a book worm

I have to admit that I didn't walk to get this picture! We can only see this particular view from the top of a hill and in a gap between the hedges. We always stop here when we are on our way out. Every day the view is different. On the island in the middle of the picture is a hotel. Agatha Christie's book 'And Then There Were None' (or '10 Little Indians' in the pre-PC days) was inspired by this island.

The reason I pointed out the island is because I have been inspired by Cate's post about books. This is probably a tag or something but I still started thinking about the books that I have loved and I wanted to make my own list. I wanted to remember some of my old friends. I have a lot of them all cuddled together on a shelf in my room in my parent's house. Over the years I have gotten rid of some of my old things but there are still piles and piles and piles and stacks of books taking up room that my poor parents could probably use. I've mentioned before how much I love books and how much I believe they wait for us, but I think some books take on a life of their own in our lives as well. There are some books that you can read again and again and still feel like you belong to them instead of the other way around.

There have been many times that I have gone into someone's house and wondered where all of the books were. I can't IMAGINE not having books around me. I think I dated one ex-boyfriend for longer than I would have normally because of his mother's library. She had shelves and shelves of books on woman's issues and creativity. I wasn't sure about him, but I knew I loved her!

A major turning point for me came one day when I was brave enough to go into my first women's bookstore. It was all purple and lovely and it had an intoxicating scent. It smelled like new books mixed with incense and candles and something I could never quite put my finger on. I was nervous and shy about being in there so I kind of lurked around a bit. But they had SARK cards in the window. I had seen her 'How to be an Artist' poster on a friend's wall and I knew I needed to see what else she had. I walked out of that bookstore with Sark's 'Living Juicy' that day and my life was forever altered. Writers could write books like that??!??!

So this is my list of books that I have and still do belong to. They have held me in their arms, cast their spells on me, and altered me forever. I will always be grateful.

Favorite Children's Books:

1. One Fish, Two Fish by Dr. Seuss.
2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
3. Dragon on Parade by Mary Alice Downie
4. The Olden Days Coat by Margaret Lawrence
5. The Way Christmas Came (I don't know who wrote it - oops!)

Slightly older children's books:

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
3. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (I always loved Anne, but it was Emily that I really felt like I wanted to read again and again. There's more darkness and magic in the Emily books. I have read and reread all three several times.)
4. Shadow in Hawthorne Bay by Janet Lunn (I talk about it here. I wrote to her when I wrote this post and she was kind enough to write back! Now THAT was cool.)
5. The 'Little House' books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
6. The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkein (it was read to me but I've read it many times since.)
7. Are you there God, it's Me Margaret & anything else by Judy Blume
8. There's a Bat in Bunk Five & other books by Paula Danziger
9. The Tom Austin mysteries by Eric Wilson
10. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and anything else by Beverly Cleary
11. The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
12. Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
13. This Can't be Happening at MacDonald Hall & No Coins Please by Gordon Korman
14. The Other Elizabeth (but I can't remember who wrote it.)

Children's Books I love NOW!

1. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
2. The Twits by Roald Dahl
3. Winnie the Pooh by A.A.Milne
4. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
5. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
6. Oh the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

I can't list my Grown-Up favorites because this post is already too long. I loved doing this - I'd love to know what your favorites were. I wish you a few moments of your own wrapped up in memories of old friends.

"You are the same today as you will be five years from now except for two things... the people you meet and the books you read." - Charles E. Jones