If you enjoy Jane Austen and live in the Louisville, Kentucky area...

My best friend lives in Louisville and is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America (at least I think that's what it's called).  She made this delightful video to advertise an upcoming festival.  You should watch it-especially if you have read Pride and Prejudice.  And if you're in the area and so inclined, you should attend the festivities!  

New Books

Whenever I need a little pick-me-up, I usually end up at a bookstore.  This time I went to Borders, and came away with the books above.  It's probably one of the most diverse collections of books I've bought at one time in a while!

Wreck This Journal:  This was actually the book I went to Borders to buy.  The other two were just bonuses.  I bought this one so I could participate in this intriguing book group.  Check it out!  You can jump in anytime.  I'm already a couple weeks late, but I'm catching up!  I've done a few pages and am looking forward to wrecking a few more.  I heard a lovely interview with Keri Smith, the author, with Kimberly Wilson, and she was a fascinating person.  Details and pictures to follow.  

Julie and Julia: This book caught my eye just as I was leaving.  I've seen it on the shelves for years now, but have never actually bought it.  Now that I'm seeing movie previews, I really want to read it before I see the movie.  And I need to get started because the movie comes out soon and it looks so good!  I've only read a few pages, but I cannot wait to read more.  I'll definitely let you know how it goes!

The 100 Best Business Books of All Time:  Admittedly, this is not the most exciting book of the stack.  I've been applying to jobs, and while I understand that a book will not make up for lack of experience in certain areas, I felt like it would be a good idea to familiarize myself with certain business concepts.  I've been interested in business as of late, and want to know what books I should read.  I considered all the books on the shelf in the business section, and I knew some of them would be good, but I wanted an endorsement of sorts before I dug in.  So I decided on this one, and then from there I will buy/procure from the library some of the books on the list.  I'm excited about reading this overview!  

What books have you purchased recently?  Have you read any of these?

Wish List Wednesday

At a recent trip to Target, these titles caught my eye.  Into the Amazon wishlist they go.

The Wednesday Sisters, by Meg Waite Clayton

A Little Bit Wicked, by Kristin Chenoweth 

Wicked, by Gregory Maguire (okay, I didn't see this one at Target, but # 2 made me think of it)

Testimony, by Anita Shreve 

Girls in Trucks, by Katie Crouch

Resilience, by Elizabeth Edwards (love her!)

The Girl from Junchow, by Kate Furnivall 

Sarah's Key, by Tatiana deRosnay 

Shelter Me, by Juliette Fay

Has anyone read any of these?  What books have caught your eye recently?

Thought for the Day

Today has been a crazy day, so I will just leave you with this thought.  Then at least two fun posts tomorrow!

"Satisfaction of one's curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life."  -Linus Pauling

Reading is definitely one of the primary ways I satisfy my curiosities (even if it's just reading from Wikipedia!).  Reading The Renaissance Soul has spurred me to consider more deeply what makes me want to learn more, and how I satisfy that desire.  

A limited list: music, business, knitting, literacy, art, Spanish, technology, painting, beading, design and spirituality.  I have studied/practiced many of these topics for years, but others are brand new!  But I know books will be a part of my exploration of all of them.

What are you curious about?  How do you satisfy that curiosity?  Does it bring you happiness?

Judging Books (and Blogs) by Their Look

We're told to never judge a book by its cover, but I confess, I often do.  Not only the cover, really the overall aesthetic of a book.  I like to flip through the pages, look at the print, any notes, images, etc.  I confess that I am much more apt to actually purchase a book that is friendly and approachable than one that is cramped and uninviting.  I am wooed by fancy graphics and lovely fonts.  For this reason I love Amazon's ability to view pages for my online purchases.

There may be a difference here between non-fiction and fiction.  I think I'm pickier about the layout, font, etc of a non-fiction book than a novel.  As long as the print is easy to read, I'm usually good to go on a novel--although I do prefer some covers of classic literature to others.  (Don't get me started on movie-themed book covers).  But a "self-help", informative how-to, or some other informational book really needs to wow me a bit beyond just the printed content.  Am I alone?  Do you judge books by their overall appearance?  What's necessary for you to actually purchase a book.  

What about blogs?  As I've been spending time lately with the layout and image of my blog, I began to wonder.  How much does the look of a blog matter?  I know I'm much more apt to read blogs that are visually appealing, but then after that initial draw, I spend more than half of  my blog reading time on Google Reader, so I don't see the actual blog very often.  

Do you read most blogs by RSS or via the actual site?  Are some sites so lovely that you make it a point to visit them directly?  

What woos you more?  Text or visuals?  Is is different for online reading and print materials?

Henri Nouwen (Sunday Spirituality Series)

I am a huge fan of Henri Nouwen and this book is an excellent way to get into his work.  It's a book of 365 devotions.  Each day's devotion is thought-provoking, challenging, and also comforting.  I read the book (almost) every night a few years ago, and it was a highly rewarding experience.

Nouwen is an amazing spiritual thinker and writer.  I encourage you to look into the many books, essays, and prayers that he has written.  

Harold and the Purple Crayon-New Friday Series

I love children's books.  I loved them as a child, and continue enjoy them now as an adult.  I still turn to my old favorites from years ago, and also love new ones I'm only now discovering.  I've decided to post every Friday about a favorite children's book, or a favorite book about children's literature in general.  Last week was Fancy Nancy, and this week it's Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Harold came into my life my freshman year of college.  My best friend and hallmate, Katie and I started having "story time" with our dear RA.  I'm not sure how it started-Katie, do you remember?  I know she was in the children's lit class, so that's where she started getting the books from.  Anyway, one day we read Harold.  Our favorite part was in one of the subsequent books when Harold talks about rockets and the government.  He's a very precocious toddler.  

Basically little Harold goes on nighttime imaginary adventures with his little purple crayon in tow.  Every scrape he gets into can be solved with the dash of his crayon.  It's sweet and simple, and yet so creative and imaginative.  I've read it to all my nieces and nephews and the kids I baby-sat for and it's always been a hit!  I also read it to high-school aged campers as part of their leadership curriculum.  We used it when we talked about creativity and problem solving.  I also heard him mentioned in an old rerun of Gilmore Girls recently, and he's also the favorite book of Michelle Pfeiffer's character in a movie I saw a long time ago.  The Story of Us maybe?  

There are some updated books with more colors in the illustrations, but I prefer the simpler drawings.  It's a cartoon now, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. But there are some fun animations from the 60's and then seem very authentic and true to the book. 

What are your favorite children's books?  Any I should include from your childhood or that you've discovered as an adult?  

Enjoy!

Online Reading Group

This month, I am starting an online reading group with several friends from college who are scattered all over the place.  Our first pick is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  I was worried because I have had the book for over a year, but my copy is packed away with the rest of my stuff.  I didn't want to buy it again, but then I found it on my mom's book shelves!  I'm going to have to see what other gems are there before I leave!

Has anyone read it?  I think it was someone's favorite line from a few posts ago!  Has anyone ever participated in an online book group?  We are using a Ning social network, and so far it seems to be working pretty well.  I will keep you all updated on our progress!  We're hoping to discuss the book by the end of June.  

I'm excited to jump in and read it!