Thursday 20 November 2008

November 20th

When I came home from work yesterday, everything was shrouded in a thick cold fog. By the time I walked from bus stop to house ... takes about 4 minutes ... my coat and hair were as wet as if I had been walking in the rain. The temperature was hovering right at the freezing point, and must have dropped below freezing overnight. This morning, every tree, bush, and blade of grass was coated with eerie white ice crystals. It was a little spooky ... but beautiful!

I don't keep a blog roll ... y'know, that list of OTHER blogs you like to read ... on this blog. That doesn't mean I don't have a few favourites ... some I've been following for ages, and a few new discoveries. One of my new discoveries belongs to Suzanne ... a farmer's wife living 9 miles from anything and writing about all kinds of interesting stuff. (Go check her out ... and while you're there, turn up your speakers 'cuz she always has great music happening.) Suzanne just posted a book tag, and instead of playing tag the traditional way, has allowed her readers to tag themselves ... or not ... if they be interested. I ALWAYS love an opportunity to talk about books, so decided to tag myself.



The rules are:

1. Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

2. Share seven random and/or weird book facts about yourself.

3. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.



My seven random book facts:

1. The first book I truly fell in love with was Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. I was about 8 years old and had just experienced two very traumatic moves, away from the little rural town I had grown accustomed to, and then back there again. I was confused and lonely at the time. I had returned to 5th grade mid-year and didn't fit in with the 5th grade cliques that had already solidified for the year. I identified whole-heartedly with the main character!Since then, I've re-read Les Miserables 14 or 15 times ... I re-read it again last spring ... and each time I love it a little more. Something new or different catches my soul each time. I've seen the musical, seen two versions of the movie, but the book remains my all-time favourite.


2. I have a SECOND favourite book, Like Water for Chocolate. Actually, I read it (labouriously) in Spanish as well as saw the Spanish version of the movie before I read it in English.I think it loses a little something in the translation to English, but the English version is still a great story. Like Water for Chocolate weaves together PASSIONATE LOVE and LOVE OF FOOD ... what better combination is there?

#3. I love reading about food, and I especially love reading cook books.I love old cook books, ethnic cook books, small town and community or church group cook books. I OWN a lot of cook books, and it doesn't take much to convince me to collect yet another one.

#4. I own a lot of knitting books too.I love craft books in general, and knitting books in particular. Recently, I got my hands on a copy of Richard Rutt's A History of Hand Knitting ... mmm mmm! Celestial candy for this knitter/book collector!

#5. I get really excited over books about historical clothing! Some of that excitement centres around developing my SCA persona (Emma of Otterbourne ... early 14th century lady from the borderlands between England and Scotland). If you combine historical clothing and ethnic clothing in the same book ... ooh la la! baby! One of my favourite book possessions is Mary S. Parker's The Folkwear Book of Ethnic Clothing.


#6. Sometimes I read Sci-Fi to escape. I particularly like reading about dragons. Shh! Don't tell anyone!
#7. Seeing people deliberately damage or destroy books causes me physical pain. I can't stand it. I hope I'm never subjected to a book burning 'cuz I'd probably dive right into the flames to rescue the books. It's like a sickness. Or maybe a curse. Or maybe a tragic memory from a past life.
So there you have it. I'm going to do the same as Suzanne and let you tag yourself if you're interested. Just leave me a message so I can check out YOUR fascinating book facts, okay?

2 comments:

Heidi said...

Thank you for stopping over to my blog!! I love to have new visitors and I promise to be back here too!!!

Anonymous said...

You would have hated to be me three years ago when my aunt and uncle cleaned out my grandmother's house ... and no one wanted her collection of old books. Even I, who couldn't bear to see them where they ended up, had no place to store them and had to let them go. To the recycling depot. Where they tear off the covers, and then ... oh my god, how can anyone do it? All these gorgeous old hardcover books that no one wants anymore. Even libraries won't take them. No, they're getting rid of their own ... Sad, but true.

- Kate