May's Pick

-Anna

I've read Charlotte. I've read Emily. But I've yet to read Anne. So my pick for book club is Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte.

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Anne or Harry?

-Erin

I first read the Anne of Green Gables series as a young girl and continued to reread them throughout my teen years and even into my adult life. And until my early twenties I would have said, hands down, the Anne books were my favorite series.

And then Harry appeared on the scene. I resisted him at first, but these other two girls in the Sage Room encouraged me to give the books a try. I did and I was hooked. I devoured the first two books in one single day becoming a rabid fan that actually stood in line at midnight to buy the last anticipated book.

So when I ask myself what my favorite series is (it's important for me to have favorites in categories such as books, movies, etc.), I do not have an answer. I am torn between a world of magic and fantasy and one of a life filled with beauty and imagination.

Anne or Harry? Do you have a favorite series?

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You Totally Can Judge a Book by the Cover!

-Anna

Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country has to be one of the best titles I believe I've ever come across. A friend recommended it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you like Jane Austen and Harry Potter, then you would most definitely find this book, well, enchanting! I mean seriously, what is better than witty verbal sparring whilst magic is flying about? Not much, not much indeed.

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It's time to up the monthly quota.

-Erin

I just looked at the weather report for the week. It is supposed to be NICE all week long. Spring is here to stay and that means summer is on the way. I don't know about you, but I always read more in the summertime. And that's a good thing because I have a growing list of books I'm anxious to dive into...



What's on your summer reading list?

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On My Shelf

-Anna

From time to time I go into furniture stores (or browse IKEA online), just to drool over the floor to ceiling library style bookshelves. I imagine my books lining the long smooth planks and see myself humming softly as I climb the ever so cool ladder just so I can run my fingers over the colorful bindings of all my books. It's a dream, I know, but sometimes dreams come true (says the girl who believes in fairy tales).

For now, I have approximately 2 1/2 shelves on our bookshelf to display my favorite books. So, the choice is sometimes difficult. Which of my beloved books should hold the honor of being housed there? Which books can look around and proudly state, "Aha, I have arrived. I have made it to THE bookshelf!"? Pride and Prejudice? Need you ask? The Fellowship of the Rings? Without a doubt. The Chronicles of Narnia? Most definitely. Harry Potter? All 6 (yes, I know there are 7, but my collection isn't complete yet).

There are other titles that have squeezed their way onto the shelf. Jane Eyre and Emma have jockeyed for position as well as Chris Claremont/George Lucas' series Chronicles of the Shadow War. But there are so many others that have no home on THE bookshelf. Anne and Emily are sadly tucked away in a box in the attic. Twilight and Eragon console each other behind the doors of storage shelves. They wait patiently, among other loved titles, and they too dream of floor to ceiling library shelves.

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Along the Same Lines

-Anna

As Erin gives herself a well deserved pat on the back for finishing The Road, I, on the other hand, find myself lagging. It's not because I don't want to read The Road - I do. But I have three other books I want to read now as well (and as we already established, I can only read one book at a time). So what do I do when I can't decide what to read first? I watch TV.

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Pat on the back.

-Erin

I think it's a first. And so I feel the need to document it.

I got this month's pick, The Road. I read it. And I've EVEN written my review of it (though not blogged yet) all before my fellow book club members have even thought about it. I'm usually the one pushing the deadline down to the very last day. I think I procrastinate because I read extremely fast and because I work better under pressure. Whatever the reason, I'm on top of it this month.

And with that, I'm patting myself on the back.

Do any of you read more than one book a month? I'm holding steady at that average at least for now...

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The First Cry

-Anna

I put the book down, lay my head on the sofa cushion and let hot tears slide freely down my face. I had just finished Where the Red Fern Grows and my tender heart couldn't hold in the sadness.

It's the first book I remember crying over (I was probably about 10), and I think it remains one of the few.

A boy, his dogs, loyalty and adventure- this is the recipe for soaring joy and poignant tears.

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Book it!

-Erin

Does anyone else remember 'Book it!', the Pizza Hut reading program?

I have no idea what made me just think of it, but I distinctly remember around the time of 3rd grade that I got to participate in this program. I don't remember much except for thinking, I read books and they give me free pizza? Uh, life doesn't get better than this! I would have read anyway so with the program I documented my progress, got to wear a fancy 'Book it!' pin or sticker and was awarded my favorite food. Look out Pizza Hut, I'll take one personal size pizza. And make it pepperoni!

Please tell me I'm not the only nerd out here...

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