Ever since I broke the glorious reading code and learned to take myself to worlds beyond my own by way of books, I've been reading in bed. With a flashlight at Girl Scout camp, the phonebook in a motel room when I forgot a book, and last minute parenting tips in the hospital after having Maggie.
It's indiscriminate. All books are eligible. I HAVE learned not to read mysteries, unless I'm at the very end of the book, or I won't sleep...I'll have to read one more chapter. Then one more chapter. And, since it's already 12:30 a.m.....one more chapter.
I have comfort books, for when my life feels out of control or too distressing...All Creatures Great and Small, Lucia and Mapp, Cordelia Underwood, Patrick McManus. And if I've been housebound, buried under snow and laundry, with no means of escape, there will be travel books.
Here's an actual list, taken directly from the pile of literature on my nightstand, in no particular order. (Really. There's no particular order...there's no order whatsoever and it's driving my husband crazy, so after listing them, I'm going to reshelve them somewhere. Probably under the bed, because the bookshelves are gloriously full.)
- Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray
- A Test of Wills, by Charles Todd
- Mrs. Roberto, by Van Reid
- The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup, by Susan Orlean (this month's bookclub selection)
- Mrs. Greenthumbs, by Cassandra Danz
- The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas
- Baby Penguins At Home On The Ice, by Jennifer Boudart (Maggie's, but I read it)
- Cordelia Underwood, by Van Reid
- Servants of the Map, by Andrea Barrett
- Desert Queen, by Janet Wallach
- A Yank Back To England, by Denis Lipman (Look for a post on this book, coming soon!)
- Prayer, by Phillip Yancey
- The Death of a Pope, by ? Read
- They Shoot Canoes Don't They?, by Patrick McManus
- Blazin Bloats and Cows on FIRE!, by Baxter Black
- Moonfleet, by J. Meade Falkner
- The Hungry Ocean, by Linda Greenlawe
- Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Art of Eating, by M.F.K. Fisher
- Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin
- The Lord God Made Them All, by James Herriot
- Women's Study Bible NIV
Yeah. Maybe I should put them away a little more often.
Do you ever look at people's bookshelves and try to figure out what sort of person they are by what they read? I do, and I feel sorry for whoever looks at our shelves...
What's on YOUR nightstand?
6 comments:
Only one book at a time in my world, otherwise I cannot keep characters or plots straight. Right now the book of the moment is 'The Forgotten Garden' by Kate Morton. Soooooo good.
Ohhhh...I love this game! I am a definite night reader. And my nightstand is overflowing.
Right now I am reading Eastward to Tartary by Robert Kaplan (actually better than Balkan Ghosts and giving me the itch to pack my bags for the Caucasus).
But also hanging out on/in the nightstand are:
The Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy - haven't started, but looks promising
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King - same as above
The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova - read it twice already, the first time while sleeping in a tent in Romania/Bulgaria/Turkey - gave me some slight nightmares. It's there in case I need to read it a third time.
For comfort reading, I have:
Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson
A Fine and Pleasant Misery, Patrick McManus
The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw, PM
The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes for those really trying days.
And of course at least 3 issues of National Review so I can continue to build my conservative army at CU :)
There is also usually some sort of boring political science book, but they don't get to stay longer than one night.
Current read is Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. I tried reading Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber, but couldn't take it anymore. I also tried reading Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead, but thankfully my friend took pity on my and sent me a bag full of scary murder mysteries. Also on my nightstand are a couple of finished reads by Stephen King and Michael Crighton, Bag of Bones and Timeline. So, what do my books say about me? I must read before I fall asleep. It is a rule! Even if I go to bed really really late, like after midnight. ;-) I love looking at people's bookshelves. I jealously wish that all of the books were mine!
wow! you must have one big night stand. You can find Tony Hillerman or JA Janice on mine. Enjoy lurking o your blog, Shhhhhh don't tell, I even read your girlie posts......
Half Broke Horses, that I swear I will get around to reading this week and return to you! Arguing with Idiots by Glenn Beck, Twice Adopted by Michael Raegan and of course Green Eggs and Ham (not quite sure why it is on my nightstand when we all know it is more Harold's speed in books)
OK, this is what is remaining in the basket by my nightstand after recently cleaning it out and reshelving:
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss (that's always there)
Girltalk by Carolyn Mahaney & Nicole Whitacre
Feathers from my Nest by Beth Moore
Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris (haven't put that one away yet)
Pictures from an Exhibition by Sarah Houghteling
and last but not least,
Betsy Was a Junior by Maud Hart Lovelace
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