Reading with Betty Marie

Welcome to our new series, Reading with Betty, wherein some of our readers (hanging out on the
robust FB page) volunteered to let us paw over the contents of their bookshelves and take us on a
tour of their reading lives. We are, all of us, riveted to the fixed point of The Great Betty Neels but
splinter from it in a thousand different directions. I am excited to learn about each of our intrepid
Betties who have each been filling out the same questionaire. Let's go:

Introduce yourself (Be as vague or as specific as you like.)

Salutations! I'm Marie. I'm live in Oklahoma with my fiance & our 5 kids, a dog & 5 parakeets.
Our kids are 4, 5, 6, 12 & 14. They keep us busy!

Betty Marie is an excellent juggler.

I'm a nurse. I work agency & I sent my own schedule. My background is Cardiac & Stroke, but now

I get to see a bit of everything. My fiance is also a nurse so we both understand the demands of
work & can talk shop together. I also currently teach clinicals to first year nursing students.  Prior
to nursing, I was an English Lit major with a minor in Spanish.

Growing up my sister & I were both adopted from the Philippines. We also grew up as Navy brats.
We mainly lived on the East Coast, Panama & Spain. So I've been lucky to travel & see a lot of
the world. I have 2 siblings. My older brother lives in OK & my younger sister lives in Kansas.

I'm pretty quiet & love staying home, but don't have a problem getting out & doing fun stuff with
friends or family. I like to travel & went on a cruise of England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales a few
years ago. I read a lot! I stumbled upon TUJD blog a few years ago & was so happy to know other
people loved Betty! I was very happy to find the FB group 😁

When did you start reading Betty Neels?

I was introduced to TGB in high school. My BFF's mom had a whole box of them she was cleaning
out. I asked to borrow some & she gave me the whole box.

Betty Marie's BFF's mom was not in her right mind.

What is your favorite book(s) and why?

Wren to the Rescue. My dad bought it for me on one of his many business trips. He signed the
inside with a message and the date. I love looking at the cover & remembering the moment he
gave it to me.

Least favorite and why?

Gone with the Wind. I love, love the movie. I've tried to read the book twice & haven't ever finished it
in one read 😑 🙈

The movie characters are so ingrained & loved in my head since age 4 (yes very young I know) & I
can't separate them from the book.

Books and movies have a fraught relationship.

What appeals to you about Betty Neels novels and why do you find yourself attached to them?

The simple romance & HEAs. I like the domesting details. I also like the nursing aspect. I began
reading Betty before I became a nurse, but enjoy seeing how nursing was in her time.

What is your favorite genre(s) to read?

Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance & YA

Do you have a favorite book in any of these genres?
Children's/Picture book Fairy Tales (I have a small collection of different versions) & Eric Carlisle's books
Classics Pride & Prejudice, The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings, so many others
Mystery Nancy Drew or The Cat Who books, Dan Brown series
Sci-fi/Fantasy Orson Scott Card, Mercedes Lackey, Tolkien, Robin McKinley
Biography/Autobiography I read one about Nancy Reagan once.
Non-fiction I don't really read this genre 🤔
YA Sherwood Smith's works & The Lioness Rampant series, Madeline L'Engle’ works. Too many to list

What are the five books you would take if you were stranded on a deserted island?

Pride & Prejudice, Austenland, The Hobbit, Beauty, & my Martha Stewart cookbook,

I am buying this.

Where do you do most of your reading? My bed, but I'll read anywhere. My car, work etc. I rarely leave home without a book.

What books are in your to-be-read pile? I always have a few Bettys in the stack. I'm going to start through Mercedes Lackey's Elementals
series again.

Do you listen to books? Any favorites on Audible? Not if I can help it. I have recently learned Richard Armitage does voice work for books. So maybe
in the future I'll give it another try 😂

Do you have any memories of being read to or reading with others? MY grandma reading me Mother Goose nursery rhymes. That's how I learned English.

What book was the first one to ignite your interest in reading? Little House in the Big Woods. I had to write a book report about it.

What's a book you find yourself constantly recommending? Sadly, my real life friends & family don't read much.  My daughter gst YA recommendations from
my bookshelf all the time.

Fun fact. A high school friend & I share a copy of The Princess Bride. We each keep it for a year, read it, &
send it back. We include new notes, thoughts, etc. we've been doing this for a few years now.

Solid choice, Betty Marie!