While grocery shopping the other day, I must have set a record keeping those cart wheels rolling. A winter storm was forecast for our area. Decent parking spaces were at a premium. The aisles were filled with folks stocking up on necessities. I’d started plotting a new book and wanted to return to that creative world as soon as possible. Good fortune remained with me for a while, and I steered clear of the heavy shopping traffic. Once I reached the Dairy section, Lady Luck sprinted somewhere and left me wondering which yogurt to purchase since my favorite brand and flavor were gone. Okay, I’ll admit mainly being a creature of habit and sticking with the tried and true when it comes to brands I buy and foods I’ll eat. That day I had no choice but to select an alternative and hope for the best. With a week’s supply of my favorite breakfast food in the cart I continued to the checkout. Was I confident my selection would yield a positive result and please my palate? My sureness hovered somewhere around fifty percent since the day was otherwise going pretty well. The following morning as the coffee brewed I opened the yogurt container, dunked the spoon inside and scooped out a rounded serving. Didn’t take long for me to decide I’ll include some of that brand and flavor of yogurt on my shopping list from time to time. Change can be good. Downright delicious. Trying something new can be a positive and rewarding experience.
The same goes for the books I read. I return to my favorite authors time and again. After all, they deliver a solid story and I love their writing style. But some of those favorites have ended up on my bookshelves because I took a chance and purchased something by a new author. Often times the keeper was an author’s first published novel. If I hadn’t broadened my selection process, I might have missed a lot of great books.
What about you, readers? Are you a creature of reading habit or is variety the spice of your life? Do you find yourself reaching for books written by new authors and/or authors whose work you’ve never read?
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler,
Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave
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