No Such Thing as Too Many Books!

Fair warning...I think I might have a lot to say about reading!  I am forever grateful to my parents for being readers and encouraging us to be readers as well.

My first memory related to reading (and maybe my first memory full stop) is sitting on the couch with Anne and Pete who were taking turns reading the Christmas story on Christmas Eve.  I kept trying to get them to pass me the book but alas, I had not yet learned to read.  My siblings were so much older and more experienced (Pete 11 months older than me and Anne 13 months older than him).  I was determined that by the following Christmas, I would be reading that story too.  I'm sure I succeeded, although I have no definite memory of it.

My reading has taken many turns over the years, from Judy Blume to reading (and ENJOYING) Stephen King in my teens, Harlequin Romances in my University years (give me a break, I needed something to cleanse my reading palate between all the VERY dry textbooks!), spy and thriller novels after that, and more recently, memoirs, narrative non-fiction, literary fiction and quirky one-offs that tickle my funny bone.  Let's not forget the thousands of hours I spent reading with Levi, from baby and toddler books to early readers and chapter books (I'll never forget you Jack and Annie!), to fantasy and more complex novels.  I thoroughly enjoyed a great many of the series that I was introduced to through Levi's interests.

I have made the transition from being a "finisher" at all costs to DNF-ing (did not finish) all over the place.  There are far too many books in the world to spend time on a book I am not enjoying.  It's a little harder to put it down if I have purchased rather that borrowed it but I still do it.  Plus, it's possible that I might enjoy the book at another time, during a different phase in my life. 

I am also a re-reader, but only of five star reads.  Harry Potter, Owen Meany, The Princess Bride, Pride and Prejudice, I Know This Much is True, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float and many others are included in that list but I'm not re-reading as much lately.

A word about audiobooks...I LOVE THEM!! As long as the narrator isn't a dud, of course.  I was introduced to audiobooks about 18 or 19 years ago.  Levi and I were visiting my aunt and uncle in Hamilton and when we left, my Aunt Marie handed Levi a set of four cassette tapes, each with a story of two kids - one was a trip to the zoo, one a trip to the library I think and beyond that, all I can remember is they had a dog - the tiny kind with tufty fur that you often see carried in handbags.  We listened to those books in the Jeep over and over and over again.  Then on a trip to Indianapolis to visit more family, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel and they had a set of Magic Tree House audiobooks on cassette that you could purchase then return at any other Cracker Barrel for a partial refund.  We never returned that book and the audiobook (on cassette) purchasing began.  A few years into this escapade, the tape deck in the Jeep died.  I went to the audio place to get a new one and was devastated to learn that I had to get a CD player since they didn't make cassette players anymore.  Disaster!  How would we listen to all of our books??  Enter a friend who could rip CDs.  We borrowed audiobooks on CD from the library and she made copies for us (sorry copywrite laws!!).  Eventually we learned about Audible.com and Levi got an iPod Classic.  He still has that Classic and heaven help us when that dies!  His phone is still an iPhone 5 so it won't hold his books.  I have at various times been a member of Audible.com and Rakuten but for now, I am a Libby user and my phone holds just as many as I need.

  Books and tea...just like my forearm tattoo.

I believe it might be time for re-read number 13456 😁.

A little bedtime reading with my blue-light blocking amber light.

A small selection of some of my favourites.  Note Snag by Quinn Richardson - my younger brother self-published this novel aimed at the 10-12 year old set and I loved it.  It has his quick-witted humour throughout.  Also, you wouldn't believe how annoyed I am that I didn't notice the book in the bottom left had gotten nudged out of place and is touching another book !!

This is a series that Levi enjoyed after we stopped reading together.  I have no idea what it is about but he wanted to keep the books during the last Great Book Purge.

I prefer paper books but the ereader is a life saver for my eyes in dimmer light and for my hands - I have a hard time holding a book for any length of time without my fingers getting sore.

I have so many bookmarks!  I chose to photograph bookmarks with tassels since they don't see daylight otherwise.  I can't actually use these ones because...CATS!!!  Losing your place in a book is not fun.

Little neighbourhood libraries have exploded in the past several years.  This is the first one I ever saw in the Sault.  I had been riding around the Hub Trail and this one had a park bench and a water dish for dogs beside it.  The bench wasn't there today when I went to get this photo but maybe that's because it's winter? (or sort of winter)

That's all for this one folks, I'm running about a week behind now but I haven't lost track...there will still be 52 entries for this gratitude blog.  Talk to you soon.