Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Hilarye, and she loved books. Baby Hilarye adored all the Little Golden Books her mom read to her, and she especially loved it when her dad would read her comic books before bed. Hilarye was fascinated by stories and learned to read at an early age. As she grew, she discovered the wonders of The Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps, and Nancy Drew. The Pizza Hut BOOK IT! program awarded her many personal pan pizzas for all the books she read, and the Scholastic Book Fair was her favorite day of the year. Hilarye would save all her allowance to buy new books & loved discovering new worlds.
It’s me, I’m that Hilarye. Hi, hello, nice to meet you!
Of course, there is more, because if the story above didn’t give away my age, the knowledge that my bones can feel rain coming, my favorite American Girl doll is Molly (in my day there were only 3 & I read every single one of their books), and I quite often hurt myself while sleeping totally will. Ok, back to it…
During my late teen years, reading took a back seat to everything else ‘adult’ life throws at you. I didn’t have time to escape to faraway lands, tame dragons, or solve mysteries anymore. Schoolwork, parties, boys & college applications took all my time. College and the years that followed continued in much the same way. Except there were far fewer parties and a heck of a lot more daily chores and paying bills (no one tells you how much being an “adult” sucks).
The beach & bookstores have always been my top two happy places. About 2 years ago, I was wandering through a Barnes & Noble after a particularly stressful day, and I picked up “The Invisible Life of Addie Larue“. I dove into it that night and my love of reading was reignited. I had forgotten what it felt like to escape to a different world and fall in love with new characters. Now I can’t imagine not being surrounded by stories, and I don’t know why I ever stopped voraciously reading.
Originally from North Carolina, I moved to Georgia for college and never left. I currently live in Atlanta with my husband and 3 cats. I became a graphic designer right after college, then I spent 17 years as a professional wedding photographer. Around 10 years ago I shuttered my photography business and went back to the corporate world. Now, I spend my days as a CRM Specialist/Business Analyst, and my nights reading or exploring one of my many hobbies (thanks ADHD). I’ve just recently joined the bookish community, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts about all the amazing books I find!
When I’m not working or spending time with my hubby, you can usually find me curled up with my Kindle and at least one of our kitties. My current favorite genres are fantasy, romantasy, and contemporary romance. I’m also a big fan of video games, ice cream, and making stained glass.