These Are A Few of My Favorite Things...

I am kind of a book abuser.

I don't hardly ever remember to use bookmarks, I just leave the book spine up with the page open. I have left books outside or nearby windows where they have subsequently gotten soaked. I very often read while eating, so my books have their fair share of crumbs and spills. I sometimes read them while I'm drying my hair, so they balance precariously on the bathroom counter, and sometimes get sprayed with water.

I know. I should be nicer to my books. Knowing that I am not the best at taking care of them, I rarely spend much money on them. Garage sales, Amazon, whatever it takes to save a buck.

So I am not necessarily attached to the actual book very often (because I don't treasure them as I should). However, there are a few exceptions.

The first would be a book that is not technically mine. As a youngster, my Dad read The Hobbit to me, and I was hooked on LOTR for life. I remember very clearly the book was illustrated with pictures from the 1977 animated movie, which, every time we would reread the book, he would comment on. He didn't think much of the illustrations, because in his mind, the pictures weren't very good depictions of the Bilbo and Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield. However, I didn't really mind them.

I remember my dad teaching me what the word slope meant, and learning how big hobbits were ("About your height"). I have a deep emotional attachment to the whole series, of course, but between my dad and I rereading the paperbacks, we've gone through more than one set of LOTR. As far as I know, the illustrated edition of The Hobbit still sits on my parents' shelf, tattered, but hanging on.










Illustrations from the book. On the left, Bilbo smoking his pipe contentedly in front of Bag End. On the right, being talked into an adventure by Gandalf.

Another book I treasure (although again, still at my parent's house) is the children's book Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow.

This book is about the passing seasons. The little girl learns about special days during the year - Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and her birthday. She learns that there are special celebrations for each day, and that they will get to celebrate these same special days "over and over."

As a kid, I really connected to this book and I used to read it (you guessed it) over and over. I loved the illustrations of the little girl looking for Easter eggs, opening Christmas presents, and dressing up in a party dress for her birthday. Looking online, I don't even know if this book is still in print, but it is a beautiful little treasure.

It introduces a simple concept to children in a comforting way. (Time will pass, and we'll get to do this again!)


Though there are many other books close to my heart, those two top the list. Both are no doubt crumbling away to pieces from overuse, but like I already admitted, I'm hard on my books.

I got the lovely idea for this post from Chris. You can read his original post here, where he talks about some of his favorite books.