Sunday, July 22, 2012

Summer Reads

I am I guess what could be called a "voracious reader." I've been that way since I was a kid. I lived about a half mile from the public library, and every Saturday I'd walk to my cousin's house and from there, we'd go to the library. There was a ten-book limit, and every week I'd go home with ten new books. I'm not saying I read them all, but the thrill was getting to choose those ten books to take home and savor all week during the summer.

The children's library was where I fell in love with books: the Betsy books,  Edward Eager's classic Half Magic, The Magic Tunnel, and my all time favorite A Wrinkle in Time. Later came Phyllis Whitney mysteries, Gone With the Wind, The Red Badge of Courage, Death Be Not Proud, and many others.

I've kept a book log for many years now, and once in a while I browse through it to see how my tastes have changed. I went through a phase where, I'm embarrassed to admit, I read smutty romance novels. That led to cosy mysteries, and now I find myself reading more what I'd call "challenging books." Not that I didn't read literature throughout the years, but now it's all I want to read.

With the that short history of my reading life, here are some interesting books I finished recently:

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman

Hotel Angeline: a novel in 36 voices

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

The Map of Time by FĂ©lix Palma

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Summer House by Nancy Thayer

They are all quite a bit different, especially The Map of Time (a time travel story, a favorite genre of mine.) Check them out; I loved them all. Happy reading!

3 comments:

Kim said...

As a child and through my 20's I eas a real bookworm too. Now I find myself just reading in the summer (when it's too hot to hook).

twoives said...

Sounds like you and I spent our childhood summers the same way. I couldn't walk to the library, but my parents allowed me to ride the bus and my arms would be full of the 14 books I could check out. How did I actually carry them??? I was so taken with reading that I played being a librarian. I had a date stamp, a card file, and some index cards. I could really stamp those index cards with vigor! I still love to read and also listen to books as I hook or clean house. Hard to knit while listening to a book! I feel sad for those who cannot lose themselves in a book. A recommendation. If you have not read The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom I give it a positive recommendation. Keep reading!

Woolly Mammoth Woolens said...

Going to the library as a kid is one of my favorite memories. Although I didn't play librarian, I did imagine myself someday have shelves full of books! Thankfully, that dream came true.

I have not read "The Kitchen House" yet, but I have it on my to be read list. Thanks for the recommendation!