My Life in Books

Books that Remind Me of Childhood

The Poky Little Puppy. Though I don't have my original copy of this book, I do have a copy. I still love this book about the precocious puppy who can't seem to stay in his own yard.

Aloysius Sebastian Mozart Mouse. My mom's friend gave this book to me when I was about 7 years old. Aloysius was a mouse who had dreams of playing the pipe organ. Try as he might though, he couldn't seem to depress the pedals and keys at the same time. Some friends of his come up with a way for him to play, though. I think this book instilled in me a love of music. I still have this book, and am looking forward to sharing it with my own children someday.

Dick & Jane. My mom taught me to read with these books. I still remember sitting with her and discovering the thrill of reading, when I thought the word "jump" was such a hard word! :)

Ramona Books. Miss Newton, my 1st grade teacher, introduced me to these great books. I still remember sitting on the classroom floor, absolutely enthralled while listening to Ramona's adventures.

Amelia Bedelia Books. These books always cracked me up. While I did find myself a bit frustrated with her inability to understand the simplest directions, I always found myself laughing.

Books that Defined My Teens

The Babysitters Club. I probably read every single one of these books - at least the ones that were written in the late 80s/early 90s. I also remember choosing to read one of these books at recess, rather than play with my classmates. :)

Nancy Drew Series (the ones that came out in the 90s). For awhile I didn't know there were any other Nancy Drew series besides these. I can't attest to how well written these are, because it's been years since I've read them, but I know I always thoroughly enjoyed reading them.

Sweet Valley High Series. I always enjoyed reading about the adventures of twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield. Made me kind of want a twin, but not really. I remember relating more to Elizabeth's bookish personality at the time. :)

Anne of Green Gables series. I read these books after watching Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea 57 times. I remember thinking how different the movie is from the books, but that I liked both for what they were.  I recently obtained most of this series for free for my Kindle. I think the last couple books are still waiting to be placed on public domain.

Books that Defined My College Years

A History of the English Language. Ahh, HEL ( yes, this is what English majors called the class that used this book). It was appropriately titled, yet I do remember learning some interesting facts about the English language while going through this book. Combine this book with the nice little Old English passage book that required translating once a week, and you have HEL. :)

Perelandra. I remember reading C.S. Lewis' science fiction trilogy for a paper I was writing. Though I am not a huge science fiction fan, I did enjoy these books in some part, mostly for the allegories.

Figure Skating: A Celebration. There was a period of my college years where I was sort of obsessed with figure skating. I fell in love with the beauty and grace of the sport after watching the 2002 Winter Olympics. Tim Goebel may have had a small part in my liking figure skating at the time. But anyways, I still have my copy of this book. Becky, do you like the old picture of Elvis Stojko on the cover? :)

The Last Book I Read

Longing - I am currently reading this latest Karen Kingsbury book, the 3rd in the Bailey Flanigan series...stay tuned for my review!

A Favorite Book Few Others Seem to Know About

• Fragile Dreams & Old Photographs (Elizabeth Gibson). I first read this in high school or early college, I believe. This book recounts the journey of a girl who comes of age in the 1960s and struggles through the 1970s. It is a great story, one that long sticks in your mind after you close the book. Go here to check it out.

What about you? Leave your answers in the comments, or better yet, write about it on your own blog and post the link in the comments.