Introductions!

[Sandra]

Love Emily of New Moon! Part of my childhood for sure.

[Shadow Kat]

Hello, I'm Kat a native New Yorker and librarian. A relatively new member of the HRC having found it just as the Time Turner events closed last year. I'm excited about this year and all the fun and books we'll get to dig into. My favorite genre is mystery as I am a major Sherlockian. However I'm also a fan of fantasy, sci-fi and historical fiction. Just finished Ken Follett's Edge of Eternity to round out the trilogy so onto smaller reads :P

[Anne]

Hello fellow Claws! I'm Anne. I come from a Navy family, lived in many places around the US, mostly in Southern California. I currently live on Long Island with my husband and our two cats. I'm a children's librarian and books are a big part of my life. My favorite genres are mysteries, fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction, but I will read anything that feels interesting. I'm so excited to have found HRC and I am a proud Ravenclaw.

[Carolyn]

Hello! My name is Carolyn and I live in MN. I am originally from Puerto Rico. I am avid reader of YA books and I like a good fiction book. Recently I discover the wonders of Overdrive on my IPad and I'm a junkie ;). I have been reading 3-4 books per week since the beginning of the year. Not sure how much longer I can keep this pace, I have a feeling the hubby will be kicking me out soon. So there! I have been in the running club for about 6 months and I'm excited to start the reading club.

[Talyna]

Hello, I'm Talyna and I'm skilled at procrastination and showing up to the party a little late! I live in Richmond, VA and was a transplant here from NC. I'm book obsessed and my mom claims that I could read before I could walk. My house doubles as a library. My husband broke down and bought me a kindle when they first came out because he was worried our house was a fire hazard from the stacks of books everywhere. I have very eclectic tastes and will read almost anything once (and some things an embarrassingly high number of times!). I tend to go through phases where I read a ton of one genre. I recently finished the Bloodletter's Daughter and am now reading the Last Unicorn and Fantastic Beasts. Once I finish up there it'll be on to When Breath Becomes. When it comes to running, it's not my favorite thing as I spend the majority of my time on a bicycle. However, for my dog's sake I figured I needed to pick back up on running and was thrilled to find HRC. I think I've rambled on enough for now. I'm excited to find my fellow Ravenclaws!

[Roxana]

Hello fellow Ravenclaws! I'm Roxana, I live in Southern California, where I'm studying library & information science. I've been sort of technically in HRC since about last October (at least in terms of the CM teams), but the Ugly Jumper run was my first actual run for it.

I read in a lot of genres, but lately I've been gravitating toward historical fiction and mysteries (or both in one, of course) - I just finished a re-read of the Aubrey-Maturin series, and I'm plowing through both of Ellis Peters's mystery series right now (Cadfael I've read before, Inspector Felse is new to me). Some of my favorite authors... Jane Austen, Vladimir Nabokov, Virginia Woolf, Agatha Christie, Tad Williams, Patrick O'Brian, Susanna Clarke, P.G. Wodehouse, Ray Bradbury... and obviously JK Rowling.

And I'm currently working my way through War and Peace. On my phone, because my shoulders can't handle carrying a physical copy around in my purse all the time.

Often to be found in my native habitat of 70s-and-sunny SoCal, complaining it's cold if I have to wear long sleeves on a run, and listening to an audiobook while wheezing along at a snail's pace. Hi. :)

[Danielle]

Hi. New to the group, from OKC. I been stuck trying to read the same book for over a month (Book 4 of ASoFaI), and I just can't seem to get into it. I've binge watch all five episodes, and I binge-read the first three books, so I think I may have gotten burned out a bit.

[Nicolle]

Hi everyone! I'm Nicolle a social worker and mom of 2 from Cleveland, Ohio. I recently joined HRC and love all the support. I'm not a super runner bu am getting into it more (i'm not gonna lie, I want medals!). I love love love to read and always have. I have pretty eclectic tastes so I'm excited to see what goes on here. My goal for 2016 is to read 52 books...I'm a little behind pace right now!

[Nora]

Hello, I'm Nora, I live in Alaska but I'm originally from Minnesota. Not married and only the furry 4-legged kids. I have been reading since I was 4 and I love it :) Obviously I love the Harry Potter books (it was actually my Mom who talked me into them), but I really like fantasy and sci-fi novels. Dragonlance, Anita Blake, Jasper Fforde, ect. I've been on Goodreads for a while now and I think it's an awesome way to find new books! I'm looking forward to being part of this group!

[Holly]

Hi everyone! I'm from Massachusetts originally but just moved to Southern California for work. I'm an avid reader, obviously the HP series, as well as the Ender's Game series, Jasper Fforde, Philip Pullman, and pretty much anything fantasy/sci fi. I also love a good mystery and "Jane Eyre" is one of my all time favorites. I've been a runner since middle school and just discovered the HRC. I'm very excited to be a part of this group!

[Cassie]

Hi, I'm Cassie. I just joined HRC in February. Like many others, I'm from the small state of Iowa. (What is it about Iowa that brings out so many Ravenclaws? My bet is on the snow.)

I love Jane Austin. Emma is my favorite, followed by Pride and Prejudice. I also love young adult fiction and sci-fi. Divergent, The Hunger Games, Stardust.

[Samantha]

Hi, everyone! My name is Sam and I am currently living in Corpus Christi, TX. I am originally from the IA/IL border, so I'm loving seeing all my fellow Midwesterners here! I've lived all over the U.S., including IA, IL, MD, CO, and TX and have also lived in Afghanistan, Thailand, and Kuwait. I move A LOT, so I'm never sure if where I'm currently at is my final destination. I love to travel and the experiences I've had have been amazing!

I am thrilled to be among fellow book lovers and can't pinpoint just one favorite book or genre, although I am quite partial to YA :-). It's easier to say that I don't like sci-fi too much (I know, strange, right?), and I can't stand the writing of someone who takes 2 chapters to describe a tree. Wordiness bothers me! I'll read almost anything else, though, and love collecting books. I haven't lived in a city that has had a bookstore in almost a decade and now have a B&N about 10 minutes away, so my already massive book collection is going to grow by leaps and bounds!

I just joined HRC a few weeks ago, but I already love it. 4 years ago, I lost 117 pounds and kept it off....until I quit smoking a year ago and put 40 back on. I am slowly working on getting it back off! It's a challenge, but I love the motivation of all my virtual housemates!

[Kara]

Cassie wrote: "Hi, I'm Cassie. I just joined HRC in February. Like many others, I'm from the small state of Iowa. (What is it about Iowa that brings out so many Ravenclaws? My bet is on the snow.)

I love Jane Au..."

Have you heard of the Austen Project? You might enjoy them. https://www.goodreads.com/series/1139...

[Caitlin]

Hello, everyone! I'm Cate. I'm relatively new to HRC but am a long-time, avid member of Goodreads. I'm mostly in it for the list function but I've been trying to add more reviews lately, so feel free to check those out. I've also tried a few virtual book clubs before with no success but I figured a roomful of Ravenclaws couldn't let me down!

I've always been a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy but I've been listing more toward general fiction lately, especially suspense novels and indie reads. Favorite authors include Isaac Asimov and David Mitchell. I'm trying to expand my palate and am looking forward to getting out of my comfort zone next month with Memoirs of a Geisha.

Lovely to meet you all!

[Marisa]

Since you lovely people have asked me to pick the book for May, I guess the least I can do is make a proper introduction post. Hello! I'm Marisa, and I am a conductor by trade - choirs, orchestras, musical theatre pits...I've done a little of everything. :) I currently live and teach at a boarding school near Princeton, NJ. Other things I love besides music and theatre: travel (especially all things aviation-related), sports, food, wine, beer, Lilly Pulitzer dresses, museums, the Junior League, being an active alumna of all my alma maters, animals, and my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

I'm pretty new to both HRC and Goodreads. Like Cate, I really like the lists and social functions. I've never been involved in a book club-type activity before, which seems kind of crazy now that I think about it, since I love to read so much! It's hard to read for pleasure much/at all other than during school breaks, but I try...

I grew up on all the children's literature classics and Anne Shirley is my all-time favorite heroine. I absolutely love historical fiction - Victorian England, the Gilded Age (especially NYC), WWII, and the medieval era are some of my favorite time periods to visit. I love Ken Follett's epic thrillers, Julia Spencer-Fleming's mysteries, and Tolkien's magical worlds. I also enjoy non-fiction - music, microhistories, and more. I like a lot of fantasy books, though I'm not as actively devoted to it as many people here seem to be, and while I have nothing specifically against sci-fi, again, I don't naturally tend towards it. Totally open to new discoveries, though!

Before I discovered Goodreads, I had been keeping a TBR list on Pinterest for a few years. It might describe me better than I actually can: https://www.pinterest.com/mwg25/on-th...

Oh, and I'm probably one of the only people out there who actually LOVED Moby Dick. I was definitely the only person in my 11th grade English class who did. :-p

Looking forward to some good books and great friends!

[[deleted user]]

Hello everyone, I'm Rachel. I live in the Phoenix area in Arizona. I love Harry Potter, of course-it's been my fav since I started reading it-and other favorites include The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities, The Zookeeper's Wife, lots of nonfiction, children's books, poetry-just a little bit of everything. Like some other people have mentioned, I never go anywhere without at least one book with me and I'm usually in the middle of two or three! Looking forward to enjoying this group with some like-minded people:).

[Mary]

Hey everyone!
Like just about everyone, I'm here because I fell in love with reading and the Harry Potter books of course. Funnily enough, my dad tried reading the books to me and my three other siblings (triplets actually haha) when I was fairly little and I hated them (gasp). I chose to go to bed early rather than stay up and listen. Which actually worked out in their favor because I think I was too young probably for some of the dark content at the time. I still can't believe myself then to this day. But when I was in third or fourth grade I picked the start of the series back up on my own. Only the first three had come out and I finished them in time for the release of the fourth and was of course hooked. Those two years were when I really fell in love with reading. I always enjoyed it. I picked up books from a really young age and was an avid reader, if you can call a three or four year old an avid reader, ever since. Third and fourth grade, however, is when I remember really falling in love with being transported to another world created by books.

Cut back to the future, I'm reaching the year mark of my graduation from nursing school and am finally getting into a position at work where I have enough free time to immerse myself in reading again.
Please feel free to add me on here! I love seeing what other claws are reading and adding to my reading list!

[Arcadia]

Hi everyone! My name is Arcadia and I recently moved from Washington to Virginia (my husband is in the Navy). I read all kinds of things, but my two biggest genres are Fantasy and Crime Fiction. My absolute favorite book series include The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne, Xanth by Piers Anthony, Kathy Reich's Temperance Brennen novels, and, of course, Harry Potter. I love that I am part of a house that has such active readers!

[Jannae]

Hello everybody! My name is Jannae and I'm from Central Iowa (hello other Iowans!). I've been lurking around here since I joined HRC with the Ugly Jumper Run. I read pretty much anything, lately it's been a lot of YA and historical fiction type stuff. My goal for this year is 50 books and I'm halfway there! Feel free to add me. I love seeing what other people are reading, it gives me more books to add to my TBR list. :)

[Samantha]

Hi, I'm Sam, and I'm from Alexandria, KY (near Cincinnati, OH). I actually hated reading until I read Harry Potter. Now, I'm working on a BA in English Lit. So, it's changed my life.
My favorite writers include Don Delillo, Maggie Stiefvater, Kevin Powers, Matt Fraction, and Rick Riordan. I read a lot of fiction, poetry, graphic novels, and food writing.
I'm looking forward to reading (and running) with all of you lovely Eagles!

[Miss Darcy]

Hi! My name is Ioana and, as you can see from my nickname, I'm completely in love with Jane Austen! I'm Italian, so I apologise for my mistakes! My other favourite books are: all the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (although I really loved The casual vacancy as well) , Les Miserable by Victor Hugo, Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens and Peace and War by Tolstoj. I read a lot of classics, crime, and scientific books... I'm reading the "Feynman lectures on Physics" at the moment and they are amazing!!! Already having a Master's degree in Mathematics, I'm taking a bachelor's degree in Physics! I think this explains pretty much everything about me...

[Emily]

Greetings! Emily from Council Bluffs, Iowa. I enjoy a lot of kinds of books- as long as the story is a good one! Right now I am re-reading The Passage by Justin Cronin so that I can be freshly prepared to read the third in the series!

[Nicole]

Emily, I love the Justin Cronin books! Welcome!

[Laraemilie]

Hi everybody,

I'm Lara Emilie and I live in Europe. I am a bookblogger and love reading all kind of books, with a preference for fiction and, mostly, crime books and thrillers. Still, I read a bit of everything and I have a book with me most of the time. Anyway, I had a look at the last book you read and I decided to join in as they're great choices!

[Katie]

Hello from Mid-Missouri! My name is Katie, and I am not a bookworm, but a book dragon! I was lucky enough to have been born into a family that not only values reading, but enjoys it as well. I work in the Children's department of my local public library, and love giving book recommendations. My favorite genres is fantasy, though I read science fiction, historical, some romance and some nonfiction as well.

[Sara]

Sara from the North Texas/Ft.Worth area. I've been a big reader since I was but a wee one. If there's words I read them. My husband has learned what my family learned years ago I will get distracted by every sign in my vicinity and you may have to repeat what you just said!

I recently quit a 50+ hour a week job that left no time for anything but tired misery. So excited to get back into reading.

[Cassie]

Hello! I'm Cassie from Southeastern Minnesota! I'm a librarian at my hometown library, and I am mom to a feisty 3-year-old gal.
Probably goes without saying that I love and have always loved reading. I like a little bit of everything, but lately I've been in a memoir/biography phase. Particularly humorous ones.

Excited I found this group!

[Laura]

Hello fellow Ravenclaws! I'm Laura from London, England.

I've been an avid reader since childhood (to the extent I wasn't allowed to open books first on birthdays as I'd just sit there and start reading them) and read a real mix of things - basically if it looks interesting then I'll give it a go! After not doing so well with reading towards the end of last year I'm keen to get back on the wagon in 2017 and hoping this group will help. Looking forward to getting to know you all and hopefully discovering some new books too!

[Violet]

Hello everyone! I'm Jen from Rhode Island, USA.
I, like most of you, am an avid reader. I work as a cataloger at a public library. Yes, it is bliss. I am also a obsessive knitter and crocheter. I am currently learning to spin yarn as well. I cannot wait for this year. After a few short weeks as part of the HRC I feel so at home. I am a Momma of 3 (2 are adults and out of the house).
I look forward to getting to know all of you and finding encouraging friends!

[Kate]

Been here a bit, but didn't introduce myself. I'm Kate from Tennessee. I'm a librarian for a middle/high school and love to read but haven't found as much time for it as I would like in the last year or 2. I also crochet and have just recently become a runner, though I like to switch up my workouts and do really well in any kind of workout class. As well as a wizard, I'm also a Disney fanatic.

[Kate]

Heather-Louise wrote: "Hello, I'm Heather, I'm from London England.

I work in customer service for an online yarn retailer and have become the unofficial librarian for the collection of pattern books we hold in the offi..."

I started reading Juliet when I saw it was next, but ya it looks like it disappeared. I'm really enjoying it though - it's and intriguing story.

[Laura]

Kate wrote: "Been here a bit, but didn't introduce myself. I'm Kate from Tennessee. I'm a librarian for a middle/high school and love to read but haven't found as much time for it as I would like in the last ye..."
Hi Kate! I'm in Tennessee too!

[Kate]

Hi Everyone! I've been lurking for awhile, but haven't joined in yet. I'm Kate from Massachusetts. I live about 45 minutes northeast of Boston on Cape Anne. Currently, I'm a systems engineer for a software company.

I've been an avid reader my whole life. In fact, one of my friends ran into our 7th grade history teacher recently and she was shocked to hear that I had studied math/computer science in college rather than English. I always have at least one book on hand, but usually more like three or four (and then whatever is on my kindle). I'm always looking for people to discuss books with - I often force my friends to read something just so I can talk to them about it - so I'm very excited to start participating in the group :-)

[Alex]

Hey everyone! I'm Ashley from North Carolina. Just found the HRC last week and have been diving in. I love to read but I had a hard time reading last year for some reason. I read mostly YA books so the books here will definitely be different than what I'm used to reading. I already grabbed my copy of the book of the month from the library and I started it yesterday.

I don't read most sci-fi, John Green or books that have won awards.

ETA: I don't see how the book is chosen each month, is there a poll or something?

[Julie]

Hello Claws! I'm new to Goodreads but not to much to the fb group.

I'm married, have two foster daughters who have been with us almost three years now, and work as a lab tech doing groundwater sampling. Love science, sci-fi, history, the gym, coffee, and naps.

[Amanda]

Hello everyone. I am Amanda from Severn, MD and I am new to good reads, well to be honest I am new to all that is HRC. So far I am enjoying it.

I have a 4 year old German Shepherd that still needs some training, but we are working on it. I have been with my boyfriend for about a year and a half. My dog loves him it seems more than me sometimes. I read whatever I find interesting and that will keep my attention and take me away from life on occasions.

[Amy]

Hello everyone, I just joined in January, but I haven't started reading as I have been rereading the Harry Potter books, but since it looks like this months book is going to be one I have REALLY wanted to read, I thought I would really get involved. I have never been part of any type of book club before so I am very excited to get started. I a a new grad nurse trying to enjoy the extra hours in my week. I enjoy reading King, Palahniuk, H. Thompson, Rowling, and Evanovich.

[Jenn]

Hello, I'm Jenn. I have fairly eclectic reading tastes, leaning toward fantasy and historical fiction. I used to be an incredibly avid reader, but life seems to keep happening lately. So I am working on making reading a priority in my life again.

[Rach]

Hey everyone! I joined HRC in Jan 2016, but just discovered the book club common room recently! I'm so happy to be here! I joined Goodreads in 2009 and love it because I have a terrible memory, not just regarding what I thought about a book, but also if I've even read it. I used to make lists in a spiral notebook when I was in junior high and high school to keep track of what books I'd already checked out of the library!

A little about me, I'm a graphic designer from the Seattle area, and in addition to reading and running (most of the time), I love traveling, photography, and watching tv. You can find me on instagram and twitter at @rachlovestv.

I'll give pretty much any book a chance, but I have a special fondness for YA, fantasy/sci-fi, and graphic novels/comics. Some of my favorite writers are Madeleine L'Engle, Anne McCaffrey, Robin McKinley, Rainbow Rowell, Kieron Gillen, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Jane Austen, Ernest Cline, Isaac Marion, LM Montgomery, and of course, JK Rowling. If you're looking for more friends on goodreads, feel free to add me - be sure to note HRC or Ravenclaw in your friend requests.

[Spookshow]

hi everyone. I'm from nc. I found this page from the Facebook page. I like to read comics, si fi, horror, fantasy. anything by Anne Rice. but I love to read and don't mind reading other things to

[Spookshow]

Oh and almost forgot my name is harley on facebook. I don't know why it won't let me change on here

[Rachel]

Hello all!

I just found out about our book club (Of course we have a book club!) and am so excited about it.
I'm a Reading Specialist in north Texas. I've only been running for about 5 months and part of the HRC for half that time.
I'm so looking forward to reading and discussing all of these wonderful books with you.

~ Rachel

[Lauren BooksMcD]

Hey All! I'm Lauren. I live in Southern Maryland, but I'm originally from Pittsburgh, PA. I moved down this way for work in 2008, but I still bleed black and gold! ;)

I joined the Ravenclaw book club when it started, but every time a book was chosen I had already read it! So I was just off to the side keeping my eye on it and when The Handmaid's Tale was chosen I decided to jump in!

If I had to choose a favorite genre it'd probably be historical fiction... or maybe microhistory. Definitely something historical either way. I think one of my favorite aspects of Harry Potter is that a lot of the wizarding world is so archaic. Writing on scrolls of parchment with ink and quills, or the complete lack of technology, or roaming castle grounds etc.

As a general description of my character, I guess I like to think of myself as a combination of Luna Lovegood and Professor McGonagall. Looking forward to discussing more books! :)

[Becky]

Hi Everyone -

I have been in the group for awhile but am determined to get more active in both reading and commenting. I just finished this month's pick.

I'm from St. Louis, and except for a short stint in Kansas City for college and a semester abroad in Australia, I still live there. I'm single, no kids, live with my dad and brother after losing my mom to cancer last year, and a dog and cat.

I read pretty much anything, but mystery/suspense and historical mystery are my favorites. Some of my favorite authors include Laurie R. King, Lindsey Davis, Patricia Cornwell, Jennifer Chiaverini, Laurien Berensen, Rita Mae Brown, James Herriott...

My favorite book from childhood is still my favorite book - The Phantom Tollbooth. I reread it every few years. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small series, Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series, and Lindsey Davis's Marcus Didius Falco series probably round out my top 5, not counting HP (but that is probably a tie with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants).

I'm kind of a mix between Hermione and McGonagall - I even have a tabby of my own (brown, not silver, though). I read as much as I can, and when I am not reading during my spare time, I am sewing :)