Armchair BEA: Who are you, and how do you Armchair?

Today's topic for Armchair BEA is Who are you, and how do you Armchair?  Although this book blog is run by four of us, today you get to here from me, Jenn.

N.B. Armchair BEA is a blog event for
book bloggers who can't attend Book
Expo America in NYC this week

I would love to be in NYC this week, not just for BEA (though that in and of itself would be heavenly) but for all the wonderful things that New York City brings.  I think the last time I was there was when my college choir performed at Carnegie Hall, so it's been a while.  I love all of the arts, so NYC is sort of a Mecca for me.  Unfortunately, financially, it's just not possible for me to be there this week.

Many of you would be surprised to learn that I'm a trained musician.  Yep.  I can sing opera.  Do I like to sing opera?  Not really, I must admit.  I love musical theatre and I'm a closet jazz musician, but that's a story for another day... I taught music in the schools for a while, but while I loved the kids, I didn't love the job.  Now I'm a happy, though scattered, stay at home mother of one kidlet and one dog.  

I started reading at an early age and couldn't stop.  Literally.  I would follow my mother around, while she was shopping, with my nose in a book.  To my great exasperation, people were always interrupting me to ask me how I could do such a thing.  My response, without looking up was always, "I can see my mother's shoe's over the top of my book."  Now I'm watching that same love of reading blossom in my daughter.  

Girls Just Reading is happy to be keeping up with what's going on at BEA through Twitter and the Armchair BEA website as none of us could make it this year.  Want to know more about my fellow bloggers?  Check out Alice's introductory post here, Julie's here, and Lisa's here.