oooh books!

I am on a reading spree.  My BFF (I may be 35 but I can still call her my BFF - she's been my friend since I was 13!) sent me a box full of books.  Great books.  Amazing books.

I got her hooked on Hunger Games - so she bought me Catching Fire (yes it's finally close enough to Mockinjay's release that I can read it!), Linger (yay!!), Vampire Diaries and more Vampire Diaries, Darkfever, Hush Hush - oh there are more but I can't remember them all. 

This was one of the coolest gifts I've received in a long time.  Can you give a better gift than a book that someone falls in love with?  That escape, those characters - they are with us forever. 

Speaking of books - in which a girl reads is having a HUGE contest - in fact it's called the Very Humongous Blogoversary Contest.  Check it out.  Definitely check it out!  Fall in love - she has a very humongous group of terrific books to choose from if you are a winner. 

My heart... in paper....

We had a semi-successful yard sale this weekend.  I mention this only because two things happened as a direct result.  The first - I once again realized why I dis-like holding yard sales.  I sold my three year old leather, glider/recliner for $17.   That's one.

The second is infinitely more important.  I found my box of books.  THE box of books. 

Let's back up a bit.  My father is the kind of man that loves books - he's the reason I'm such a voracious reader. He keeps his books forever.  He has walls of books at his house.  All organized according to author and almost all are in hardback.  Lots of books.  Most of which have only been read once by him or twice if I got my paws on 'em.  This leads me to another fun fact about my dad.  Do not borrow a book unless you will return it to him.  Otherwise you will forever be in the book jail.  I don't borrow books anymore unless I'm not leaving his house with it - and even then I point out when I leave exactly where I am leaving the book so that he knows I'm not shoving it in a suitcase to take home. 

This gene is also deeply embedded in me.  I don't have the funds that he does to purchase books, but when I do, I have a habit of holding on to them.  In my defense, I am a re-reader though, I can read a book 2-3 okay 4-5 times (or 20 something if it's Austen or a Bronte). 

Moving 7 times in 4 years broke me of this habit.  I admit one of the hardest things for me to let go on our moves were my books.  I imagine them in new happy homes, being read and enjoyed by a happy reader curled up on their couch and treated lovingly.

Yes.  I might need a life. 

That aside, there are some books I just couldn't part with.  When we moved from Arizona to Maine I allowed myself one large Rubbermaid container of books.  They went from moving truck to storage units to storage unit..etc... until finally I have another place where I shelf space for my precious.  In fact - I have a great built in bookcase! 

To make this long story longer - emptying our storage shed I found the box.  I opened it and went through it the same way I do the little storage boxes with my children's baby clothes and mementos.  I've had some of these books longer than the kids!

In the box were a few I'm okay with letting go now, but mostly, books I cherish remain. 

What books would you have in your box?

Major coup at the library...

I scored at the library today!  Right as I walked in Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters stared back at me!

Score!!

Then when I hit the big time YA section I struck library gold.  We have a great library here but if you don't reserve a copy - you are looking at 5-6 year old releases.  I'm all for older books but I've had my eye on some newer releases (2009+ kids!!)...

So - what did I grab?

Wintergirls (Laurie Halse Anderson) (Yeah, I know it's not Speak...)
Fire (Kristin Cashore) (So what, I'll read Graceling next?!)
and Wish you Were Dead (Todd Strasser)

Yeah yeah, I know - soooo last year - but this is a huge deal for me.  I'd go out and spend money on books if I could right now, but I can't, so the library is my bestest friend.  Oh, and my other buddy "librarian" gave me the down low on the new online reservation system.  I'm going to go deep into a reading coma. 

I may never sleep again.

I have to go start my bath.  Pages await...

The Night Before Christmas....

Thanks to our kind friend who will be staying with our diabetic kitty, we are going away for Christmas this year.  That said, we had to ask Santa to come early to bring his gifts for the girls.  He kindly obliged when we saw him at the local mall.

Tonight for all intents and purposes is our Christmas Eve.  This means tonight we shall cuddle up in bed with the big down comforter (yes, they start out in our bed on Xmas Eve) and we read and read and read Christmas stories until the little ones can't keep their eyes open any longer. 

On our list:  The Night Before Christmas - Clement C Moore
Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr. Seuss
Mooseltoe - Margie Palatini
Santa's Favorite Story - Hisako Aoki

We also read whatever else we have around that's age appropriate (Junie B Jones and Judy Moody are favorites right now).

The kids usually don't make it through all of them but they love it, due to the unfortunate timing of my husbands Christmas party, our "christmas eve" had to be cut short and when I asked them which part they wanted to keep... "Mom, we have to read the books!!"

Do you have special books that are part of your Christmas?