Booking Through Thursday...Storing my books

Today's Booking Thru Thursday question is:

“How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?”

It is 5:00 a.m. I want so badly to go take pictures of all my bookshelves, book baskets, book closets and book hiding places. But...it's 5:00 a.m.
I have a husband asleep in one room and a son asleep in another.
And well, I would probably be embarrassed to actually see in pictures how many books I have.
In the Library Thing, I have cataloged over 400 books. I never finished that project and I have bought more since then. And that didn't include my "children's" book collection (which I would say is close to 200) or my cookbooks collection ( you can check that out here ), which is just over 200.

I must state right here, that my house isn't as unorganized as it sounds. And anyway there is a whole decorating style that tells how and encourages us to decorate with books.
Check out this book: House Beautiful's Decorating with books. In the book .....
Hueston encourages readers to keep books "stacked on an ottoman, piled on the floor, lined up on a bench, or ... draped over a ladder," in addition to keeping books "confined to shelves and tabletops."


Hooray for me!!! Because...um no, my books are not arranged nicely by author or genre on a bookshelf. I try, but for the most part, no.

And just last night, I asked my husband if he could build us some bookshelves. I want one whole wall in our bedroom.....floor to ceiling...as our headboard.
He just rolled his eyes at me.

It is 5:30 a.m. now, and I'm off to Reno and the bookstore. Have a good day everybody!

A fun question

Jen at Jen's book Thoughts
had a question on her post the other day....Saturday, I think it was,
but it was such a fun question for me to comment on!

You'll need to read her post to get the whole story, but to make it short and sweet, she asked, "If you were wrongly accused of a crime, what fictional sleuth would you hire to clear your name?"

I wrote a hurried comment to her this morning before going off to work. But seriously....I could ponder stuff like this for hours. Sometimes even days. (I am taking the Beatles class...remember? ), so I gave the short answer.

YOU think about it and then comment on it. Over at Jen's blog. Because it was her question.
But leave me an clue as to your answer...okay? A comment letting me know you answered her.

Oh...and my answer?
Here it is as seen on Jen's comment page. :~)

I stopped at "A" for Alibi also, but probably not for the same reasons as you did. (It wasn't my favorite, but I just had so many more in my TBR pile. I might read another one in the future )

This is a fun question!! Although I've discovered that I lean towards the cozy mysteries. (if that's the correct word)
What sleuth would I hire to clear my name?
The trouble with "cozies" is that there is rarely a sleuth for hire...they are mostly homemakers, librarians, bookstore owners who come upon murders. All the time.
Stephanie Plumb? no, she's a bail bondsman.
Deborah Knott? no, she's a judge.

I need to change gears...
Peter Decker? He's a police detective...I can't hire him.
Okay... I would hire Tess Monaghan! She would be my choice.

So now it's your turn! Go to Jen's page and comment. (and let me know what you said)

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about book reviews…
Do you read any non-blogging book reviews? If so, where (newspaper, library etc)? Do you have any favourites sources you'd like to share?

I don't read many, but I do read a few. Most of the non-blogging book reviews I read are to get a feel for what's new and good in Children's literature. I used to be a Children's Librarian in a school library, and have worked in public libraries and I have a deep love for Children's literature.

I try to keep up with the Horn Book

and the School Library Journal

Other than that, I read the Sunday section of our newspaper, which spotlights popular authors and books.

Mostly now, I use blogs to get suggestions for good books and book club choices.

In love

And this...THIS is why I love Lois Lowry! I've never liked books that "set out" to prove a point. I like when the point or lesson comes serendipitously.

I just want my grandchildren (our family will be welcoming three of them this year) to enjoy books, reading, literature.

My daughter in law works at one of the Yale libraries. She is expecting twins in July. Our first outing, a field trip with the babies ( Lil and Phil--not their real names ) will be to the Yale Library.
Okay, yes, it's "my" field trip, but what a great start to a book filled life!
I'm getting them a collection of Lois Lowry books for Christmas.

Books I've been reading in 2009

At the end of 2008, I noticed that a log of book bloggers listed a compilation of all the book they had read for the year.
I figure the only way I can remember the books I read would be to list them now and add on as the year continues.
So, that is what I am doing here.

But first I just have to document it: my son really has checked out the book, "Catcher in the Rye".

Interesting to me that he is reading this.

okay...now for my list

The Tale of Desperaux---I wanted to read it before the movie came to our little town. The movie still hasn't come to our little town, but the book was good.

The Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky --I read this for my book club "Totally Lit--erature". It was a good book for the book club, it led to lots of discussion about race and prejudice.

Grace by Richard Paul Evans -- had to read this for the "no-name" book club. It was an easy, one day read. It was okay. I find it hard to get into sentimentality sometimes, and the book was completely trying to build on his previous "sentiment" books.
But it was a quick read, not too bad.

Out of the Deep I Cry -- the 3rd in a mystery series by Julia Spencer-Fleming. It's a Claire Ferguson mystery. I like them, so this one was just for me.

The Madonna's of Leningrad by Debra Dean-- a book club book (Totally Lit) We meet next week to discuss it. I'll let you know what everybody thinks.
I liked it.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson-- a "no-name" book club choice. I know it won an award, but there were so many people and so many facts!! It was hard for me to keep straight, but I found it very interesting. We discuss this next week too (different day)

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming--by Joshilyn Jackson. I just read this one because I wanted to. It was good. I like her books.

I used to think I read fast and a lot. Until I came up on book bloggers. LOL I am nothing compared to you/them.

Finding a Book

Apparently, I have neglected my motherly duties. I must have never brought my children into the 21st century when it comes to using libraries.

My middle son, the one who is almost 26 years old went to the library this morning and wanted the book "Catcher in the Rye"....(his friend told him he should read it ) but he couldn't find the card catalog.

This is a child of mine, (he is no longer really a child, but a young man), who grew up in the technological age. He had a computer in the house, he has/had/has a cell phone with e-mail and Internet capabilities, there are camera phones, iPods, blue-tooth, etc etc etc.
He once cheated on a game of Scrabble with us. We thought he was texting (as if that wasn't rude enough while we were playing a game ) and he was actually looking up what words he could make with the letters he had...scrabble.com.

My point is.... when he called me and said he hated the library, I was in shock. WHAT?
(his mother/me, has worked in public and school libraries his whole life. And now sits on the board of our local public library)
What are you talking about? I asked him.
I like the old card catalogs, he answered.
didn't you see the computer there, where you could look up books? I asked.
Yep, he said, but I wanted a card catalog.
Well, I said, it's fiction. J.D. Salinger, so it's easy to find anyway, you don't need a call number. And.... I have a copy upstairs in the bookshelf in my bedroom.
That's what I figured, he said, the library, your books shelves, same thing.

I'm not quite sure what that meant.... I have too many books? He knows I am an accomplished (LOL) reader and I have most of the modern American classics at my fingertips ? He thinks I am a book pack-rat?
What?

But I have a confession to make...when I'm in a library, I, too, miss the old card catalogs.
Do you?

Booking Thru Thursday--author blogs

The Booking Through Thursday question of the week:

Do you read any author’s blogs? If so, are you looking for information on their next project? On the author personally? Something else?

*******
Well, I read Lois Lowry's blog

and if Madeline L'Engle were alive and had a blog, I'd read that one. Before there were blogs she published a set of her journals, "The Crosswicks Journals" and I read them and loved them.

from Wikipedia:
L'Engle wrote many nonfiction works, including the autobiographical "Crosswick Journals" and other explorations of the subjects of faith and art. For L'Engle, who wrote repeatedly about "story as truth," the distinction between fiction and memoir was sometimes blurred. Real events from her life and family history made their way into some of her novels, while fictional elements, such as assumed names for people and places, can be found in her published journals

I don't know why, but I am obsessed with L'Engle. Obsessed, I tell you. I love everything about her.
My question is this: why does someone get "obsessed" with an author? I don't know why I love her so much. But I do.
I guess I loved her philosophy of life.
AND...her husband was Dr. Charles Tyler on "All my Children". LOL Remember him? Okay...yes, I'm old....half a century this summer.

I got off track...AGAIN.

No, I don't read many author blogs, I only have one that I keep up on and that is Lois Lowry's. She of course is a YA author. I love the "Coming of Age" genre` and while I don't read as much YA as I used to, I keep up on Lowry.

Other than that, the short answer is "no."

(now I feel like I should check out some of the author's blogs, recommended by other BTT bloggers, but I'm afraid. Afraid I'll become addicted. ~sigh~ oh what to do?)

If you want to play along with BTT, click here.