Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Books, Books, Books!

I took a trip to Barnes & Noble this week for an honorable reason. It was my daughter's birthday and I wanted to buy her a gift. I had an audio CD in mind, but I needed to see what was out there. Unfortunately, bookstores, credit cards, and I do not mix well.

The first table I came to had the recent releases. OOh, I thought, as I picked up a couple. I'd like to read that. (It's not for my daughter though.) Next table... diet books. NAH, move on. 3rd table, some classics I added to my reading list for 2010. Best sellers... there's one I've been waiting for! And so it went. Instead of finding a gift for my daughter, my own reading list was growing. And so was the stack in my arms!

I was a Children's Librarian for 25 years. I love children's books. But one of the joys of my retirement is that I have had time to read a lot of 'adult' fiction. Let's clarify that! 'Adult' as in books for big people! This past year I joined a book club and was introduced to books far removed from my world of J.K. Rowling, Kate DiCamilla, and Eric Carle, or even Mary Higgins Clark and Norah Lofts, my escapist reads. So this trip to the book store to find a gift, was turning into quite a challenge.

The good news is I did find a couple I thought she would enjoy. The better news is I didn't break the bank. And the best news is I have a long list of books I want to read this year.

Here are a few of mine.

Dreams of my Father, Barack Obama; Stones into Schools, Greg Mortenson; Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwall; The Hiding Place (re-read), Corrie Ten Boom; Odd Thomas, Dean Koontz

What's on your list for 2010?

3 comments:

  1. One of my favorite books of all time is The Hiding Place. I read it many years ago and never tire of it. If you have not read Love in the Time of Cholera, you must read it.

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  2. Mom, the books you walked out with for me are great. The audio book is next in line for my elliptical workouts.

    Shirley, I love The Hiding Place, too! I was just thinking recently I'd like to re-read it...probably be my 4th or 5th time. I don't remember how old I was when mom recommended it, but it became a favorite right away.

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  3. Shirley, I did read Love in the Time of Cholera, but I confess, it wasn't my favorite. Our book club read it. I think, perhaps, your Hispanic background helped you relate to it more. The characters were true characters! And I spent a lot of time trying to decide exactly where it took place. I think I decided it was on the coast of Mexico. Do you know? Am I right?
    One of my favorite reads this past year was Kathryn Stocketts The Help, and Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea.

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