Books, Books, Books

There's a great meme floating around blog land. As I've read other peoples lists I've come up with a lot of books I want to read. I need to start by saying that I love to read. Always have. My best friend and I growing up literally walked to the library every week. We had a ritual. We'd walk there. Then get a drink and find a table. Then we'd go up and down the aisles looking for titles that struck our fancy, books that looked enticing. Different criteria depending on our mood but the end result was always the same~ a stack of books. A big stack. We'd take it to the table and then read through the jackets, browse the pages, look at the backs. Sometimes we'd talk, sometimes we'd just sit in quiet companionship.

Finally we'd have it narrowed down to three stacks each. One that was books we for sure wanted to read that week. Another was maybes and the third was no. Then we'd trade the maybes and look at each others. Normally we'd each select another one or two from that stack. Then before we allowed ourselves the pleasure of opening the pages to a new world, a friend we were about to meet, an adventure waiting at the turn of a page we'd returned the rejected books. (we were polite patrons of our beloved library).

At last we would read. I don't know how long we sat there. A good while I suppose. Getting a taste of what the week would hold for us. When our time was up we'd head to the check out desk, sign our names on the index cards (remember that?) and check out. It was always fun to see who else had read that same book. Often we'd see names of friends, or each others names. One time we even happened upon a book read by a boy we both had a crush on (that was an exciting day....I know, we were nerds what can I say) After that all that was left to do was to put our books in our backpacks and walk home. We'd talk about our books on the way home. And we'd switch "good ones" during the week. We read a lot.

Secondly, I have a very poor memory. This is a blessing and a curse. The good news is if you do something silly~ most likely I'll forget . If you tell me a secret~ I'll probably forget. If you are my DH or sweet kiddos and do something to annoy me~ I'll forget. The bad news is I forget. Sometimes my kids ask me things from when I was young, or when they were young, and I have to make up answers! (just kidding I don't make up stuff {very often} I just have to apologetically say I don't know) DH asks me things thinking I should know them and sometimes I do, and sometimes I have forgotten. And names of books...Sometimes I forget. So my list won't be as complete as some of the others.

Before I go on let me leave you with this: read, read, read. Even if you are a lame-o rememberer like me your life will be richer.

1. Book that changed your life: The Book of Mormon, "Believing Christ" by Stephen Robinson, the Bible

2. Book that you've read more than once: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (this could go above too because I totally believe in the La Leche League propaganda and feel like this is the best thing mom's can do for their babies and their families.Nursing makes you pro-family, makes mom be with the baby, makes you bond and attach), The Fire of Faith by John H Gorberg, The Work and the Glory Series, The Book of Mormon, Baby Catcher

3. Book you'd want on a desert island: Book of Mormon, 101 things to do with coconuts by Gilligan

4. Books that made you laugh: Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, I Capture the Castle (thanks Tori), Pride and Prejudice (I laughed, I cried, I loved it but I wasn't sure where it fit so here it is)

5. Book that made you cry: "Secrets" by Blaine Yorgason and Sunny Oaks, "Charley"

6. Book that you wish had been written: ?

7. Book you don't enjoy: western or romance. I little romance thrown into another story is fine but come on..

8. Book you are currently reading: I just read "The Life of Pi"out loud to my DH. (he liked it more than I did),I am almost done with" A midwives Tale: the Biography of Martha Ballard" (so interesting it gives a great picture of what life was like in the 1700's for women) ,"The Color of Water" is next in the queue, "Jess" (out loud with H), "The Well Trained Mind" (I've been working through this one for awhile), and "Sink Reflections" (the flybaby guide to life).

9. Book you've been meaning to read: too many to list

10. Book you remember as a real page-turner: DaVinci Code, Nancy Drew Mysteries (when I was a girl I LOVED them), Eragon, and of course Harry Potter

11. Non-fiction books that you have enjoyed: I love text books . I know it's weird but I think they are so fun and actual read most of the ones I was assigned growing up and in college

12. Children's books your family has loved: Where the Wild Things Are, The Berenstain Bears, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Sleepy squirrel, Anne of Green Gables, The Umbrella, The Missing Piece, A Rind of Endless Light, Harry Potter, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites, Anthology of Russian Fairy Tales, .....the list never ends