Another "I Love . . . " Post

Hi everyone!

As a little girl, I preferred to curl up in a corner, on the bed, on the sofa - anywhere - to read rather than play outdoors.  I grew up on Enid Blyton and loved the fantasy world she created.  As I grew a little older, I read her mysteries.  A weekend treat to me was my mother and/or grandparents taking me to a bookstore and browsing the children's book aisles.  My mother and grandfather are/were voracious readers, and enablers.

The Enid Blytons that survived little girl hands.  Some are my daughter's.

My daughter and I swap our thoughts on books we're reading.  We don't always enjoy the same things, but agree on most.

My daughter's Dr. Seuss. She can still recite some of these off by heart.  (:

In my tweens, my grandmother introduced me to Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.  Every few years, I'd read the entire series and be taken back in time to when life was simpler. It's such a cliche, but some books really are like old, familiar friends.

1950-60's Dunlap edition of the 'Anne' series

I found this edition a few weeks ago and couldn't resist getting one of my favorite books in pink.  LOL.

In college though, life became more hectic so reading took a slight (but not permanent) backseat.

But when I had my baby and had a bit of free time, reading became a passion once again.  I started reading the Classics, and this is when I fell in love with Jane Austen, Dickens, George Eliot, and many many more of the great English and American writers.  I'd read anything and everything -- I risked not sleeping at night and read Frankenstein, and it wasn't as scary as I initially thought.

The 6 Jane Austen books.  I've given up my other copies and just kept this BOMC set.

I love the size of these.  They're small and handy.

Another BOMC set.  I have yet to go through Bleak House.  Such a thick book!!

A beloved set of antique Dickens illustrated by C. E. Brock.

Once I started working full-time, reading became occasional.  I'd read books that had just come out, or books recommended to me or given as gifts, but TV and movies became the alternate passive passion -- something to fall asleep to.  I missed reading but just didn't quite have the energy to read as much as I used to.  I bought books that gathered dust and looked pretty on a shelf.  I scoured Ebay for the books I wanted and would (hopefully) read in the future.

Today, I pretty much live a laissez faire existence with my daughter being grown, and I'm back to re-discovering old titles, reading new books, and finally getting through those books I bought years ago.  I have become obsessed with making it through each Fiction NY Times Bestsellers list.  I'll hold off on watching a movie until I've read the books it's adapted from (and sometimes be thoroughly disappointed with the movie).

I have finally found a small enough edition of War and Peace
that wouldn't give me a concussion if I fall asleep reading it.

I have designated one room as a spare room cum library (1st photo above, also in my Blog title).  This other bookcase is located in the living room and contains some spill-over, mostly belonging to my daughter when she was younger.

The Lemony Snickett series

Who doesn't have Harry Potter  (:

The Little House on the Prairie books

In the digital era, I'm not averse to reading an ebook.  However, no ebook would look this good on a shelf, right?  (:

The Narnia Chronicles

What are you reading now?

Thanks for visiting!