This post has been circulating around the internet lately, so being a book lover, I thought I'd play along. These are my book confessions:
- My favorite book as a child was The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I had the book memorized.
- I was totally obsessed with The Babysitter's Club book series, and especially loved the white super specials that were extra thick. I identified with Mary Ann. My childhoold best friend and I would often spend the evenings of sleepovers laying side by side in bed, reading a BSC book.
- The first travel memoir I read was "Without Reservations" and it goes down as one of my favorites.
- My favorite book and only book I re-read on a regular basis is Tuesdays with Morrie. A boyfriend of the past picked up on my love of this book and took me to see the play. That goes down as the most thoughtful birthday gift from a boyfriend I have received.
- I think you can tell a lot about a person by their bookshelf.
- I really hope that the man I end up with loves to read because it's a huge passion of mine.
- I think it's ridiculous (and honestly disappointing) that the 50 Shades of Grey series has been so popular.
- I did not use the public library until about 5 years ago. I grew up in a tiny town without a library and then did not think to use one when I was in college. Now I always have multiple books checked and I especially love the convenience of checking out books on my nook (but wish the library owned more copies of eBooks so the wait wasn't so long).
- I am in the midst of a book buying fast, which I feel I technically kind of broke last month when I bought some books at our United Way book fair. But they were uber cheap and the money went to a good cause, so I gave myself a pass to do this because I got about 8 books for less than what I would pay for 1 typically. (And I donated 14)
- I worked at Barnes and Noble as a part time job to supplement my income after college. It was an interesting experience. I loved that you could take the dust jacket off of a hard cover and borrow it so long as you took very good care of the book. I did not love working at the information desk. Here is an example of the kind of customer I would have to help: Customer: "Hi. I was listening to NPR this morning and they were talking about a book. Do you have it? It's set in Africa." Me: ::blank look::
- Becky and I are reading "Emma" this month (or at least starting it... not sure we'll get it read in October) and will be doing a blog swap to review it!
What are you reading these days?
I loved the Babysitters Club too, so good! I definitely HAVE to do this as a huge lover of books!
ReplyDeleteAs for 50 Shades, I think I would've said the same thing a few months ago but after reading it for a book club I would say that it's not as bad as I thought it would be. It reminded me of Twilight which was also not quality literature but the girl in 50 Shades at least was SLIGHTLY better at standing up for herself. Actually, a good amount better now that I think of it... then again I only read the first book so who knows what she does later. Anyway, the other thing I like about it is that it got a bunch of my friends from work reading and now we have been reading better books since- our last book was Gone, which was crazy but not bad. So... there is that positive to 50 Shades. Again, not claiming it's quality literature but sometimes I think it's nice when people can be hooked to reading with less quality and work there way up. I mean we did love Babysitters Club once after all :)
I am DEFINITELY do this fill in, loved reading yours!
Fun post! I definitely think someone's bookshelf tells you a lot about them. But now as I say this I look at my bookshelf and it's filled with Harry Potter... not sure if that's telling of me haha.
ReplyDeleteI have avoided 50 shades at all costs, after suffering through the Twilight series and throwing those books against the wall multiple times, I have no interest in them.
I read the first Fifty Shades book. I also read the firs Hunger Games book. I hated both. For different reasons. I KNOW better than to read something everyone else is, cause it's never as awesome as I want it to be.
ReplyDeleteChris doesn't like to read at all. But he totally feeds my passion for reading by giving me Kindle gift cards all the time, and by grabbing books from my favorite authors at the Salvation Army.
Chronicles of Narnia are my favorite books of all time. I DESPERATELY wanted it to be real.
I loved the babysitters club too! I also tried to read all the Nancy Drew books but think I only got to #40. I am reading the last book in the series by Stieg larsson (Girl with a dragon tattoo). I also a HUGE list of books I want to read!
ReplyDeleteI think more sleepovers should including reading side-by-side. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't even know where to begin I identified with so much in this post and I think I will have to do this one too!
ReplyDelete-I agree with your disappointment on the 50 Shades phenomenon, but at the same time, I'm happy that people that never pick up a book, are reading!
-I'm a little nervous for you to see my bookshelf... My room is like a dorm room (literally. I cannot wait to be done with grad school so I can live like an adult again). My single shelf is so crammed, it's out of control.
- I did not know your hometown did not have a library. That makes sense now, seeing as it is so small. There are so many things I took for granted as a kid (the library was not one of them though. Ha)
-I wanna know what books you bought! You totally deserved that pass, and I think about your book buying fast a lot. I don't think I could do it.
Right now I'm reading Life of Pi (just started last night) and I'm still reading a crap ton of stuff for classes. (Ugh)
See you in FOUR days!
That should of said "single bookshelf" not "single shelf." The thought of me having just ONE shelf dedicated to books is cracking me up right now! Not. Possible.
ReplyDeleteWe found the box of Babysitters books in the crawl space, and wonder if we should donate them to someone or save them for a granddaughter to read? I enjoyed this post very much!
ReplyDeleteYour last tidbit about the information desk at Barnes and Noble had me laughing. Any kind of customer service position means dealing with people who are less than bright, and I've done my share of those kinds of jobs.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm reading 1Q84. I just love Haruki Murakami.
Your last tidbit about the information desk at Barnes and Noble had me laughing. Any kind of customer service position means dealing with people who are less than bright, and I've done my share of those kinds of jobs.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm reading 1Q84. I just love Haruki Murakami.
Oh I LOVED the BSC books--especially the super specials! I think I've read every single one. I was kind of a loner as a child, and I found a lot of solace in books. It was the place I went to escape (in fact, still do!)
ReplyDeleteI'll admit that I fell into the 50 shades group....I can't help it. Yes, the writing wasn't the best and there was LOTS of sex, but I love a good cheesy romance story.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading a book by Emily Giffin. Super easy read and another romantic novel. Just what I need right now though!
I love how passionate you are about reading. Although I never read as much as you do, there was a time in my life when I read a lot more than I do now. Speaking of, I started Loving Frank and then got side-tracked. But, I just found out Sizzle also wants to read it on her honeymoon, so we're both going to try to finish it by the end of the month. "Try" being the operative word in that sentence. I also just ordered a really interesting sounding book about teens aging out of the foster care system (it's fictional, but the author started a foundation to help just such a group).
ReplyDeleteYeah, the 50 Shades phenomenon is crazy but it's usually the books that hold no literary value that become popular, it seems. I just can't see myself ever reading those books, honestly.
ReplyDeleteRight now, I am reading The Heretic's Daughter for my new book club and I'm not enjoying it AT ALL. It's wonderfully written but the plot is so dark & sad & I'm just ready to be finished with it so I can move on to something lighter! 30 pages to go!
Love this post.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book of all time is Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (also my favorite author), but the book I've read over and over again the most is The Secret Garden. It's a beautiful book that loses none of it's magic when read as an adult.
I recently got both Gone Girl and Games of Thrones from the library andis killing me! I love to read, but I do one book after the other not simultaneous reading however, bith books are so hard to get your hands on that I couldn't let them go and go back to the back of the list. The good news is they're both great!
Fun post, as I love books! I might have to steal this idea soon. Right now I'm reading In the Time of the Butterflies - it's a book that came out about 20 years ago about the Mirabel sisters who were killed during the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.
ReplyDeleteYou mean you don't know every book about Africa? I thought you went to college. geez.
ReplyDeleteI keep an "already read" folder on the kindle. You are correct, checking out that list would tell you a lot about me. but you already knew that.
I've loved these book confessions posts too! I should do one since I'm feeling in a bit of a blogging rut.
ReplyDeleteI was also a huge fan of the BSC books! And the movie which I watched over and over.
I just can't stand the shoddy writing for 50 Shades. That's what really got me with those books (and Twilight). The writing is SO TERRIBLE!
I am reading "Winter of the World" by Ken Follett, which is Book 2 of "The Century Trilogy." I do like his stories, even if they are long!!!
ReplyDeleteHa. I loved the thick BSC ones too. And american girls. And everything that happened at the end of Roald Dahl's pen, especially Matilda. I actually got banned from checking out Matilda from the library at school, I guess I was a bit obsessed...that's a confession for sure :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amber DSM that the 50 shades may be a sad state of affairs, but at least people are reading. It's kind of like running...whatever get's people off the couch! Or on the couch in this case! I still have not jumped on that bandwagon!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite line of this post? You can tell a lot about a person by their bookshelf. Amen sister.
Ah, I want to read Blackberry Winter soon. Hope you're enjoying it. I liked her first book. And yes, loved Babysitters Club growing up.
ReplyDeleteI was really into The Babysitter's Club books too, and also Sweet Valley books.
ReplyDeleteI am reading "My Life in France" right now.
Still stuck half way thru The Happiness Project--but it's this month's book club selection so I'll have to finish it before mid November :) Also have been starting Solo on Her Own Adventure about women venturing into outdoor trips and sports independently solo. And total BSC fan here too--I had the entire collection. Another book I loved as a kid: Hatchet.
ReplyDeleteI finished Prisoner of Tehran last week? And now I have Gone Girl sitting next to my bed. Was going to start it today during naptime but instead I caught up on a weeks worth of blogs!
ReplyDeleteOMG LISA LOL. You worked at Barnes & Noble?! That's amazing. That comment you made about a customer? Story of my life at work! ( I work at the Canadian equivalent of Barnes & Noble). The worst is when they expect you to know every single book that the radio announces and then say "You don't know that one? It's so popular EVERYONE KNOWS IT." No, no they don't!
ReplyDeleteI loove this post. Everyone has been doing it and it's about time I join in!