Only 662 Books to Go!

I am a person who likes to have goals.

Last Christmas, I was told of a marvelous book called 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. I was invited to join a bookgroup that is attempting to read all 1001 books.

Naturally, I joined this group. I am, after all, a children's librarian. And how hard could it be to read a few children's books, right?

Harder than one might think, it turns out. The rascally scoundrels...sorry, rather that is, the wise scholars, who devised this list of children's books cleverly broke the books up into five categories of books, by ages, with 0-3, 3+, 5+, 8+, and 12+. The easier books, what we librarians call picture books, comprise less than half the list. And look at some of the books these quacks...oops, sorry again, that is, erudite critics, have classified as children's books: Fahrenheit 451...Gulliver's Travels...The Hound of the Baskervilles...To Kill a Mockingbird...The Arabian Nights....A lot of these are well over 500 pages....

I was thrilled, then, to hit 339 books read from this list. That's a little over 1/3 of the way through.

I can see myself slowing down now that I've read most of the shorter books. Also, these books are from all over the world. I've been finding it very difficult to obtain copies of books published outside the US.

I can see myself soon at a point where I am only finishing a book a week. At that rate...let's see...662 books to go...a book a week...52 weeks in a year...Only twelve years and nine months! That's doable.

I'm quite certain that I still have at least twelve years and nine months before I grow up.

6 Bajillion Times More Effective Than Studying in Your Shower

I agree. Studying in the library is 6 bajillion times more effective than studying in your shower.

Although my library is not that quiet....

Texan Again (But With a Shake of Paris and a Handful of Provence)

Shakespeare & Co. in Paris

 

Cooking Class in Provence

Cafe in Paris

(Please forgive me, but I could not seem to stop myself from posting a few more pictures from France. Last time. I promise. Oh, and which one is me? I'm---oddly---on the far left of every picture.)

I've returned home from France and I'm back in my world of books, though I'm continuing to attempt to live a French life amid my Texas universe. A slew of books arrived for me from the library. I've finished three grownup books and nine children's books from the 1001 list. I'm in that wonderful place where I'm loving what I'm reading (I'm hip deep in The Lost Girls) while simultaneously eyeing the heaps of books awaiting me (Sadness of Lemon Cake...Don't Cry...Trail of Crumbs...two Savory Baking books).

So I will do with the remains of this day what I love best: read. I will also spend time today browsing my favorite blogs in hopes of adding a few new titles to my wishlist. Suggestions are always welcomed!

What I Read This Week:

The New Me

Warning: This post has only occasional references to books.

After seventeen days in Heaven (aka Paris, Provence, France), I have returned home.

While in France, I experienced several epiphanies.

I am changed.

How so?

1. Food.

Food in France was real food. It was fresh. It had taste. It had color.
It had been alive recently; it still had a bit of aliveness in it.

So, no more eating bad foods.
I don't finish bad books, so why have I been eating bad food? 

2. Savoring.

People in France take month long vacations. They close their shops for two hours for lunch.
They spend six hours eating dinner.

I've always thought of myself as a hurry-hurry girl. No more.
I am slowing down. Pause. Think. Reflect. Visit. Pray. Taste. Smell. Hear. Listen. Savor.

A new me. 

More Photos of France