Thursday, February 26, 2009

READ READ READ!!

I posted this over at a private blog I'm part of. We were discussing books today and are posting what we're reading, favorites, etc. I had fun with it so thought I'd post it here as well!

I grew up on a farm and only remember driving a tractor once. I wasn't your typical farm girl. I spent my summers plowing my way through the library instead of helping out in the field. Reading is super important in our house...I could never begin to make a book list so I'll take you on a photo tour:

We'll start downstairs. Here we have most of the kids' books. There is about a cubby-worth in the van's stow-n-go. There are a few under Nolan's bed. And in various "forts" around the house.

This is Avrie's room...the overflow.

This is the lame shelf downstairs that holds books I don't have a place for upstairs. Very haphazard. There is a book on this shelf that I have owned for 10 years. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I will mail -postage paid- this book to anyone who promises to read it and let me know if it's worth it. Here is a review on the back of the book: "A great novel. A phenomenal debut. Thrillingly alive, sublimely creepy, distressingly scary, breathtakingly intelligent--it renders most other fiction meaningless." I am intimidated by it. So it's on the "forgotten" shelf.

This here is the corner of the kitchen counter. Here I keep books I'm currently cooking from. There is a Gourmet 1997 behind that Martha Stewart.

This is a shelf at the top of the doorway leading to our basement. Here I keep my cookbooks.

I got that Mario Batali for $2.40 at the thrift store. The cover price is $34.95.

This is 1 of 3 in the living room. Let's go clockwise from the top left. Health/natural healing/anti-processed food. Upright by the Z we have parenting stuff. Stacked to the right of that we have household stuff. Below that is the library stack. Then we have a cute little basket of baby toys. Stacked is Found I & II , a few artsy-find-yourself-books. Finally, we have comic books. We love comic books. I actually read my first graphic novel this week...could be something I continue!

Shelf 2 of 3. This is the top of an old secretary we got from Evan's great aunt. This is a hodge-podge of various fiction, 'be happy' books, poetry, eating disorder recovery stuff, a volume of Shakespeare plays, etc. Oh, and Pick-up-Sticks. Great game!

3 of 3. This is mostly fiction. With the exception of the Hippie Dictionary, a few crazy-person recovery memoirs and a lone Harry Potter. Those stacked old-ish looking books on the top left are some old hymn books I found at a garage sale...if only I had a clue as to how to read notes...

This is my bedside table.

This is the top of our dresser. Avrie's baby book....which hasn't been updated since she was a baby. Whoopsty. That's a new word my mom came up with yesterday. I kinda rather like it. Body Drama is a wonderful book but not something I want my kids to find and flip through.

Whew! So, there ya have it! I'd be more than happy to share lists of categories. Maybe there is a book that catches your eye but you just can't make out the title/author. Let me know!

15 comments:

Mindy said...

i'll read the one you're intimidated by. an added benefit of nursing is extra time to read. when i think of nursing each kid, i think of certain books i read during that time....

Neisha said...

wow, that is a lot of books. i never buy books, I just check them out from the library.

Shannon said...

neisha--only about 10 of those books were bought from a bookstore at full price. the rest are thrift store purchases or gifts.

Amber said...

What's Body Drama all about...? Sounds like something I'd like to read.

Cheri said...

mindy - I remember the books...and all the food I ate too!!

how is black mass? I had the hardest time not stealing your book "the book theif" when we were there. it just seemed so...appropriate!
love this post!

Shannon said...

amber--i linked it to amazon's description. it's a good book for girls approaching puberty...about loving your body, etc.

cheri--haven't read it yet...evan started it awhile back butn ot sure if he finished it.

Shannon said...

amber--i linked it to amazon's description. it's a good book for girls approaching puberty...about loving your body, etc.

cheri--haven't read it yet...evan started it awhile back butn ot sure if he finished it.

Rebekah said...

Lovely tour of your book collections! Love it! Happy reading!

Neisha said...

actually, I take that back...I buy books at 2nd hand stores too. I just bought three more tonight. There's a store in Madison called Half-Price Books and you can buy used and new and the new are half priced, they are a very good deal. Then the books on clearance are only $1.

are your bookshelves always so neat? I'm an organize-freak and "freak" out when the kids' bookshelves are all messed up.
I want some book shelves for in the living room but for now it's a matter of shopping for some.

Neisha said...

I have a book too that I would not want my kids to flip through but I have that one hidden! ;p

NanaK said...

I love it, I love it, I love it!!! I can't believe I found someone who loves books as much as I do!!! You haven't met me, but I am Melissa's mom.... :) I love how you have categorized them! I have read some that you have recommended....just finished The Glass Castle. :)

Cheri said...

I think you of all people should know that kids find the very books thy are not supposed to find!!

I love the whole...plowing through the library/farm girl thing!

Gwen said...

when mom was combine operater you would come with me with pillow blanket and archie comics

Melissa said...

Very awesome post, Shannon! I love the cube thingy that you have the kids' books on. And ditto on the not paying full price for them. Our Goodwill has children's books for 59 cents each. And I search garage sales for the boxes of books.

Melissa said...

Good memories your children will have by having a variety of books--way to go--that is the only way I buy books. And the $1 ones from school orders.