What do you read?

The Insecure Writers’ Support Group question of this month.

March 3 question – Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?
The awesome co-hosts for the March 3 posting of the IWSG are Sarah – The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose!

I used to read science fiction by the ton, but at some point I kind of petered out of it. Not sure why. Then one summer when I had run out of my sci-fi books when I was home visiting, I started reading my mother’s collection of romance books. Not my top genre but it kept me busy and I still buy some when shopping.

Now I tend to find an author (perhaps at the library) and then read everything of theirs that is available. I’ve run into a few favorite authors, Rhys Bowen’s “Her Royal Spyness” series would be one. The Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsay Davis is another series I’ve enjoyed (set in Rome circa 49AD give or take a few years on either side). Kerry Greenwood’s Phyrne Fisher murder mysteries which has a ‘variation’ on PBS was something I started reading before I saw it on TV. (Non-spoiler, the main character(s) is(are) the same(sort of) but the stories are very different in the two media.) And I’ve read Dame Agatha Christie’s works multiple times.

Looks like I would say ‘period mysteries’ are my preference, with a wide range of periods and places. I get to learn a little history and culture for each time and place with this kind of reading.

So many books so little time!