Books and Pjs

I don't know where this is, but this is my kind of bookstore. image from somewhere on the internet

I've been a book geek from way back. The book love starts with memories of a pre- teen Pj riding my bike Oliver William Barrett I (Ryan O'neals' character in Love Story) with the wire basket to the town library to spend a few hours in cool, air-conditioned quiet. ( you could do that in a small town in the 60's and 70's) But first, I'd listen to classical music with the giant Princess-Leia-hair headphones on the mod orange and brown 60's furniture as I'd gather my wits. I was overwhelmed with all the possibilities-the books and the music and movie soundtracks.

Then, I'd browse. Touch the spines. Marvel at the books printed in the 1800's. I'd glance at the little card on the inside of the book cover and pull out the card to see who had checked out the book, their signature, and when it was last read. I was Overwhelmed again. I'd stop at the old oak card catalog and flip through the subjects and titles on the cards and smell that musty card stock smell.

Then the gathering would begin. This took time. The ride home would be shaky because my wire basket was filled with books. Ah, and then what to read first? and where would I escape to? who would I be? what could I learn?




I liked books and libraries so much that I worked in the library of every school I went to from elementary school through my senior year in college ( I got paid for those last few years.) I still, to this day, don't know why I didn't become a librarian. And even odder is that I almost never go to libraries now. When I have, I'm nostalgic but then a bit disappointed because it isn't like the old days. No, I go to bookstores, used and new in every town I go to. I'm a book store hanger outer. And I still get overwhelmed by it all.

The books. Now I buy on Kindle or at used book stores across the south or received as gifts. Occasionally, new from a Barnes and Nobles or grabbed off the shelf at Walmart. Usually, I read on the back patio or under the trees of the backyard. Sometimes in the car when I'm early for an appointment or when my husband drives. But most often I read when I'm lying in bed in pjs, or soaking in the bathtub. If the book is incredible and really grabs me, I've been known to burn through it in one sitting in to the wee hours of the morning.

I am also a re-reader. I'll re-read whole series. I like Christmas books at Christmas. Winter books in winter. Scary books in October. I have little patience these days for romance which I absorbed in my teens and twenties. I'll go through an author phase: several by Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, or Alice Hoffman in a row. Lately, I like little mysteries or books about people uprooting themselves from one lifestyle to live in another. This is the year of variety, so far.

Book 4- I'm sure I've read it about 6 times. It becomes familiar and comforting.

Some of my favorite bloggers post favorite books or the books they read every month. For something new, I wanted to keep up with my own books this year (and movies) and have compiled the list.

1st Quarter of 2012 January through March -and actually the first week ofo April too.
-- Not great literature. Not best sellers. Just random stuff that interested me at the time.

The Magic of Ordinary Days-Ann Creel (and the Hallmark movie was pretty good too)




The Year of Living Biblically - Aj Jacobs (laugh out loud at times,makes you go hmmmm at others, teared up, had me looking up Bible verses. The author is a New Yorker, an editor at Esquire magazine, and he immerses himself in living religiously and meeting people from various faiths:from Jewish to Born Again Christian to Amish to Snake Handling. He is endearing and I've got his next book on my wish list.)





Bending the Willow-David Stuart Davies ( book about the making of the British Granada tv series Sherlock Holmes and focuses on it's star Jeremy Brett. He was a fantastic Sherlock but manic depressive and a little desperate as he deteriorates in health as the series ends. Very sad. I had to read 2 other books that kept me cheered up as I read this. )

Aurora Teagarden series Reel Murders--Charlaine Harris (quick read, not much to say but southern and $1.50 at a used book store)

The Hunger Games trilogy-Suzanne Collins --(My inner 16 year old loved it and read this over December and January.)

The Hunger Games trilogy-Suzanne Collins --My inner 16 year old just re-read the whole trilogy. I was not a Twilight series freak. Book 1-yes , but couldn't get through the second one. But I actually related to the character of Katniss --climbing and hiding in trees, having to take charge as a teen when her mom checked out emotionally, and then later wrecked with post traumatic stress and only feels safe when she was hiding in nooks)...now if only I had her body and was an archery whiz.




The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels and Tractor Wheels--Ree Drummond (uber blogger whose tv show and blog I avoid because of the food porn. This was an impulse buy at a weak moment, since I'd read part of it on her blog years ago.)

The Red Baron-Manfred Von Rictofen 's autobiography. (I was inspired after watching the movie twice on tv. The actor playint the baron is pretty incredible. The sad thing is that he blissfully enjoyed shooting down places and 'killing Englishmen')



Humming along in the background and always available as a either a daily quick read or as my reference guides

The Upper Room daily devotional guide
For Today by Overeaters Anonymous
Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon
The Wisdom of Menopause( revised edition ) by Christian Northrup m.d. ( I bought this in resignation and triumph on Kindle. My previous woman's health reference book was published in 1995. Things are a changing.)