A LIFE BUILT AROUND BOOKS
A reader, designer and writer.
I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember. One of my first great reading loves was the Little House on the Prairie series in first grade. I hid books inside my desk when I was supposed to be doing schoolwork and never left home without a book.
I studied graphic design at the University of Miami and spent years working as a graphic designer for publishing companies, all while continuing to be an avid reader.
I hosted a book club for many years, and I started Reading & Eating in 2010 because I love talking about books and helping someone find the right book at just the right time. I also opened two Little Free Libraries.
After moving to the Florida Keys, I began writing biweekly book reviews for the Keys Weekly newspaper in 2018. I later expanded into articles for Keys Woman and Home magazines. That mix of reading, writing, publishing and design shapes how I look at every book—and how I share it with you.
Why books matter to me
I believe books make us more empathetic. When we step into the lives of characters—even fictional ones—we practice seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. Reading widely has made me more open to different experiences, ideas and points of view.
Books are meant to share
When we downsized after becoming empty nesters, I began reading mostly electronic books and giving away the shelves and shelves of paper books I had collected. I rarely reread a book, and I would rather send a wonderful story out into the world than let it gather dust.
One of my husband’s patients once left me the libraries from her two homes. Years later, when I had almost forgotten about it, a truck arrived carrying roughly 40 boxes of books. Going through them felt like reading someone’s life story—the subjects she returned to, the things that interested her and the places her imagination had traveled.
For about 12 years, I’ve been the steward of a Little Free Library in front of my home. Neighbors take books, leave books, donate books and stop to talk about what they’re reading. This little library creates a wonderful sense of community.
“I read a lot so you don’t have to. If our tastes line up, you can skip straight to the great ones.