I joined Shelfari a few months ago. If you haven’t been there, this web community introduces readers to other book lovers and allows members to share their book recommendations and reading preferences in a fun forum. Part of the fun is building your bookshelf—sharing what you’re currently reading along with your personal keeper shelf.
Because I write, I obviously had to add my own books. And because I critique with a friend, I added all her books. I added my working reference books as they make up a large portion of my real life bookshelves—guides to medieval costume and armor, astrology books that discuss how various personalities match up, travelogue descriptions of places to help me flesh out settings.
But the real Shelfari fun started when I began adding some of my old favorite books through the years. Some of the titles came easily—I’m frequently asked about some of my personal favorite authors and have a list I reel off with regularity. Yet as time allowed, I went back and thought about other books I’ve really loved.
Oh the memories this brought back! I had such a blast thinking back five years ago, ten years ago and even fifteen or more years ago to recall what I’d been reading and what books I was talking about then. I remembered adoring Susan Wiggs’ book The Charm School about a really rough pirate and his crew act as a finishing school of sorts for an insecure heroine. And I called to mind Maggie Osborne’s Silver Lining with the prospecting heroine, Low Down, whose one wish was to have a baby. Also very memorable was Christina Dodd’s That Scandalous Evening in which the heroine’s backstory involved sculpting a statue of an unscrupulous man and inadvertently shortchanging his manhood thanks to her maidenly status. I remember positively crowing with delight when I realized what she’d done.
All of which is to say I had a lot of fun taking this walk down a reader’s memory lane. Having access to all of Amazon’s titles makes it easy to find books by author, title or subject. And of course, having that kind of searching format makes it easy for one search to lead to another, calling to mind plenty of stories you’ve read. I highly recommend surrounding yourself with some of your forgotten favorites for an afternoon. It’s a nice way to relive the fun of those books and to share them others who will appreciate them just as much.
If you’d like to check out my bookshelf, hop on over to: http://www.shelfari.com/JoanneRock/shelf
Okay, so if you remember them, how can they be “forgotten favorites”? Still, can you recall some of the books you loved a decade ago?
*** Prize Alert*** Win a copy of Joanne’s sexy suspense anthology BET ME with Debra Webb and Catherine Mann. Simply post on the thread to enter. One random poster will be chosen Sunday, September 23rd. ***
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Will have to ck out this site. Sounds good for some recommendations and sharing what I loved.
Barbara Delinsky - Three Wishes - I recommend this tale of love and redemption to all. Read it many years ago.
Also Sarah’s Child by Linda Howard - gutwrenching but wonderful love story.
by Pat L.
on September 20th, 2007 at 7:48 am
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I haven’t been to Shelfari ~ YET ~ But, I’ve heard alot about it.
by Christy
on September 20th, 2007 at 8:16 am
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I’ll have to check out your bookshelf. I’d love to win BET ME!
by Tammy G.
on September 20th, 2007 at 10:42 am
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I love Shelfari! Have you seen their blog widget?
by Danny
on September 20th, 2007 at 11:46 am
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Will have to check this site out when I can. Some of my old favorites are A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson, The Prize by Julie Garwood, Tick Tock by Dean Koontz, Sarah’s Child by Linda Howard, etc.
by Cherie J
on September 20th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
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Will have to check out your bookshelf.
Can only remember 1 old favorite. It is Skye O’Malley by Bertrice Small.
by Estella
on September 20th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
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I just checked out your bookshelf! A decade ago I would have been into Dean R. Koontz and Linda Howard. I have many of their books on the keeper shelf.
by Sue A.
on September 20th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
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I read Janet Evanovich too. I also like Stephanie Bond and Dean Koontz. Old favorites? One book comes to mind right away and that’s Suddenly by Barbara Delinsky. This was my first adult book as a kid and I loved it.
by RachaelfromNJ
on September 20th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
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Jude Devereaux would definitely bring me down memory lane. I’ve heard of Shelfari but have not looked into it yet.
by RobynL
on September 20th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
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I have been hearing about Shelfari and enjoyed peeking at your list. Some of my favorites from a decade ago:
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Escapade by Joan Smith
Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard
by Little Lamb Lost
on September 20th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
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I love Shelfari. It’s quite addicting. 
A decade ago, I wasn’t the reader I am today (meaning, I didn’t read much outside of school books). I really can’t say that any stood out, although I remeber being introduced to Clive Cussler books around that time.
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I know I was reading Lori Foster then and JoAnn Ross and Candace Schuler before that. I have had the pleasure of enjoying a lot of books over the years and still find reading is my favorite pasttime. Thank you for the information on Shelfari.
by Shari C
on September 20th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
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seen it, cool. love diana plamer.
by kim h
on September 20th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
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A couple of my old favorites are Outrageous by Chirstina Dodd and This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland. When I find the time I’ll have to check out Shelfari.
by Maureen
on September 21st, 2007 at 1:26 pm
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Crazy for You, Tell Me Lies, Welcome to Temptation & Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie
Lake News and The Vineyard by Barbara Delinsky
Cry No More by Linda Howard
Slow Heat in Heaven by Sandra Brown
These are just a few of my long time favorites!
by Susan
on September 21st, 2007 at 2:29 pm
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Let’s see I started off reading several books:
Laurie McBain-Moonstruck Madness, Devil’s Desire,
Joan Honl-Texas Gold, California Copper, Nevada Silver etc,
Julie Garwood-The Bride, The Wedding, Castles etc,
Miranda Jarrett’s -Sparhawk’s Bride(series),
Karen Robards- Walking Around Midnight, Wild Orchids,
Joan Johnston-The Inheritance, After the Kiss,
Nicole Jordon-The Passion,
Lisa Kleypas - Someone to Watch Over Me,
Linda Lael Miller-Lily & the Major,
Kasey Michaels- Legacy of the Rose, Passion of an Angel,
VLT- The Lawman, The Drifter,
Sharon Sala- Sara’s Angel,Alway’s a Lady,
Katherine Sutcliff-My Only Love, Miracles,
Lavryle SpencerForgiving, November of My Heart,
Heather Graham-Night, Sea & Stars, Bride of the Tiger, Slow Burn,
Shannon Drake-No Other Man, No Other Love, No Other Woman,
Christine Dodd-Lost in Your Arms, My Favorite Bride ETC,
Jude Devereau- The Highland Series, Etc,
Nora Roberts- Irish series, Chesapeke series, Born in series,
Constance O Banyon Song of the Nightengale,
Susan Wiggs- Halfway to Heaven,
Elizabeth Thorton-Almost a Princess, Strangers at Dawn, Perfect Princess,
Jodie Thomas-The Texan & the Lady,
Elizabeth Lowell- A Woman Without Lies, Eden Burning, Untamed series, Only series, Granite Man, Warrior, Outlaw etc.
Joanna Lindsey Love Me Foreveer, Defy not the Heart,
Judith Mc Naught- Whitney My Love, Once & Always,
Kat Martin- Nothing but Velvet, Innocence Undone, Devil’s Prize, Hot Rain, Secret Ways, Perfect Sin and Fanning the Flame.
Jayne Anne Krenz’s books and Diane Palmer’s books..
by Laurie
on September 22nd, 2007 at 6:12 am
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A decade ago, that is a long time. Well, mostly all the 80s Danielle Steel, like Kaleodoscope, Secrets, Love and Honour…. I remember I was pretty addicted 
by Maggie
on September 22nd, 2007 at 5:59 pm
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Well, ten years ago, I was 11 and I didn’t read much other than school related books. But, my first romance novel… which made me love the genre was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss and I read it about five times ever since.
by Lily
on September 22nd, 2007 at 6:01 pm
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I remember my old time favorites… Moonstruck Madness - Laurie Mcbain, Love Play - Rosemary Rogers, The Proud and the Free - Janet Dailey, The Man she Married - Violet Winspear, Meeting at Midnight - Flora Kidd, and all Johanna Lindsey’s books.
by Nathalie
on September 22nd, 2007 at 6:04 pm
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10 years ago the only reading I did was my highschool text books! I missed so many romance releases at that time!!! But I am trying to catch up now  :)
by Kathleen
on September 23rd, 2007 at 4:06 pm
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Estella, I forgot to add Skye’s saga t my page! I read all the clan’s books through the years. Very fun to see the whole family take shape through history. And Lily, I’m glad you picked up Shanna for a first romance novel even if it was released well before you started reading! You can’t go wrong with a Woodiwiss. I’ll bet a lot of us read one of hers for a first romance. Thanks for all the great titles… this was a fun thread.
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Prize Winner
Our winner was RachelfromNJ! Thanks to everyone who chimed in to share their favorite stories.
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Thanks Joanne! I emailed you back with my address! Can’t wait to read this book!
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YaY! Congratulations Rachael. Happy Reading.
Hugssss
LindaH
by Linda
on September 23rd, 2007 at 5:37 pm
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wtg rach from nj
by kim h
on September 24th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
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