Bookish

I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1811

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
P. J. O'Rourke

Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.

Sir Arthur Helps

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

Sir Richard Steele

Never judge a book by its movie.
JW Eagan

I love reading. Mostly as an escape. I am constantly battling the lure of settling in with a good book verses attending to the list of tasks at hand. I know there's a balance somewhere but at times I struggle to keep it. If you could see my house right now, I think you'd know who won the battle this week! :P

So, have you read anything good lately? I've got some laundry that I'd like to put off a little longer and could use some recommendations.

Betwixt the Twilight

There is a magical moment, where morning catches night. I witnessed it this morning on an early walk in our neighborhood. One minute, bats are darting black against the sky, the next they are mingling with the morning sparrows, sharing a breakfast of bugs. But just for a moment. It really is magical.


Speaking of Twilight, I've been reading Stephanie Meyer's series. It's a intriguing set of young adult books about a high school girl and the love of her life, who happens to be a vampire. I'm about 1/2 way through the last book, so don't tell me what happens!

World Lit

To me, a vacation wouldn't be much of a vacation without lots of books. And time spent curled away in a comfy corner chair, reading without (much) interruption.

On this trip, I ventured a bit outside of my normal reading fare. First I snarfed down John Grisham's The Summons and The Last Juror. Then I read a contemporary romance written by my kickboxing buddy, Amy Knupp, Doctor in Her House. Then came a fluffy, fast read - Sisterchicks Go Brit by Robin Jones Gunn followed by the fascinating tale from Angela Hunt, She Always Wore Red. Lastly I devoured Saving Alice by David Lewis.

I found a treasure in a Breckenridge book shop; Photographing the Landscape: The Art of Seeing by John Fielder is worth reading and re-reading (while being careful not to drool over his gorgeous pictures).

Before the Road Trip, I picked up the unabridged, 10-hour audio version of The Swiss Family Robinson. As we drove, our whole family sat enraptured, listening to the elegant diction and vocabulary written in the late 1800's. What a great story!

And my great wish is that young people who read this record of our lives and adventures, should learn from it how admirably suited is the peaceful, industrious and pious life of a cheerful and united family, to the formation of strong, pure and manly character.

And, of course, no family trip would be complete without some good ol' Hank the Cowdog. :)

Improvement of Her Mind

"All this she must possess," added Darcy,
"and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."

I always, always read before I go to sleep at night. Right now I am reading The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters, a brand new book by Joe McNally. It's very good.

What are you reading right now?

Worth Its Weight

We have discovered the joy of listening to audiobooks in the car. Not only are the children being introduced to some great literature, but I get to enjoy the peaceful silence that comes from having siblings entertained by something other than fighting interacting with each other. I find books on CD invaluable for long car trips, but also helpful on our seemingly-endless treks into town.

My kids are ages 13 and 6 so it can be somewhat challenging to find something that they both enjoy, but here are some of their favorites:

A Cricket in Times Square
Any of the Hank the Cowdog adventures (maybe not considered "great" literature, but hey, they are entertaining!)
The Hobbit
Little House on the Prairie series
The Chronicles of Narnia

Right now we are listening to My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, one of my favorite childhood books. They were hooked from the very first sentence: "I am on my mountain in a tree home that people have passed without ever knowing that I am here."


You can hear a few minutes of this book here: audible.com.

What are some of your favorite family-friendly books on tape/CD?

Do We Have Any C.S. Lewis Fans?

I would like to know your favorite quote from author C.S. Lewis. If you can't narrow it down, you can list your favorite book that he wrote.

If you can't think of any off the top of your head, here are some links to nudge you:


CS Lewis quotes
CS Lewis quotes

I See Dead People ('s Books)

Ever wonder what Mozart read? Or Leonardo da Vinci? How many books do you own that were in Benjamin Franklin's personal library? Now you can find out! Library Thing is reconstructing famous reader's personal libraries online. They recently completed Thomas Jefferson's library (all 4,889 titles!). It's interesting to see what helped shape some of our history's most brilliant minds.

I See Dead People's Books

Rocky Ridge Farm

We had a chance to visit Laura Ingall Wilder's home in Mansfield, MO. This is where she wrote the Little House Series. The small museum next door includes many items that were mentioned in Laura's books, including Pa's fiddle and Laura's glass bread plate. We also got to see the clock that Almanzo bought Laura for their first Christmas. The house was surprisingly modern and even had a fridge. It was interesting that Laura experienced so much change in her life. She traveled in both a covered wagon and a car!