Recently I ordered a used paperback book online and when I got near the end, the book completely fell apart. So, with much regret, I took the poor, overused volume to the bin to be recycled one day so that it could become something beautiful and useful once again. So, although no one will ever be able to read this volume of The Bridge on the Drina again, perhaps the book will be reborn someday. It will no longer be on my shelf for me to enjoy, but I will fill its space with another book in due time. I get many of my books and books on cds from the nearby public library but the ones that I feel the need to keep, I want on my shelf. I would love to have my own library someday so I can easily reach books, loan them out, or just enjoy their presence. My library doesn't have to be as large as the one on Downtown Abbey, but it would be great fun to have it. I think our children enjoy books as well, and I began to realize this when they started spending their own money on books. We have TONS of children's books such as most of the Dr. Seuss books, Berenstain Bear books, American Girl books, and many more. We have beautiful hardback children's books such as The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, The Legend of the Candy Cane, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Is Your Mama a Llama?, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear. The time I spent reading to my children is one of the most useful and meaningful investments that I made into their lives. Sadly, there are many American children who have very few books in their homes, let alone have a parent who is willing to enjoy books with them. And we wonder why so many kids have low self-esteem and little ambition. It's a sad, sad situation. In an upcoming post I will talk about children's books in greater detail, and I'll share some of the books that I recommend for children based on my experience as a reading mom and as an ESL teacher in an elementary school.
I'm currently reading a new book, Some Luck, by Jane Smiley. I won't comment on it yet because I haven't read very much in it as of today, but I will discuss it in the near future. I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy the book but I don't think it's going to make my TOP TEN LIST of novels. But like any book that I read, I try to appreciate it for what it is and so I rarely feel that I wasted my time reading it. I've heard it said that when a reader dies, he or she hopes that a good book of great value will be tucked gently in his/her hand. For me, I don't think that it will be a book like Some Luck but instead, I would prefer to be holding The Bible, Paris: The Novel, The Poisonwood Bible, or Cutting for Stone. Then, of course, there are the other greats such as Edgar Sawtelle and The Gift of Asher Lev. Last week I asked you if you could describe my personality based on the kind of books that I enjoy. I received some feedback on this from one friend, and I would like to hear what you think as well. I don't think you can say that I'm a hopeless romantic because I seldom read love stories. I seldom read self-help books because I don't believe that anyone knows EVERYTHING about any one subject, so why do they think they can give ME advice? I guess you can conclude that I'm a curious person who likes to read all kinds of books, from a good historical novel to a memoir that is inspires or allows me to explore my own thoughts. I have a variety of personal interests as is reflected in my book choice. My personality reveals that I want to know a lot of things. I'm easily bored and like to keep active mentally and physically. I like to live life with purpose - I'm not a mere drifter who is satisfied with the mundane. So don't stereotype me as a sci-fi reader, a mystery reader, etc. I just read. When I was a child I remember that I even read the cereal boxes - I thought it was boring to just sit there and eat my Lucky Charms.
The next ten books in my card catalog are as follows:
1. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
2. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
3. Losing Malcolm: A Mother's Journey Through Grief by Carol Henderson (Durham resident)
4. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
5. The Integrity of the Church by E. Glenn Henson
6. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
7. The Sea Captain's Wife by Martha Hodes
8. Three From Galilee by Marjorie Holmes
9. Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
10. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
What's on your shelf today? What kinds of books do you enjoy the most? I'd love to read your comments at the bottom of my posts.
Have a great week as you enjoy warmer weather,
Melissa
Looking forward to your kid lit posting! I remember getting a boxed collection of some of A. A. Milne's Pooh books for Jé when she was little and I was in college. I don't remember whether she liked them, but that was when I first read them and I was absolutely delighted.
ReplyDeleteYep! Love 'em! Dad would read them to me at night before bed! I bet mom still has them somewhere too. :)
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