My favorite nighttime snack is "SERIAL"

Yes I do mean "SERIAL" not cereal. My favorite nighttime snack is not food, rather it is a good book. When it comes to a good book to read just before sleep, there is nothing better than an old fashioned, "SERIAL" novel.

My first love in this type of genre, was the legendary Hardy Boys. I am not sure when I first began reading these wonderful books, but I was most certainly still in grade school.

In those days, there was no Amazon.com for me to easily find used paperback copies of this series to read. No, I had to go to the Nevada Public Library, and hope that there was a copy of another book on the shelf. This may sound strange to some younger readers, but not to those of us from my generation.

Back then, there was only one copy of each book in the library. It just seemed that each time I wanted to check out the next book of the Hardy Boys mysteries, someone else had already beat me to it. It took me over a year to finally get to take home the very first book on the list, "The Tower Treasure."

I was astounded when I did some online research for this article, regarding the Hardy Boys books. The Hardy Boys mystery stories have come in several installments. The original series were published between 1927 and 1979. This series totaled 58 books.

I was also shocked to discover that the author I so loved to read as a boy, Franklin W. Dixon, never really existed. That name was actually a pseudonym used by series creator, Edward Stratemeyer.

Stratemeyer, used many different writers to complete his books. The books themselves actually became a lot like today's television series. Different writers completed scripts for the same characters in each new book.

Regardless of this new information, I still have a fond spot in my heart for these books of my youth. The suspense I enjoyed with Frank and Joe Hardy, along with their bumbling sidekick Chet, remains at the very top of my "SERIAL" list.

I was a little older when I discovered a new serial set of books authored by the famous Edgar Rice Burroughs. Most of you will know Burroughs from his more famous creation: the stories and character named, Tarzan.

It was his "Barsoom" series that I found compelling. In these books, Burroughs wrote about a man from Earth, who was magically transported to the planet Mars. This man was called John Carter. In the 10 books that followed, Burroughs created stories and adventures that any dreaming boy would love.

In my adult years, I found myself no less fond of "SERIAL" snacks where reading was concerned. My next favorite suspense series were the books by John Grisham.

Grisham has become one of the most successful writers of all time. According to Wikipedia.com, his novels have sold over 200 million copies so far. Several of his best books have been made into movies as well.

Grisham, for the few of you who may not be familiar with him, was actually a practicing lawyer in Mississippi in the 1980s. Most of his stories are actually based on his own experiences. Sometimes, I think his appeal for me is his similar upbringing.

Raised in a Southern Baptist Arkansas setting, John Grisham seems to see the world from a perspective that I understand. His books also have a hero quality to them that has always been a must for me in reading. I like to have a conflict followed by a just ending. Grisham's characters are flawed, but in the end they find the right course to follow.

At the same time I was beginning to read Grisham's books, another author came to my attention. His name (again this is just a pseudonym), is W. E. B. Griffin. His real name is William Edmund Butterworth III.

Griffin is perhaps one of the most interesting and prolific writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. He is a man who spent quite a bit of time in the military, and was a war correspondent as well. Most of his books have a connection to the armed forces or law enforcement.

When I use the word prolific, I am not exaggerating. So far, he has over 130 books in print. More importantly, however is his unique perspective of our country's history.

I have read most of the books from his six series. These series are all wonderful reads. The first was "The Brotherhood of War" of which there are nine books. The second series, "The Corps," is as its names suggests, about the Marine Corps.

The next four serials are, "Men at War," "Badge of Honor," "Honor Bound," and "The Presidential Agent Series."

I like all of Griffin's books, but the very best are in the first two series listed above. If you pick up a novel by W. E. B. Griffin, be prepared to have a tired set of arms and eyes. He is one of those authors that you find it hard to even put the book down. His writing is so vivid, that I often find myself actually laughing aloud all alone.

Yes, my favorite snack late at night is a "SERIAL." In the middle of winter when the wind is howling outside, a good book and warm covers is just the ticket.

It is even more warming and comforting, when the book of choice for that night is from one of these favorite authors I have written about in this article. And yes, sometimes I do actually have to stop reading just for a time to enjoy a small snack of real cereal, but I usually hurry right back to the good stuff, my beloved "SERIALS"!