Although I’m not so much of a ‘read a novel’ kind of person anymore, I do love to read. Craft books, cookbooks, magazines and the newspaper that retro daddy brings home after he’s read it. Oh and kids books. Plenty of kids books.
I was buying a couple of felt craft books for myself and the book ‘Extra Yarn’ came up as a suggestion that other people had read (always dangerous as they must be cool people if we’re buying the same books). I bought this book for the little ones and they are just loving it. Keira keeps taking it up to bed each night to read it and just loves the illustrations. It’s about a little girl who just keeps knitting and it’s just gorgeous.
I also picked up the 3rd book from Soulemama which I’d been wanting for a while. It’s really lovely and you just remember to not follow the months of the american year but go by our seasons. Gorgeous book and I love blogs that are books because it’s like having a little bit of the blog here to read whenever I want to. And keira has enjoyed reading it to me and picking out what we’re going to make first.
And Denyse Schmidts Modern Quilts Traditional Inspiration is from the library but going on my wish list. I must buy this book.
I love going to the library but we had to take a little break because a certain little person was always losing their books. I had to pay for two because we just couldn’t find them. Of course we found them later on after we move house. Anyway, keira is down at the community centre 3 times a week for various activities so we are spending a lot of time there. Thankfully that means books aren’t staying in the house too long and not getting lost in bedrooms. And I can usually negotiate a few minutes to pick out some books for myself.
Anyway back to the book. I often like to borrow the books that I’d been wanting to buy and I can check it out and see if I ‘need’ it in my library. Yes. It’s a big yes for this one. Not too modern for me, just my style and beautiful photographs.
I’ve also been padding out the craft room and finding homes for things. The 2nd expedit is starting to fill up but I just know it won’t stay this tidy for long. But I love having everything on display and having all my books together is a dream!
So what are you reading? Got any great tips for not losing library books?
I’m soaking up crochet books at the moment, while trying to learn. For library books I keep them separate from the home books – in their own basket. I pin the library receipt on the fridge so when It’s time to return them I can do a tick off to make sure they are all there. x
good tip! I need to do this! we keep them by the door but elves and fairies move them:)
We try to get our girls to treat all books as special as we consider it a privilege to have books (and we are blessed to be literate!) but given the responsibility of library books and their ages (3 and 4) we keep them separately out of reach and I get them down for us to read together. At the moment they are kept in my wardrobe on a shelf and we choose a couple to read at a time (I let them borrow 3 books each and we return them all at the same time before we get out the next lot so we don’t worry about keeping track of when they are due – also Kuringgai library would email me the day before they are due back as a reminder if I haven’t returned them beforehand although that rarely occurs as we’re usually there every week!)
I’m reading Citadel by Kate Mosse, historical novel set in Carcassonne in the south France during 1942-44 and AD340. She weaves the story beautifully and the characters really come to life. She actually has written a series of novels set around the same area of France, they include Labyrinth, Sepulchre and the Winter Ghosts.
I bought the new issue of Quilter Companion and Big League today at the newsagents much lighter reading
I do the same as you, Corrie. I use the library as a way to review a book before I buy it. I used to be a really big reader too, and would be out buying novels on a regular basis, but since the kids came along, I don’t read as much. When I do read a novel, I borrow from the library as I just don’t have the $$$ to be buying books like I used to. I often have to extend my loan to finish them too! One of the fantastic things about my library is it is part of a consortium and I can order in books from other libraries to read. There is even an app on my phone so I can search for books and reserve them. You can also request books that the library doesn’t stock and they (sometimes) get them in for you. I also take the little kids to the library once a week for story-time and to swap over the books. We also borrow DVDs from our local library – for the kids and for me sometimes too! During the school holidays, the library also runs school holiday activities. Can you tell I LOVE my local library?!!
I forgot to say, too, that we have a really big, strong bag that I keep the library books in. It sits on top of the shelves in the hallway outside the bedrooms. We treat the books as being very special, and we put them back in there when we are finished with them. I would like a nice basket to put them in, but the bag is working for now. This doesn’t completely prevent us from misplacing books, sometimes they get out of there, somehow, but it really helps keep it under control.
Corrie I’m like you. I’m loving my craft books and have MANY of them! My recent buy was ‘Quilt Love’ by Cassandra Ellis but I’m liking the book you have up there! Will have to take a peak… As for library book I have a ‘Library Basket’ in my daughters room and that’s what we take to the library to collect books and that’s where they live while we have them at our house
Sophie xo
Just realised I used the wrong ‘peek’! Please forgive my ‘anal-ness’ I’m a teacher… That should explain it! If I had a red pen I’d circle the ‘peak’ in my previous post!
Sophie xo
Hmm….I’ve been thinking I should buy ‘The Rythm of Family’ for ages…I have Amanda’s other books and I love them both.
Right now I’m reading book 3 of Jean M Auel’s Earth Children series. I love them.
Just finished the Seamstress, which we are reading for my bookclub, great read. Been picking up the small versions of some classic children’s books, through the Sunday Times in Perth, and sending to my great nieces and nephews, loved reading Hairy McClary etc. Have also just rediscovered my local library and getting out craft magazines, quilting books and cookery books, a great way to see if it needs to have a permanent home here.
We keep library books and home books separate too by simply having a lovely library bag for each child that hangs off their bedroom door knob – this gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility. The borrowed book must remain in the bag unless it is being read. If it’s not being read, it goes back in the bag – no ifs buts or arguments. The children know if they don’t comply then they’re not allowed to borrow a book on the next library visit. It’s tough love, especially for little ones but it works for us, we’ve never had a misplaced library book!
As much as I love to borrow books from our local library, I have to confess that I am the worlds worst borrower. Our books are never lost or misplaced but I have a tendency of keeping them well past the due date. Thus causing huge late fee’s
I’m a lost cause. Sigh!
I have just finished reading The Happiness Project by Grechin Rubin and loved every bit of it. Some parts I really related to more than others but it was all really interesting. I have recommended it to lots of friends and just tonight passed it onto my neighbour to read.
Also I love audio books too!! I get mine from the library and they have been very good for getting boring jobs done around the house (filing and tidying the office). They were also really good for when I had long drives too and from work.
My aim this year is to read the weekend papers that we get delivered each week rather than just putting them into the recycling bin each week.
The shelves look so great. Where do you buy a whole roll of batting?
Hey Corrie, gorgeous books, love the yarn picture book. I also have the Amanda Blake Soule books. They make me feel romantic for the seasons of the Northern Hemisphere
I can imagine creating seasonal crafts & watching the snow falling. As for library books (& books in general) I don’t mind the occasional missing book, they always turn up in the end! I think it’s just great that the kids get their hands on them, and trot them to a cozy corner and get into another little world. We are a little overrun by books, but it must be paying off as they kids adore them and my oldest (8) is a book worm, she can now read pretty much anything. I still read to her also BTW & we chat about the books 
XO Jetts
Our rule is one book and one DVD each for the little ones and we have a special drawer at home for them. We have still paid our fair share of library fines over the years LOL.
Looks like I need to check out the Denise Schmidt book!
That “Extra Yarn” book looks great! I love any kids books that feature knitting or sewing, and we have another book by that same author (“I want my hat back” – very funny) so it looks like a winner. Might have to sneak over to Book Depository now…
A sewing themed kids book we have been enjoying lately is “The Bedspread” by Sylvia Fair – I had it when I was little and recently found it at my parents’ place, but it’s still in print. One that I want to check out for me is “The Last Runaway” by Tracey Chevalier who did “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” – I heard her interviewed on the radio and apparently it has lots about patchwork and quilting in it as part of the story, and it sounds like a good read.
Thanks for the tip on the lovely Yarn Book I have ordered it for my Granddaughter.
cheers
I take my youngest to story time at the library once a week and he loves it and the craft activity afterward. We generally leave with a few dvds and books and at the moment I am loving reading Karen Kingsbury books. A christian author and her stories really encourage and nourish me. Good values and family based. I don’t know what I would do without my library!! I keep my receipts and put them up on the fridge and then tick off each one when I return them
The bottom shelf of the bookcase in the family room is where our library books live. They invariably get spread around the house during the day but i try to return them there each evening (3 kids = approx 20 books each library visit). I also keep the receipts on the fridge and check them off when it’s time to return the books.