I Love Books

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I have this dream of someday living in a home where I have a room, or even just one long wall, that is floor-to-ceiling shelves, filled with good books. Not just any books, but really, truly, good books. Books that I have read. Books that my kids have read. Books that we love and have dog-eared our favorite pages and marked our favorite passages. Books that were gifts from best friends. Books from our travels around the world. Books about places we love and people we aspire to be like. Books filled with beautiful photographs. Books that take us places beyond the limits of our own consciousness. Books that make us laugh and books that make us cry. Books that make us think a little deeper and books that make us live a little better. Books about imaginary places and imaginary people. Books about history and space and science. I just LOVE good books.

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And that is why, I love the library. There it is--not just one room, but one whole building filled with books! So, until the day I get those shelves filled with my own books, I will continue to go to the library. There is just something wonderful about being surrounded by volumes and volumes of pages filled with words--words that together make up more knowledge and wisdom and information than I could ever dream to acquire on my own. It's like having the world at your fingertips. Maybe more.

So, what books are on my shelves right now? Well, I will tell you...there are a lot! I actually found out that you can check out up to 100 items from the library at one time (Cali mentioned this wonderful little fact too, I think). I thought it was fifty, and I was worried. But alas! The wonderful woman at the check-out counter must have been surprised to see my excitement last week when she informed me of this oh-so-precious information. I went home happy, and with a very heavy book bag that afternoon.

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Lately, my two-year-old and I have been enjoying daily story time reading "Where's Tumpty?" I found this book before Christmas at one of my favorite art & frame shops and immediately fell in love with it. Needless to say, we did not get it from the library--someday our copy will be on those big shelves filled with our well-worn favorites.

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And if you are like me and love elephants (I haven't quite figured out why--but I think it started with Horton) you should also check out some Mo Willems books and get to know Elephant and Piggie...

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Story time with my four-year-old is all about Pippy.  "Pippilotta Delicatessa Window-shade Mackrelmint Efraim's Daughter Longstocking, daughter of Captian Efraim Longstocking, former Terror of the Sea, now a cannibal king!" We've checked out just abut every book at the library, plus the audio CD and the movie... "Pippy Longstocking is coming into your world, a freckle-faced, red-haired girl, you aught to know..." Can you hear the song? We sing it, oh, probably fifty time a day! Yikes!

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(These two are just a few of the different versions out there...but they are all pretty great!)

 

So, now what have I been reading? Well, I've been reading nutrition books and health books and recipe books and all sorts of books for a class that I will be teaching at the end of February called "Cooking for a Healthier Lifestye" (any suggestions-- have you read anything that might help me prepare?), and reading for a book club, and reading to try and learn how to parent my children...the list goes on and on! But I love it! I had hoped to have two quilts finished by the end of this month, but my poor sewing machine has barely seen the light of day while I've been reading!

 

Here are some that I either have read or am reading and would recommend either checking out from the library or just getting your own copy. People talk about how important it is to read to your kids, but when was the last time anyone said how important is is to read to yourself?!?! 

From the book club (which I love!):

Nurture Shock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

Everyone should read this book--it is enlightening and definitely doesn't fit the stereotypical "how to" parenting book. It is very much study based and I loved it. This is one I will read again.

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

I LOVED this book. The day after I finished reading it, I found myself missing the characters and wanting to read more. 

Parenting Books (I have read parts of these, but not all...hopefully I will finish them...)

Parenting Without Power Struggles, by Susan Stiffelman

Raising Happiness, by Christine Carter

 

Cook Books (because they are my new love):

Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair

If you are one who likes to adventure with new foods and now recipes, this is a GREAT one! And, if you have infants at home, each recipe has a modification at the end that tells you how to adapt the recipe to feed babies from six months and up. AWESOME! Not only that, but it is a great resource to learn about foods--what they are and how to use them. I am loving this book!

Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon

This woman leaves nothing unsaid--you will now her opinion about food quick, and you will learn how to cook just about anything. There is so much to learn from this book!

Books that have impacted my life for the better:

Master Your Metabolism, by Jillian Michaels

This might seem odd to have what appears to be a diet book on my list of life-changing books, but this is not any dieting book. This book teaches you how your body works, how your environment affects you, and how to feed your body the correct nutrients to enable it to do what God intended it to do. Really, you should read this book. 

The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball

For anyone who believes in and loves God, who follows Jesus Christ, this book is for you. I wish I had read it a long, long time ago. 

Okay, so my post about the library and story time got a little longer than I had intended, but can you tell that I'm passionate about books? Yeah, I'm not a scholar by any means. The list of books-I-haven't-read-but-should-have might appall you, but don't worry--I haven't reached my limit at the library yet! Oh, and have you heard about goodreads yet? You might like it....

What are you reading? Have you started building your own family library? What is in it? I would love to know!

Use it!

We went to the library for Pajamarama Storytime on Tuesday. While we were there a friend of mine ended up being there too. Her daughter was checking out tons of books. chapter books, that she will read by next week. And when I say tons it is probably like 15 or so, and the girl was only 10. Seriously! It was amazing. From her I learned that the cap on books you can check out at one time is 100. 100! Seriously! I am not utilizing the library properly! My other friend had a good stack of books and movies too!

I wish my family would have used the library more growing up. I probably would not have struggled with reading as much. Who knows. I hated it as a kid. I still have a hard time starting a book now. (I have had Hunger Games sitting in my kitchen since Thanksgiving I think. Sorry Jenni!) There is just a bad taste in my mouth for reading. I was in special classes, tried hooked on phonics, etc. It was not fun. It can be fun I just have to get into it. I have blogged about some of my favorite books before, (Shannon Hale=Awesome!) but I still have a hard time. That is why we are trying to use the library in our family on a regular basis so that some day my kids will be the one hitting the checkout cap at the library. Someday you will see me with my kids checking out 100 books. I hope so at least!

So you, even if you don't like reading, use the library. If all else fails, you can check out a movie.

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly...

Yesterday we went to story time at our little library, and until I saw Drew's puppet show, I'd forgotten how much I crack up at this story (is that morbid since she ends up dying?). Anyone in the Renton area, GO SEE DREW at the Highlands Library! It's been a long time since something was so riveting that it kept both my kids still in their seats. I didn't think ahead enough to video tape it, so you'll either have to trust me or go see for yourself. Or, enjoy this rendition, as sung by the one and only Cindy Lauper.

The Real Reason We Go to Story Time

My own bookworm.

I grew up in libraries. Really. We moved around a lot when I was little, and I remember some of the libraries we've lived near better than some of the houses we've lived in. Wherever we'd be, when my parents went looking for a place to live they always tried to find a house close to the church, the school, and the library. I never felt really settled in a place until I had my library card.

And so it's one of my favorite places to take my kids. I want them to feel the sense of endless possibility that comes when you're surrounded by books.

I'll take them to the library anytime and in any weather. But I've found that the best time for my kids at the library is story time. Is it because the librarian always reads the best books and does the voices and everything? No; actually, we've been to amazing story times and we've suffered through the most monotonous readers. Is it because I never have time to read to them at home? Heavens no! Reading is a staple at our house. Like pasta.

The best reason I have for taking my kids to story time at the library is this: There are a bunch of other kids there, too, and so I am much less likely to get glared at for my kid's noise by the other - child-free - library patrons. We can blend right in, even a mild tantrum will go barely noticed when it's story time (but if it's any other time, and one of the kids makes even a peep, well, we might as well just hang our heads in shame and go home).

I love the library. I love the peace I feel there, and the mostly friendly helpful people. And while my kids are small, and until they really learn to whisper in the library ...

I {Heart} Story Time!