I have been in love with books and writing since I was very young. Cursive was particularly alluring to me. I remember the pang I felt when I could not understand those scrolling letters and words. I remember the joy of finally mastering it and then transforming my script into my own. Blank pages have always called to me and books have always been a way to nourish myself.
One of my favorites has always been Sherlock Holmes. I read the abridged version of The Hounds of Baskerville as a kid and fell in love. I’ve reread a lot of his stories and, of course, seen films and tv shows with their own recreations.
There has always been something comforting about Sherlock to me. The way his mind worked and the way people responded to him. I, too, have a strange way of perceiving the world. At least people tell me it’s strange. I remember reading one of the conversations between Sherlock and Watson and being delighted that someone could explain it. The deducing he does is so natural to him, that it was hard for him to explain the steps of his reasoning to get to his conclusions. There was such an intricate design within his mind of information that it almost seemed to be magic. Knowledge is magic.
I’m also a huge fan of that era. He is one of the only characters to handle the expectations of gender roles in society at that time while still treating women with respect.
I bought these on a day I swore I was only going to buy one or two books and came out with ten! They were having a sale! 
Which leads me to my newest discoveries is the world of Sherlock Holmes. The Lady Sherlock series. The first book took a few chapters to get going, but it was worth all the set-up. Sherry Thomas is amazing at crafting a reality where instead of Sherlock being born a man, he was born a woman in a time when massive intellect was not for those of the feminine persuasion. Her knowledge of that era and how society worked transports you into that time. Her characters are wonderfully colorful and unpredictable. Truly, I am so thrilled to have a female heroine of the same caliber. (Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman is also an amazing series with a super awesome female protagonist!)
And because I’m the kind of nerd who likes to learn everything I can about the things that really speak to me, I also bought a book of facts about Sherlock Holmes in his entirety. I pick through it from time to time. It’s a lot of fun to see what I have figured out for myself and I love learning all the in’s and out’s of how Sherlock became so famous!
I’m itching to read one of these books, or Fearless, by Elliot James. It’s the third in a dark fantasy series about a former Knight of Templar who has mixed werewolf blood. It’s laced with witty/nerdy humor and combines a lot of my interests into a fun read. It kind of reminds me of Jim Butcher’s series “Harry Dresden”.
Right now, I’m reading a book I borrowed from my dad. I don’t think he’s in any hurry to get it back, but I really want to just finish it and return it. I love this guy’s books, but it’s not exactly what I’m in the mood for these days. “A Dirty Job”, by Christopher Moore. It’s a San Francisco style read. That’s where it takes place, but I’ve read a few authors who write in this similar style of San Francisco underbelly where magic is possible; in this weird off-beat way. “Fool“ is one of my favorites by Moore (a twist on Shakespeare). I can really get through some pages in “A Dirty Job” while I’m knitting this dang striped sweater, though. Why did I choose to do stripes this way? I hate making stripes like this! Oh well. The sweater is almost done and I’m halfway through the book.
The Accidental Domestic Goddess 