Tomorrow is national Book Lover's Day!
Page, a sweet kitty that tried to make Old Possum Bookstore her home for awhile.
Oh, I love to read!
I like biographies and autobiographies,
mysteries and thrillers,
old fashioned romance
comedy and children's books,
poetry, classics....
oh, so much more!
a picture book, yet it says so much!
I will never get through all the books I want to share with you,
not tomorrow for sure!
I thought that I would get a head start today,
to give you some ideas for good reads-
perhaps some that you have not heard of,
or have forgotten about.
I tried to look up most of them on
and have included the link to the page with that book for sale.
I don't get commissions from amazon, so please
support your local book store first,
and then if you can't find it locally, check out online stores such as amazon.
I have ordered successfully from them many many times.
"Everything comes to him who waits,
except a loaned book."
- McKinney Hubbard
I want to include some great biographies -
those are books about a person, but written by somebody else -
and also some autobiographies -
books written about a person by that person
(sometimes with a little or lot of help from another writer).
A biography
written by his wife in this case:
Excellent and moving story, written by Jim Elliot's widow.
Jim Elliot was killed by the Auca Indians in the Amazon,
while trying to become friends, as missionaries.
This is present day stuff, not old history!
With biographies you will usually get the author's biases and slants added in.
Sometimes the author does research, and sometimes the author is wanting to present a more "romanticized" life of the person.
"If you believe everything you read,
better not read."
- Japanese proverb
For instance, I purchased a small biography about Mother Teresa,
a woman I have huge respect for.
This author (as I found out as I was reading it) did not particularly like
Mother Teresa. There were subtle hints, small comments, etc. that made
her look deceptive, and less than the 'front' she put on.
I disagree with the author, although I readily admit she was a woman,
not a saint in the sense she could do no sin,
and not a fund raising shyster either.
So, sometimes you have to be sure and read with an open mind.
Here is a good example of an autobiography -
a book by a person about that person's life:
A fascinating account of one woman and her family - non-Jews hiding Jews - during WWII, and subsequent time at Auschwitz Termination Camp, Germany.
It is a tremendous book about forgiveness.
Another good read is Anne Frank's Diary.
Be sure to read the newer edition. The original edition was edited by her father, where he deleted things he deemed inappropriate.
That's the one I read in school.
The newer edition has her entire diary.
There are things to watch when you are reading an autobiography. This is the person's chance to 'set the record straight' about themselves.
Only sometimes it is an almost entirely fictional account!
But, since the person wrote it about him/herself,
it must be true?
Right?
Nope. Some autobiographies are purely fictionalized fluff!
I have read about one famous woman who had written several 'autobiographies'.
Each one had a different version of where she was born,
and how old she was!
Just a little READER BEWARE type warning.
Or any of the politically correct stories are just hilarious.
Best if you can read them aloud to someone else!
When my husband and I go on 'road trips' I like to take along a book that has short blips that I can read to him aloud, while he drives.
Not a book on tape substitute, just something humorous usually.
We once drove straight from Las Vegas, NV to Denver CO,
and I read the stamp catalog for VivaLasVegaStamps!
It's roll on the floor funny!
Dave Barry is a good author for funny stories.
Some books will change your mind about a subject.
One of the most moving books I have ever read was this one:
It should be required reading for every child going to school.
We should all read it again as adults.
It records the shameful history of the United States treatment of the indigenous peoples, referred to as "Indians" or "Native Americans".
It has a wealth of resources that are well documented into the writing of this book.
I read it while in Junior High School, and it still affects me in my perspective today.
While growing up, my dad had a saying:
"Never say 'Indian giver'.
The Indians never gave their word
and then took it back."
So in our home we would say
'white-man giver'.
As white men often gave their word (to the Indians)
and then would take it back,
change the rules
deliver something completely different
or just lie.
In the last couple of years, this next book is one of the most moving books
I have ever read.
Warning - it is very sad, (but also filled with hope and healing)
and it is not appropriate for children due to the violent events in this child's life.
But,
a very excellent book.
A worthy read.
an autobiography
"That is a good book which is opened with expectation
and closed with profit."
- Amos Bronson Alcott
A beautifully written trilogy of books.
If you like J.Tolkien, or Madeleine L'Engle,
you will like these.
Another great book to share along with someone else -
Tomie dePaola is noted for his colorful and simple illustrations.
I would love to own all of his books!
Children's poems are for anybody! Don't be ashamed to say
'I read a book of Ogden Nash poems yesterday,
and my sides still hurt from laughing so much!"
I have my original copy of Langston Hughes poems from when I was 12.
Check him out too!
I am a big fan of illustrated children's books.
Wow, there are some truly beautiful books out there in the children's genre.
My sister gave this book to my son when he was like 3 years old.
I love it!
"Some books make me want to go adventuring,
Others feel that they have saved me the trouble."
- Ashleigh Brilliant
Some children's books that are illustrated may have 'funny' little things in the pictures for adults to enjoy while they are reading to a younger child.
As the child gets older, he will start to see them too!
"Some books are to be tasted,
others to be swallowed,
and some few to be chewed and digested."
- Francis Bacon
Another absolute favorite, that everyone should read:
The watercolor illustrations are just gorgeous.
Some books make you think,
and some books are for pure pleasure.
I would like to put Pop-Up Books in this arena.
There is no other paper engineer as excellent as
Robert Sabuda.
His books are beautiful, well thought out, and have a great sense of humor!
I have a large Pop-Up book collection.
I recommend any of Robert Sabuda's!
"Educating the mind
without educating the heart
is no education at all."
- Aristotle
So much mis-information has been out there for a long time.
These are 'history' books that were written by men who had an agenda:
justifying genocide for a white population.
Another good read is anything current written about General George Custer.
(Did you know he had an Indian wife, and a child from that union, whom he adored? When his wife came out west to be with Custer,
he turned his common-law Indian wife and child out.
Never really saw them again.)
"The book you don't read won't help."
- Jim Rohn
Okey-Dokey, that will have to suffice for today!
I have even more books and suggestions for you tomorrow.
:0)
I did mention that I love to read....
For a humorous look at books, check out my treasury on etsy:
DON'T READ THESE BOOKS
inkspired
or anything by Cicely Mary Barker!
Her estate has made some wonderful books for children of all ages,
and adults (like me...umm...that is if I qualify as an adult,
which some days is up for discussion!)
