A Passion For Books

I'm always reading a book. I'm a huge fan of libraries and I started reading aloud to the kids from the day they were born and we read aloud every day until they were well into their teenage years. And we read a lot of really incredible books through those years. I was passionate about finding good books for us to read and for the kids to devour under the covers in their own beds, in secret, far past their appointed bedtimes. They thought they were getting away with something and I just loved that they were becoming avid readers.

This is one of my very favorite photos from when they were young. We always had 'quiet time' after dinner. When they were little, they napped, but as they outgrew their naps, they read and sometimes I would peek in and find one had tiptoed out of their room and then I found them like this:

Quiet time still happens around here. :)

The kids were always busy being kids. Besides books, I was also passionate about letting them have a childhood filled with adventure and imagination and work ethic all rolled into one. They often left he house after breakfast and we only saw them when they were hungry...or 'starving' as they liked to say. One day our 5 yr old collapsed into his chair at the table and announced that he was 'utterly famished'. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out where he had heard that and then I came to the conclusion that it must have been from a book we had read.

Trips to town were always made more enjoyable when we carved out time for stops at a bookstore. Barnes and Nobles, used book stores, and libraries were always welcome destinations and eagerly sought out.

DH is also an avid reader although his reading interests do not include novels. He likes to read books like, "The Principals of Horseshoeing" or "Hashknife Cowboy", or "The Horn of the Hunter", or about history, biographies, and military special forces.

I just love a good book. I love biographies and books about real events in history because I think real people live fascinating lives and I am intrigued by history.  I enjoy a good novel too. I'm not a huge fan of best seller books or reading what the media deems as a best seller. But, once in a while, a couple will sneak in. Here's what I've been reading this summer.

I loved The Forgotten Garden:

                                                   
I listened to The Homesman :

                                                  

And The Book Thief

                                                
And Killing Lincoln

                                                

I also listened to The Light Between Oceans

                                       
And to Moloka'i :

I am currently reading  The Worst Hard Time on my Kindle

                                             
   And a while back, when I talked about books, y'all gave me lots of recommendations that made it to my  "Books to Read" list. I should be turning pages for a long time!

Looking back at this list, I think I am ready for some light reading. These titles dealt with some serious issues and it's time for something a little more carefree. A dear friend just recommended a series of books by Susan Whittig Albert. They are about a big city lawyer who left the rat race and moved to a small town in central, Texas. My friend - thank you T - said they reminded her of me. The author mentions Wimberley in her author's note so I couldn't resist.

I checked our library's collection and they have the entire collection in their SW section, so I brought the first one home:

Mrs. Albert has also written this book:

which caught my eye immediately and is next on my list.As well as this book, recommended by one of my readers:

As much as I love my Kindle and listening to audio books when I drive to Texas or walk, there is just nothing that compares to the feel of an honest to goodness real book in your hands.