Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Book-ish Me


  
Time to read some scary stories.

Reading to library classes




Super Reader!



Cat in the Hat, of course!


Home from TLA











Doktor Books shows how not to take care of books.



Cooking pumpkin bread in the library


Cowboy campfire for Go Texan Day


Fancy Nancy Day


Visiting with Ladybug Girl at the Texas Book Festival



Reading The Night Before Christmas
 to the whole school.


Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most




Nothing gets past children. I'm always sharing books with kids at my school library and saying, "This is my favorite book!" I said that last week when I did a dramatic reading of Green Eggs and Ham and one boy said, "Mrs. Nance, you always say that. Is every book your favorite book?!"

And, of course, he is right. I am always saying that. I have a hundred favorite books. Maybe even two hundred. 

So here is a list of ten of the many, many books I'm always trying to push on people:


Gilead is the gentle novel of a dying 76-year-old man who is writing a letter to his young son, sharing with him stories about his family and reflections on life. Beautifully written and deeply thoughtful.


I happily spent the entire last day of my spring break carefully rereading To Kill a Mockingbird. I don't know when I've enjoyed rereading a book more than I did that day. It was pure pleasure, reading a little, writing down the quotes I liked, making a list of all the things that marked this as a book from the Deep South, and thinking about the amazing Atticus Finch.

I rarely reread, yet The Good Earth is one I've read and reread a half dozen times. I'm fascinated with the way the family started poor, struggled, saved their money and worked hard, became wealthy, and became decadent and lost the things for which they had worked so hard.

What do you do when your religious beliefs come up against your beliefs about the creation of art? That's the struggle in this brilliant novel, My Name is Asher Lev.

Yet another book I've read several times that seems to get better with every read is The House on Mango Street. The struggles of young Hispanic girls growing up in a big city are beautifully told.

I can say, with authority, that The Little Prince is an amazing story, whether you read it in English or in French or in Spanish; I have read it in all three languages. You could read this in any language, at any age and it will enchant you.

Here's a just-for-fun novel, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I can't resist pushing it on just about everybody. It's not a deeply philosophical book or a book filled with great language, but it's a nice little trip to a lovely part of Africa.


How can I leave out a good book of poems? Poetry 180 is a very readable choice, filled with poems that send you scrambling for scratch paper so you can scribble down lines to read again and again.


It's long, but don't let that put you off; you really just can't put A Short History of Nearly Everything Down once you start reading it. It really is a little bit about everything science-y.

And I'm always recommending books that will list recommended books. The first great list of books I ever owned was this one, Good Books: A Book Lover's Companion. It is probably out of print now, but, by browsing through this book, I've found my way to more good books over the years than from any other book of its kind.




How about you? What books do you recommend the most?







Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Monday, March 25, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?!





What I Got in the Mail Last Week


If last week was Reading Week (I finished an amazing 15 books!),
then this week is Books-in-the-Mail Week.
I didn't finish any books last week and
I didn't review any books last week,
but my mailbox was stuffed full last week:


  



  







Wow! I can't wait to read these.




What are you reading today?!



It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme Book Journey loves to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Book Journey offers a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling BJ how many you visited.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Azalea



To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme 
post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken
 then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at At Home With Books.


For more wordless photos,


Embarrassing Book Obsession Confessions



The Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread




Some are books about reading and picture books that I thought I wanted to read:

    



Some are books in a series; I read and loved the others in the series...Why not these?

  




Some are ridiculously short; I could read these in an hour. Why haven't I?

Six-word memoirs. Six words.  And look at the size of Red Pontiac Convertible,
John Gorman's poetry chapbook. It's thirty-two pages. Ridiculous.



Not one, but two copies of East of Eden.

  
 



At least this one is understandable. It's 2,000 recipes. Good grief.
Was I really thinking I'd be reading this one cover to cover?




Okay, this is probably the most embarrasing of all:
I buy a book called How to Read a Book and then I don't read it.
It probably has tips on how to control your book obsessions. 
If I would ever read it.



Please tell me that you have worse stories. 
Share them, if you will. 
It will comfort me.




Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Monday, March 18, 2013

In Which I Learn a Secret about Reading






What I Finished Last Week

Last week, I learned a secret about reading:  If you don't have to go to work...if you don't waste time dusting or vacuuming or washing clothes or cooking meals...if you just focus on the really important things like, well, reading...then you can read a lot of great books.

Here's what I read last week:

    
    
    
    
  


And I've got my bookmark in a half-dozen more.




What are you reading today?!



It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme Book Journey loves to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Book Journey offers a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling BJ how many you visited.