What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Tuesday 4 ~ Reading From My Library

 

Tuesday 4
Reading Part 2







Welcome to Tuesday 4! Thank you for your participation in keeping the meme alive in

remembrance of Toni Taddeo.



Let's continue with Reading this week, shall we?  
Sorry, I didn't do the first week of this series, but thought I would chime in this week since I guess I have more to say on the subject than I thought!

Kindle or hard cover/paper back?  
Definitely real books, hard cover or paperback. I do not use a Kindle. I prefer to feel a real book in my hands and turn the pages and smell it, feel it and thoroughly enjoy it cover to cover.  Kindle/ebooks are not relaxing to me as the lighting is hard on the eyes and it is too much like "work" to be doing something electronic all the time. That's my personal opinion and preference.

Have you read a series like Harry Potter and if so which series and what did you think of the stories? Can you recommend them and why?

Here is a link to a post I wrote about the Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries that I read last spring while recuperating from surgery:  Sugarcreek Amish Mysteries 


After I had read the first one I wanted to read them all, and God blessed me with a gift from an old high school friend who brought me this bag full of the whole series! What a "blessing in disguise" that was for sure!
I just donated all of these books to our local library last week so that others can now enjoy them as well. They were a wonderful series of "cozy mysteries" that I thoroughly enjoyed.


Another series I enjoyed was the Mitford series by Jan Karon
This is an internet photo because I have loaned my books out to a friend, but I had all of them. There are more than what is pictured here in the series. I highly recommend them. You will fall in love with the characters and not want to put them down once you start!





Do you have a library or book shelves in your home?

Oh yes, I have many books, but not as many as I used to have. When we moved we donated many books to the local library.  

This bookshelf is in my den, next to my desk.  I have some devotional type books, books about "tea time", cookbooks, and other gift type books that I've received through the years from friends.


This bookshelf is in our living room, and there are many different kinds of religious books, college text books, and other various interesting books. (And lots of family photos).



Over the years I have collected some very old books, primarily from a couple of favorite authors who are long gone and out of print, but they wrote such interesting, old-fashioned, clean but adventuresome, romantic but mysterious thrilling novels. I wrote more about that HERE last winter.

Here's a few of my favorites: This first shelf (below) is primarily from one author, Mary J. Holmes. Most of her books were written before the turn of the 20th century, in the late 1800's.
Below are a couple of the covers of her books. They are so old they are falling apart. Many of these books I found at estate sales and/or bookstores that sell old books. I've had these for at least thirty years! They are that good that I don't want to get rid of them. 
You can't find these in any library today.

I am not sure exactly how I got started on these particular authors.  George Barr McCutcheon was
one of my mother's favorite authors and she shared his books with me, so that explains that...and apparently even her mother, my grandmother, enjoyed reading his books, 


because this one in particular was in my grandmother's collection...


Here is another bookshelf in our living room. There are a few books about the Civil War and WWII and various other items of interest.  More Bibles and Biblical Commentaries, which were a part of my husband's pastoral library. 


Oh, also there is a copy of my hubby's Doctoral Dissertation down there on the bottom shelf
The stories I could tell you about typing this dissertation...before computers!!! Well, that's another story in itself. Thankfully he completed the book and earned his Doctor of Ministry degree and the rest is history...or another story for another time. (and I earned my "PHT"..."putting hubby through").


I also have a collection of historical fiction books here that were very interesting. I may have to go back and re-read these. It's been long enough that I've forgotten most of the stories now...


This will give you a better understanding of who these books were about:











They are each excellent historical fictional accounts of these courageous women's lives, who lived during a very difficult time in our nation's history.


Is there a book you just really disliked ? Why did you dislike it?

I honestly can't think of a book that I really disliked, because if I don't like a book I put it down and don't read it. I can usually tell within the first chapter if I am going to like a book or not. I am pretty choosy about what kinds of books I will read and stay away from the steamier novels or anything too weird. I enjoy historical fiction, but prefer authors who write from a more Christian perspective.   Eugenia Price had a series of books on Savannah, St. Simons Island, Northeast Florida and the Civil War era that I truly enjoyed. I would highly recommend any of her books.

  I no longer buy books or collect them because I don't have room for any more books, unless they happen to be written by one of our friends.  Our blogging friend Martha Jane Orlando from Meditations of my Heart wrote a wonderful series of books, Adventures in the Glade , which could be deemed children's books, but yet they were so good that I believe most adults would truly love them. I sure did. 

I mostly check out books from the library nowadays. I am thankful for our local public library, and am thankful they are open again after the shutdown over the summer months.

Well, that's all folks!  Now gotta go link up with Annie and the others for today's Tuesday 4! See you there.

36 comments:

  1. I love your collection of old books Pamela!

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  2. You have a wonderful collection of antique beautiful books!

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    1. Thank you Anne. I love them all but they are really getting very old and fragile. Some are too brittle to turn the pages anymore, which makes me sad. They were such good stories!

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  3. Those book covers—*swoon.* You raised some authors that I have never heard of. My mother was a fan of Ben Ames Williams books so I watched a movie based on one of his books on You Tube. Oh my! Quite dramatic and over the top. I won't be reading the book.

    Thanks for the suggestions and I think they must be good since you are unwilling to part with them. That's a good sign!

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    1. Not sure I've heard of Ben Ames Williams. I will have to check and see who he is. Unfortunately, so many of my books are no longer available unless you can find them on ebay. Some are literally falling apart they are so old, but I hate to let them go. I try to reread them every few years.

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  4. I loveeeeeeeeeeeee all your books, smiles. I also love the Amish books too. Have a great day friend. smiles

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    1. I know that you, being a history major, would love many of these books, especially the Civil War wives. Although these are fictional, they are close enough to be biographical stories I believe. They helped me to understand the horror of The Civil War from the wives' perspective. (Not all were Civil War...but most of them). Fascinating stories!

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    1. Thank you, Regine. They are the kinds of books that you want to read over again. I guess that is why I still have them!

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  6. I really enjoyed the Mitford series, too, Pam, and Eugenia Price was one of my favorites years ago. I need to find her again!! I belonged to three book clubs at one time and had so many books it was getting ridiculous. I gave most of them to the assisted living facility where my grandmother lived. It took a bit to get used to the Kindle but I haven't looked back. This was a fun Tuesday 4!

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    1. I really enjoyed re-reading the Eugenia Price books again...she had several different "Trilogy" series that were each excellent. Most libraries should have them. I have never gotten into the Kindle reading...just can't seem to wrap my head around it. I'm just an old fashioned girl. LOL.

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  7. Thanks for sharing you books, Pam. I love the beautiful covers. Like you, I enjoy feeling and smelling a real book! Winter is a great time to read in cold, rainy days with a Cuppa tea.

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    1. Yes, winter is when I do most of my reading, and with the cuppa tea for sure. Some of my old books don't smell all that good as they are just old and musty. But I can't bear to part with them. The pages are brittle and falling apart, but again...the stories are so good and you can't get them anywhere anymore. I try to re-read them every few years when I have significantly forgotten the plot/ending enough to enjoy it again! (that doesn't take long nowadays! LOL)

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    2. I recently read that you can freshen up the pages of old books by standing the book up with the pages slightly fanned out in front of a fan...then place the book or several books in a closed container with an open box of baking soda,

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    3. Interesting idea! That would be a good way to freshen up musty old books. Most of my really old books are actually more brittle than musty. I am afraid if I put them in front of a fan many pages would blow away! LOL. The pages are so fragile and some are starting to just fall apart, so I have to be very careful with them. They will eventually just turn to dust I fear. But I've certainly given them a good long run. Some of them are well over 100 years old!

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  8. Lovely old books. I hope you've read them all and enjoyed them a lot!

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    1. Yes, those old books I have read and re-read several times. They are so old and brittle they are falling apart, but I can't bear to let them go because there is no replacement for them. Even if I could find them on ebay, they would most likely be just as old and in just as bad of condition because it has been so many years since they were published. My kids will probably throw them in a dumpster some day, but that is their loss, not mine. LOL.

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  9. What a treasure you have there, Pamela! I, too, love a book's particular aroma. Unfortunately, since my eyesight's going downhill, I rely on the Kindle where I can adjust the font size and backlighting.

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    1. Oh, I am sorry about your eyesight. I do know that there are times when I am reading that I just can't see to get enough light or the print large enough in these old books. Someday my kids will throw them in a dumpster because they are so old. But I won't be around to notice or care at that point. LOL.

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  10. I can't thank you enough, Pamela, for including my books in your favorite series!!! I am so pleased and humbled, my friend. And I must say, I'm a bit envious, too, of your wonderful book collection. What would we do without these best friends?
    Blessings, and thanks again!

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    1. Well, your books were some of the very best stories I ever enjoyed reading. I still think you need to keep going with that, but that's my opinion! Maybe the Lord will give you a new series for your sweet girls to enjoy someday. And as far as my book collection, I love them all, but they are getting so old and fragile it is difficult to even read some of them anymore. But they are like old friends and I hate to let them go. That will be my kids' job someday. Until then, I will enjoy looking at them and dusting them. LOL>

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  11. I'm just like you...I love the old books I've collected over the years. Since I don't go to book sales any more, I will be happy with what I have. And I read ebooks that I check out of the library quite a bit now. I can tell by the first few pages if it's a book I like too. I LOVE the Jan Karon books! Enjoy your day!

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    1. Yes, I know you and I could probably swap books and be happy with each other's choices. I am glad you enjoyed the Jan Karon books. Mitford was such a happy little town with all of its interesting characters. I hated for it to end. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you had a good day too!

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  12. Well, I guess this is where i am different . I much prefer to read books and also my Bible on my iPad. I find it easier to hold and since it's brighter, easier to read.

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    1. Hey, Ruth, that's quite all right. I will still love being your friend. We can always go out looking for beautiful places to photograph together! I may end up using the ebooks eventually for the same reasons, but until then I will keep turning those pages and sniffing those old books. LOL>

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  13. Your collection of books is impressive. I have a lot of books, but not as many as you. When you move as much as I have, you have to take into consideration how much it costs to move book boxes.

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    1. Yes, we moved many boxes of books over the years...John's pastoral library was quite large at one time and that took a LOT of boxes. We have whittled it down considerably since he retired and also so many of the commentaries, etc., are online, so he didn't need so many big old heavy books anymore. We donated quite a few to a Christian school library years ago. But we moved those books more times than I like to count, and we mostly did all our own packing and moving so it wasn't the cost as much as it was the weight and lifting that became an issue for us. Plus, once he didn't have a Pastor's study anymore, we had no room for them in our house. He just kept some that had special meaning to him.

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  14. Pam, you have quite the collection of books, as do I. I love the Mitford series--the characters are so believable. I also enjoy Jeanette Oke, Colleen Coble, Tracie Peterson, Michael Phillips, and recently I discovered Lauraine Snelling.

    There are so many amazing books out there to read and so little time!

    Oh the stories you could tell about your husband's quest to earn his doctorate and write a dissertation!

    Happy Reading!

    Love and blessings!

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    1. I love most of those authors you have listed above too, although I am not familiar with Collen Coble. I will have to check her out. I've been fortunate to find many good Christian fiction books in our public library. That was a huge blessing! And yes, there are many many good books out there, and yes, so little time. I do most of my reading in the winter months when the nights are much longer. Yes, the story of my husband's educational quest(s) is a book in itself. I've thought about writing that book, but just haven't had the go ahead from God yet. Some stories I have shared through the years here on my blog. I may go back and re-feature some of them again soon. God work in marvelous ways throughout those years. We saw many miracles in the ways God provided for us so that we could get through those years.
      Thank you for visiting Kim. I always love to hear from you.

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  15. Your book collection is fantastic! I love all of the older books.
    YES! Any kind of book I have to read on a device hurts my eyes. I read a couple this summer and I always put off reading them because of that. Loved your answers. Have a nice week!

    https://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you, Lori. Yes, I guess it is the white light and we see so much of that just using our computers, etc., and my eyes like to relax more as I read. However, some of those old books are getting almost impossible to read as they are so brittle and small print...and of course they are no longer in print so there is no way to replace them. But I have enjoyed them as much as anyone could! Thank you for visiting. I hope you have a great week too.

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  16. I LOVE your bookshelves and t=all your different collections of books. I was the same way about kindles for a very long time, but I love my PAPERWHITE with the adjustable non-glare display.

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    1. I may need to check that out sometime. I know as life goes on I may need to use such a device because books are sometimes hard to see, but I just don't know if I can adjust to such a change. I'm kind of a rebel in that regard. I like to hold on to something of the past while I can! LOL. thank you for visiting! I always love to meet new friends here!! Welcome!

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  17. I read a Eugenia Price book a long time ago. I also liked reading Civil War history. I have a few old books too. Your bookcase with the photos is like one of mine. I hate to part with books. I donated a lot of my Christian books to our church library. It is hard to part with books. My parents liked reading books by Irving Stone. My sister end up with most of them because she has the room for them. They also got me hooked to James Michener books. I don't read as much not that I do Bible jouranling and crafting. Last year we got each grandchild a journaling Bible. I enjoyed my visit here tonight!

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    1. Thank you, Susan. I am so glad you stopped by for a visit! I've never read any of the James Michener books. They must be good if you were "hooked" on them. I go through phases of reading. Lately I haven't been doing much extra reading either because I've been working on genealogy all summer long. That kind of became my reading time. But I'm kind of getting burned out on it and with the winter months coming upon us, I usually do more reading on the long winter nights! Have a blessed and wonderful day.

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Thank you for visiting here today. I would love for you to sign my guestbook and let me know you stopped by. I always enjoy reading your comments and words of encouragement! May you be blessed as you go on your way. Please come back and visit again soon.