PostSecret

Speaking of things I've been thinking about for a while but not posting...

I'd been wanting to look at the book PostSecret for a while now and finally checked it out just a few weeks ago from the library. I'm sure you remember the PostSecret craze, where you could write a secret on a postcard and mail it anonymously to this guy, Frank Warren. I don't know if he made all of them into books or art displays or whatnot, but that was the original idea.

It really got me thinking, after looking at the book, about what a secret actually is and what it does to people. What is it about a secret, something that you don't feel you can tell someone else, that makes it a dark glimpse into ones soul? Just wondering your thoughts on the topic...

May Books So Far

I'm so glad to report that I've already met my goal of 5 books for the month of May! Yea!!

Here's what I've read so far:

Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop Jr.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

We aren't meeting for book club this month because a book wasn't chosen until the 8th (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) but I'm going to get started on that soon because I've heard that the first 1/5 can be a little boring and hard to get through. Hope that isn't the case!

April Books

This past month I read seven! I'm so proud of myself!

The Ring by Bobbie Pyron

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (our book club book for the month)

Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

The Emperor's Code by Gordon Korman (book 8 of the 39 Clues)

The Beach House by Jane Green

Swapping Lives by Jane Green

Design Flaws of the Human Condition by Paul Schmitberger

I am on a roll!

March Books

Here are my books from March:

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (the sequel to Suite Scarlett)

Swapping Lives by Jane Green

Dirty Little Secrets from Otherwise Perfect Moms by Trish Ashworth

This Book is Overdue! by Marilyn Johnson

The Other Woman by Jane Green

Now, you've probably noticed I've been reading a lot of Jane Green. While she's an okay author, I am doing it more to read books that my book club has already read. They read Jemima J and that's one that's always checked out at my library so I thought I'd give the other books a try. She's a decent author, although the books are predictable. Oh well.

I think I've forgotten some books from January until March but obviously I can't remember what they are right now. I'll think about it and check my library account and put up the books I've forgotten.

On a similar subject, Timmy has really enjoyed reading lately. Over the winter he really liked the Llama Llama books (Llama, Llama Mad at Mama; Llama, Llama Red Pajamas; Llama, Llama Misses Mama) and couldn't get enough of them. Right now he really enjoys Jane Yolen's How Do Dinosaurs... books. We own How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight which he enjoys reading before bed (and he actually reads it to us now!) and so we checked out some more from the library which he has also enjoyed. I'm so glad that I've got a reader!

February Books

I realized that I forgot to post my books from February! Here they are:

The Viper's Nest by Peter Lerangis (book 7 of The 39 Clues)

Dune Road by Jane Green

Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (our book club selection for the month)

Books

One of my goals for the new year was to read at least 5 books a month. For January, I accomplished that goal. It doesn't mean I start and finish the book in that month, just that the book is finished in that month.

Last month I read the following books:

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Much Ado About Anne by Heather Vogel Frederick

Up in the Air by Walter Kirn

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Go me!

Don't Let the Pigeon...

I saw this on Jenny's Facebook and I just had to laugh (and of course post it here). There's a book series by Mo Willems that focuses on a pigeon and what the pigeon wants to do (drive the bus, eat a hotdog, etc.). Here's a great movie poster for one of the books:

The Redcoats Are Coming!

About a year or so ago I heard about this book John, Paul, George and Ben which discusses some of the key players in the American Revolution.  We checked it out last week from the library and Timmy loves it!  He especially loves how Paul Revere shouts "The redcoats are coming!" and will run around saying it.  He's such a funny little guy.  This just proves that 1) Timmy lives in a house that appreciates history and 2) you are never too little to begin learning about important figures in history.  Next up: kiddie Rommel and kiddie Eisenhower?  I'm just saying it might be interesting...

Borrowing Books

Up until November, Erik and I had not been buying a lot of books in the recent past.  This is both good and bad.  Good because we don't have a lot of room for extra books and bad because we just don't have as much disposable income to spend on those types of purchases.  I know that many people are feeling the pinch and perhaps have begun to also not purchase books.  This becomes a little awkward when you go to an author signing or discussion and don't have their books to get signed.

Actually, John Green's event in November was the reason that we actually began buying books again.  That and Erik didn't want to listen to Twilight on audiobook for some reason so we purchased those books.  In the month of November we purchased 8 books which is more than the 5 previous months combined.

However, we have been reading a TON of books, thanks to the libraries.  We easily go to the library once a week if not more.  We've really been better about a lot of things and I'm truly grateful for that.  Timmy enjoys going to the library a lot and that's something else that I really enjoy seeing.  

Anyway, getting back to the point of this post, authors really don't mind that you borrow their books.  While they might prefer you purchase them, borrowing them from a library is important too!

Justine Larbalestier is a young adult author who has posted just this exact thought on her blog a few days ago.  For those of you who don't know her, she's Scott Westerfeld's wife (another young adult author).  If you don't know who he is either...just know that they are both authors and therefore have a different insight.  Justine Larbalestier's opinion about borrowing books (from libraries or friends).  Enjoy!