Books, Books, Books, and What I'm Currently Reading

I am a big lover of my local library and make a trip there every week. As much as I would love to buy and own all of the great books out there that I like, of course my budget doesn't allow that.
But I can check out as many books as I like, and that makes my heart sing.

I love this great book called Books Make A Home. For me, books really do play an important part of my life, my home and myself. The book is filled with great ideas and beautiful pictures of how to store and arrange your books. If you love books and love having them in your home, this a beautiful and inspirational guide.

Flea Market Chic is one of the best books I have ever found about collecting and decorating with vintage or thrift store and flea market treasures. I love shopping for household items and clothing, and love the thrill of the hunt. Flea Market Chic is a beautiful book that will inspire you to make the most of your thrifted items, and will definitely make you want to hit up your local flea market.

It's not that I really believe in astrology, but I do enjoy reading about what is supposed to be coming for me in the future.

I always enjoy any book written by Andrew Weil. He is a Harvard M.D. who has taken a rather alternate and holistic view of maintaining a healthy mind and body.
The Healthy Kitchen is filled with wonderful information about healthy eating and dozens of delicious recipes.

This is my own book and I read Diane Keaton's Then Again when it was first released. It is a truly lovely book with insights into the actress's life and her mothers.
If you like Diane Keaton, this is a wonderful autobiography to read, and it made me happy to read it again and it was even more enjoyable the second time.

I Love The Library and What I'm Reading This Week

It is no secret that my love for books is legendary in my family. What can I say, I love to read, and there are certainly worse addictions I could have picked up through the years, right?
I do buy books as often as I can, and a gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes and Noble or my local bookstore is always a great gift for me.

But the library is still one of my favorite places to spend a couple of hours each week and I always come home with my book bag stuffed with some treasures. I thought I would share what I picked up to read this week. It's a mixture of fiction and non-fiction, as it usually is.

1. Barefoot In Paris is by one of my very favorite cookbook authors, Ina Garten. This book is all about easy French cooking that you can do at home. I have all of Ina's other books, but somehow I never managed to buy this one. I love the gorgeous pictures in this book and I'm looking for an easy recipe to make from it.

2. The Healthy Back is all about what you can do to keep your back strong and healthy throughout your life. There are easy exercises and yoga poses that can help, and lots of good tips. A few years ago I hurt my back and the pain was agonizing. I was happy to find this book and incorporate the information into my daily life.

3. Trader Joe's Cookbook is from one of the grocery stores that I really love, Trader Joe's. The recipes are all very easy, with an emphasis on portable lunches and picnic food.

4. The Last Lovely City is fiction, and it's a book of short stories by one of my favorite writers, Alice Adams. These nine stories take place mostly in San Francisco, and the characters in them stayed with me long after I closed the book.

5. Aging As A Spiritual Practice is a book that caught my eye and is written by a Buddhist Priest who tries to impart his wisdom into something we all face, aging. I can use all the help I can get, and I'm loving his kind and practical words on this often difficult path.

6. Urban Pantry is written by a Seattle author and it's all about keeping what you need to keep on hand to have a well stocked and interesting pantry. I love her writing style and great recipes.

7. What Can I Bring Cookbook is about what you can bring for a potluck, holiday dinner, picnic, or anywhere else someone might ask you to bring a dish to share.


I didn't realize I had brought home so many cookbooks. But the great thing is, I can take them all back and get new ones that interest me.
I always encourage everyone to use the library. It's free, there are great free programs for adults and children, too. And it's a great place to spend an afternoon.