Books. I like books. They are things that I like.
Books may seem to be a strange topic for me to cover on this site, but when you consider the amount of bookcases in my house it really isn't all that surprising.
And the truth is, as far as I'm concerned, reading a book is "doing stuff". And an enjoyable stuff at that.
I've loved reading since the beginning of time. The beginning of my time anyway. And ... if I may brag here for a moment ... I was reading books by the age of 4. I feel entitled to that little bit of bragging because I will also share with you the fact that I never did learn math. At all. When bank tellers and cashiers giving change count the money backwards to me, I just nod and pretend like I understand. I do not. Once when I was trying to convert an ingredient from "pounds" into "cups", my eyes started to bleed, plus I lost a tooth. It just fell right outta my head from the stress of the math. So ... I can't do math.
The book you see above, titled "Things I Like" is appropriately enough, the book that got me to like books. It's the first book I remember and I cannot thank my mother enough for saving it. Even though, since Betty isn't all that sentimental, she probably didn't save it on purpose, so much as she just never got around to throwing it out. The same way she never got around to throwing out that jar of mayonnaise that expired in Aug. '96.
When I look at this book and I hear the creak of the waxy, cardboard pages I'm a toddler again. I feel the same way I did then. I feel comfortable and content in the knowledge that all it really takes to make me happy is a picture of odd looking miniature stuffed animals sitting on wooden blocks. That's it. That's all I need. And an Espresso maker. But that is all. Plus I guess I nice cup to put the espresso in. And fresh mayonnaise in the fridge. And that is all. That is all I need.
And maybe a little more half decent programming on T.V. That is all.
From stuffed animals I moved onto ...
I wanted to be Flossie Bobbsey.
Exit Bobbsey Twins ... enter Laura Ingalls ... I now wanted to be Laura Ingalls. If you're a longtime reader of this site you know I still want to be Laura Ingalls. If you have not read this series you should read it. Yes. Even as a grownup.
I'm actually considering rereading the whole Little House on the Prairie series. It if makes me half as happy now as it did then I'll be ... well ... half as happy as I was then I guess. Uhhhh half as happy when I was half as old ... so ... Or would I be twice as happy, cause I'm twice as old as I was when I loved it 100%. Do I need to divide happiness into happiness? Ouch. Akkkkk! My tooth! See? Math.
Now somewhere in between the Bobbsey Twins and Little House on the Prairie I got my hands on this ... probably the most frightening book I've ever read.
My grandfather's medical textbook from 1927. I remember hiding in my parent's bedroom and looking at this book. It contains pictures of conditions and malformations that even TLC wouldn't broadcast. It was horrifying. But for some reason I was fascinated. I couldn't get enough of it. It was the perverbial trainwreck you can't look away from, in handy book form! This medical text is what led me to loving weird things. Oddities. Freaks.
It's why I own things like an alien in a jar. It's why there's a prosthetic leg in my basement and why I've toyed with the idea of making a wall hanging out of my leftover soup bones.
It's what led me to loving books that dealt with those very things. Creepy things.
By the time I got to Grade 6 while other kids were reading Tiger Beat, I was reading this ...
... and loving it.
So the next time you think that sitting around reading a book is a waste of time ... rethink that notion. Reading is doing stuff. It makes your brain spark in ways it can't without the help of a book. They make you think, learn and imagine.
I personally think books can mold and form a person in much the same way a parent can. By introducing them to things they didn't even know existed. If it wasn't for Laura Ingalls I wouldn't have been introduced to things like the joy of making your own butter, or the solitary peace of knitting at such a young age. And it's at that very young age that you develop who you are. You become you. Without the books I read as a child who knows what kind of person I might have become.
A mathematician perhaps.
*Please note, if you subscribe to my email updates, yesterday's update didn't go out for some reason. You can view yesterday's post "Hey! Minimalism! I'm SICK of You!" by clicking here.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Sarah P
I love the line "Reading is doing stuff." I will use that as my defense the next time I accidentally let several hours slip by while reading. "I was doing stuff the whole time!"
Cherise Harper
My father always told me the three things that influence a person the most are:
1) their family
2) the people they meet
3) the books they read
I've found this to be quite true and pick both my friends and books accordingly. Luckily, I was blessed with a great family.
Lisa
I love the Little House on the Prairies series!!
My mother read a few chapters to me and my brothers every night before bed. Eventually we got through the entire series. It spanned from the end of elementary until I got to high school. Those are some of my favorite memories.
I always think about re-reading them. You may have just inspired me to do it!!
Carol-Anne
This post is timely; I was at Goodwill yesterday and an annoucment came on advising of a 1 hour manager's special on ALL books (harcovers included) 5 books for $1. I was lucky enough to score: Landscaping for Small Spaces; American Gardens; Canada - The Lone Land, Gourmet's Quick Kitchen and Freakanomics! All books were in near perfect condition. If anyone is looking to expand their library for minimal cost; check your local thrift shop! This deal will never beat getting my white 5L LeCreuset pot for $5; but I still felt great!
Karen
Carol-Anne - You got a 5L LeCreuset pot for $5???!!! That's hilarious. And jealous inducing. ~ karen
Carol-Anne
Karen - and a matching small frying pan for $3 - both looked like they were used maybe twice! I could not believe my luck - I felt like the lady on the IKEA commericial - Start the car!!!
Karen
Carol-Anne - Well ... thanks to you there may be no post tomorrow. I am not getting ready to go to every thrift store I can think of. To be fair ... it's been a while so I'm probably due for a trip. ~ karen
Michele
Thanks for including the pictures of old books in this wonderful post! It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
Leslie Leon-Cremeens
I also read Amityville Horror in 6th grade, it made me want to be a Parapsychologist. Then I remember watching In Search of: and it was about demons and devils---I was PRAYING that a doorway to Narnia would open in my closet because that episode combined with the Amityville Horror and 'Salems Lot scared the spit out of me! (I started reading Stephen King in 5th grade)
I've always wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder, too! I just reread all the books last summer and took out every book in the library system about her--there are a lot of books about her! I always wanted to find a resourceful man like Almanzo---and I did!
Oh, I've also always wanted to be a Hobbit as well---I read that and the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time the summer between 4th and 5th grade---and it's stayed with me all these years. My name is Leslie and I am a Lord of the Rings geek ;-)
Karen
Leslie - Hah! Well ... we're all some kind of geek aren't we? Congratulations on your Almanzo! ~ karen
Jacqui
Does anyone remember the "Noddy" series? I loved those books. They were very non-PC but who knew?
I saw the Exorcist at a formative age- in a theatre no less - and didn't sleep for a couple of nights either. Now I can't even watch the TV promos for the new scary movie starring Anthony Hopkins.
Mary
Oh yea'...I'm sooo with you on the math!
Gwen
OMG - I wanted to be little Laura Ingalls too! I love re-reading childhood books. Alice in Wonderland is my all-time favorite and one I can sit down and enjoy endlessly.
Mary
Karen, Please RUN out and find the book, The Demonologist, by, Ed and Lorraine Warren. This is a MUST read for 'people like you'. This is not a novel. It will change the way you think of this world..unless you were taught by nuns, in which case you know of these things already. But it will still scare the hell outta' ya' FOR REAL!
Once you have read it let us know what you think!
marilyn
oh books..sheer joy reading is like breathing to me, i cant live without it.my fave book of all time..anne of green gables, amazing stories that make me laugh out loud and feel great. i have read and reread this book countless times and fall in love with it every time. you should put it on your to read list karen you and anne (with an e) have a lot in common..lol take care and happy reading.
Melody Madden
Think I need to get myself over to a bookstore and pick up one of the Little House On The Prairie books. After reading your post I feel like I've been missing out all these years......
ann
we seem to have taken the same literary path! right down to the old-school editions of the books.....the family medical book we had was a wee bit different, but every bit as frightening. It was published in the early 1900s - every time we had ailments as children my dad would pull out The Book, look it up and act accordingly. As an adult I came across The Book and noticed it included such lovely treatments as blood letting.....sometimes can't believe we survived! Between that, lawn darts and riding our bikes behind the truck spraying DDT so we could play in the mist.....no wonder kids today are so namby pamby - they aren't allowed to read horror stories at age 12 and wear bike helmets to walk to the corner.....no weeding out of the weak!
Pam'a
Ann,
Did you live down the block from me? LOL.
MV
Oooh, more for the reading list. ;) I adore the "Little House" series too!
Kerry
Thank goodness reading qualifies as doing stuff...I'm on to my third book in two days, and nothing else is getting done. Not a single thing. It's great:)
Steph
I also read Amityville Horror in the 6th Grade. It scared me so badly that I've haven't been a fan of anytype of horror books/movies since!
Karen
Steph! Oh my word, I loved it. However, I watched The Exorcist the same year ... and it still terrifies me. I was so terrified I couldn't sleep. And it was the edited, "on television" version. I wanted to sleep with my mother but was a) too old and b) afraid she'd become inhabited by the devil in the night and attack me. eeeekkkkk. ~ karen
Pati
I never did read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books....I probably would have loved them.The picture of The "things I like" book...almost made me cry. OMG I haven't seen that book in so long and I know I had it at a child!!I so remember those little animals :)
I agree with how books form you as a child. They give you glimpses into other worlds.I still love getting lost in my books...
Thanks for the post :)
Karen
Pati! I can't believe you recognize that book! I think that's fantastic for some reason! LOL. Yup ... watch for another book post next week. :) Speaking of which ... I'm off to read one right now! ~ karen
Jamieson
Did you know there is a Laura Ingalls Wilder museum owned by Bill Kurtis, the tv presenter of such shows as Cold Case Files?!
Karen
Jamieson - Oh my God. The phrase "tv presenter" made me laugh for some reason. A lot. ~ karen
Jamieson
I know, I love that term. The lovely Rachel Perry used it in conversation a few months ago and i find it quaint!
Sharon Woo
Fun fact- the first chapter book I read was Stephen King's The Dark Half. At age 9. Good stuff! Never read the Little House series. I'll have to give it a whirl.
Amanda - VintageDutchGirl
I LOVE my Laura Ingalls Wilder series :) I saved my copies I read over and over again as a child to someday read to my kids.
Karen
Amanda! I really am getting excited about reading them over again! I don't think I've loved a book as much as those since then. ~ karen
Alissa
I ADORE Laura Ingalls Wilder and still read the books about every other year.
Karen, here's something I would like to ask you "how to do": how can I re-bind my L.I.W. books so that I can keep reading the same books I read as a six-year-old instead of replacing them? The pages are all falling out. Even if I can't do it myself, could you tell me how to find someone to do it for me?
Karen
Alissa! Book binding is an art. And not one that I know anything about! If I were you I'd first look up book binding or book repair in the yellow pages. If that doesn't help you, book binding is the sort of thing that's offered at local colleges and art schools. I'd take a look in those areas and see if someone there can't direct you to an expert. ~ karen!
Alissa
Awesome to know. Won't attempt it myself! :)