I bought my first ever issue of The Roanoker magazine last week.

Oh, I’ve seen it up on the shelves before, I just always ended up walking out of the bookstore with some business/finance magazine if not empty-handed.

But, this particular time I was hooked by the cover photo, which is the welcoming and well-recognized lighted sign for H & C Coffee. And I decided that $3.50 was a worthwhile investment to make in our bi-monthly area magazine.

The publication covers a range of things in and around Roanoke from dining, to lifestyle, to arts and entertainment.

Some of my favorite articles from the current issue are: “Best of Roanoke” where the votes are in and awards handed out for the top in such categories as Fishing Spot, Music Radio Station, and Most Accurate Weather Forecast.

Many of the winners and finalists made perfect sense, while a few others left me scratching my head.

There’s also another article about Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and its Director David Wiley. And the story of how one woman named Wendy Blair turned a home in Old Southwest into a Bed & Breakfast.

All in all great local reading, and I’m already looking forward to the next issue!