books.

Kate Green
My husband and one of my closest friends always shake their heads at my reading selections. While some of my choices are guided by 2 book clubs, I try to read books that broaden my horizons, mostly literary fiction. I am not sure what my choices say, but my reading habit is voracious.

Wendy Catalano
They would say that I read a wide variety of books.

Rod Vaughn
That my interest in history is centered around the Civil War and World War II; that I've always been a chess player, have an avid interest in photography, enjoy cooking outside, and am a baseball fan. I also enjoy a good mystery, but do a lot of fiction reading, covering varied subjects. Current favorite authors would be Gordan Rhea (Civil War), David Halberstam, (baseball), Vince Flynn, John Sandford, Cormac McCarthy, and Stephen King.

Jean Kruse
They would say that I am an a person who likes to read all kinds of books. As long as the book is not too violent, I'm interested in it. Books are my best friend.

Peggy Kincaid
That I have a very well spread-out genre of books and varying interests.

Rita Carter
I think that they would find that I'm a conservative person who escapes my small town persona through books of adventure, exotic locations and familiar territory, current times, past times, and intrigue.

Deborah Ayres
When does she find the time? She needs to get a real job!

Becky Wreyford
She's a person of eclectic tastes who has delved in depth into several topics by way of fiction including Native Americans, the American Southwest, National Park System, cowboys/girls, classical literature, Australia, and horses.

Barbara Bocan
People would say that I had been reincarnated from Tudor times, who also likes a mystery and some thrill thrown in, probably from reading so many Nancy Drew novels as a kid.

Linda Miller
I like history. My mind is challenged by mysteries. I have a very romantic side and enjoy traveling, whether for romantic settings, mysteries or just a trip to visit the home of my ancestors.

Patricia B. Potts
A very Catholic (universal) reader.

Shirl Biccum
The frequent mysteries could remind them of my career in epidemiology; and the rest shows how varied my interests are, from romance to history, to science and biography (learning what makes others tick).

LouBabe
That I'm an eclectic (and avid) reader and, although very spiritual, I can let my hair down and have fun, too.

Jane
Probably that I'm a bit schizophrenic! I would hope they would look at it instead as me just being a life long learner. I read everything I can get my hands on --- I have no favorites. I would have to say that over the years I have dropped out of reading romance novels, but other than that, no genre is safe from me!

Barbara Sloan-Hendershott
She certainly is eclectic.

Judy
They would say my reading is top heavy with historical fiction --- especially those about the 14th and 15th centuries, Queen Elizabeth I and family --- but also eclectic with bestselling authors well represented.

Linda Jitmoud
Eclectic.

Melodie
They'd probably think I'm a bit weird. I read just about anything with a vampire in it. I love urban fantasy and I throw in a fair amount of mysteries, too!

Mary
Tracking my book lists over the past 35 years, someone would notice I read fewer books per year now than I once did. It would also be obvious that my preferences have always run along the lines of women's fiction, bestsellers, mysteries, and thrillers.

Sal Williams
They say, "You must know everything about everything." (I am a voracious reader with really eclectic taste and read anything...even cereal boxes avidly. I just want to know, my curiosity seems to grow rather than wither with each passing year. I have about 3500 books in my library and have given away and donated at least 6000 over the years.)

Marla
A mixed bag.

Lynne E. Wilson
Before I gave my own answer, I let my daughter look at my book lists for the last few years and the first word she said was "eclectic". I agree because I will read biographies, fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, decorating books etc. I am careful about what I choose though. I won't read just anything.

Joanne Latva
I like good books, like mysteries or lawyer books, as well as human interest stories.

Phyllis Gould
That I am reading fewer romance novels and a greater variety of fiction, occasionally peppered with non-fiction.

Fran Schroeder
Why does she read so may different fiction books? Thrillers, sci fi., romance, ethnic, murder mysteries, chick lit...never the same genre twice in a row.

Harriet Stay
Better build her another bookcase.

Nicky McGuire
Eclectic!

John Smit
Where did you find the time to read them all?

Kathy Vieira
I have shared my list with many friends and relatives over the years and all have come back and thanked me for turning them on to some of the best books they have read. It always makes me feel good to know that they come to me when they're ready for a new book!

Diane
She will read just about anything.

Edward F. Cunnally
His reading habits cover a wide range of subject areas: historical works, both fiction and nonfiction; current events; mystery and true crime; and popular fiction and nonfiction.

Kathy Church
They would probably say I'm schizo because I have such eclectic tastes.

Adrienne Novak
That I love mystery and suspense, but also enjoy a good fantasy now and then!

Debbie Lockledge
They would say that I have an incredibly broad range of interest in fiction --- from Biblical history (Lynn Austin and Francine Rivers for example) to suspense/ thrillers (Patricia Cornwell, Jed Rubenfeld, etc.) and so many in between (Susan Wiggs, Barbara Delinsky, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Robert Whitlow, Elie Wiesel, etc.).

Jacklyn Briggs
She is interested in thrillers, true crime, and a wide variety of subjects. Most of the the authors she reads are John Grisham, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King.

Lea Ann in Seattle
They would say, indeed they do say, that I'm a voracious reader with an eclectic appetite for books.

Lisa R Evans
They would say that I have a range of genres that I read. They would notice I have about 3 books going at once. And they would notice at least 1 light, funny book along with the more serious ones.

Krishna
I think the words would be a science geek who likes to open new worlds in the future as well as someone who likes to take adventures whether in space, the past or the present.

Rebekah Crain
They'd say that I love to read a little of this and a little of that, but that overall, my tastes over the years have shifted. I've gone from reading reading more horror, thrillers, and non-fiction to reading more YA (a funny backtrack here) fiction and chick-lit. They'd still say that my tastes were diverse and ever growing. Never a dull reading moment when Rebekah's about.