bookjunkie

In thinking about this weeks post I looked around the chalet and immediately I knew -

BOOKS.

like my quote? feel free to use it -HA!  i am someone who can never do one of anything... not a single scoop of ice cream, not one glass of prosecco or only one piece of art #saynotoemptywalls i collect books to read, to admire, to live with.

i am a bookjunkie.

Liam is enrolled in a weekly gardening club at our library. so of course i bring home books... on top of the books i have in the TOBEREAD basket under my roll-top desk and the books i am currently listening to through the Hoopla app.

if you're new around the chalet you may not have heard of my Hoopla love! as my time gets eaten up with chaletmomma-ing, work, volunteering etc... it's lovely to listen to a book while i do my merry-maid impression or take a walk (the weather warmed up - i started walking again - break out the confetti! ha).

Heirloom Modern by Hollister Hovey was a must get after Gwen Heffner the makerista storied about her copy on IG. it's filled with amazing images and much beloved objects. this book is right up my alley.

in the past few months i have added volumes through thrifting.- the Van Gogh, America and Alfred Stieglitz, Faberge - these along with others picked up while shopping and museum vising are taking up residence on the porch side table - until i can figure out where they will live

such problems!

i stumbled across this amazing life history of Charles Dicken's - one of my favorite authors in the clearance section (tear on the cover) of my Home Sense store. it has fold out sleeves that contain replicas of documents from his life! i mean it doesn't get any better than this!

combining history and kitch - what could be better! reminds me of author Nick Bantock his stuff is so creative. his Griffin and Sabine series is magical. check it out....

i read Truman Capote works : A Christmas Memory and The Thanksgiving Visitor last year and i'm so pleased to add this to my permanent collection!

here's what i've been reading - I enjoyed each! the only thing i am not a fan of is scary - no Stephen King for this momma. although - i do own Caleb Carr but, the titles i love are based in Manhattan during the turn of the last century - i am a huge fan of historical fiction -  now i have to mention two more books from my collection - that feel similar - The Waterworks by E.L. Doctorow and Time and Again by Jack Finney.

current read: 

Rosemary the Hidden Kennedy Daughter.

list of my recent favorites:

• The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper - a sweet tale of discovery.

• Secrets of a Charmed Life - makes you think about history on a personal level.

• A Man Called Ove - he pulls you in just as he is pulled in by those around him.

• Commonwealth - stirs caring for these souls in a profound way. 

---

Tell Me what kind of book-lover are you?

• hardcovers or e-readers? 

• library or shopping?

• whats the best title you've come across lately?

Check out my post thankful for the written word to see more of my fave books!

til next time.

thankful for the written word 2017

everyone knows what a collector i am - if you've visited the blog before or for those that follow on IG @chaletmomma you've seen some of the many volumes around the chalet. but, it's not just about glossy pretty titles -  i love books - i love them so much i volunteer on my local library foundation. even though i do listen to books on my phone through Hoopla while working out. i'm a purist - i don't own a reader. i love everything about books - the weight, the smell, the typography. i love finding old books - well worn from years of handling.

my to read list is always growing. i have so many kinds of books - they are all not coffee table editions- i mean of course i have a bunch of those and they are gorgeous but, i enjoy many topics. there are stacks in almost every room - with the exception of the kitchen and bath but, believe me if there was room - people - they'd be there too!

sitting on the living room end table are two wonderful Eric Hodgins books my hubby gifted me a few christmas's ago. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and Blandings' Way.  if you are not familiar with the titles - the first was made into a fabulous movie in 1948 starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy (click above to watch a scene) which is absolutely our favorite movie. the second title a follow up. i also have my father's 1930's childhood copy of Robin Hood.

you can see the console table is chock-full!

      the desk stack explores my love of history, architecture and favorite sports. don't tell anyone but, i'm passionate about both nascar and baseball ha!

when designing the porch it was important to incorporate more book storage. i really love the lines of this console table.  

in the master bedroom group you'll find interior decorator Sister Parish - whose work is so inviting; she assisted Jackie Kennedy with the White House private quarters. my collection wouldn't be complete without several works on Jackie: Mrs. Kennedy,  Jackie The Clothes of Camelot  and  Jackie Her Life In Pictures. the book The Way We Lived Then by the late Dominick Dunne about his life, contains lovely images from the original black and white ball he and his wife Lenny threw in 1964, prior to the 1966 Truman Capote event.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck is my most beloved edition.

 the list of books i adore is long - here are just a few: F. Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby, Jack Finney's Time and Again, E.L. Doctorow's The Waterworks, Caleb Carr's The Alienist, Kate Morton's The Distant Hours, The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Sue Monk Kidd's The Invention of Wings is such a powerful read! an especially fun one is Phaedra Patrick's The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper. 

a peek at my 6 year old's growing collection. he loves the library and can't wait to review the latest scholastic order forms from school. i can't wait for him to read Harry Potter so we can discuss!

are few recent additions:

COLLECTED Living with The Things You Love. well all i can say is Fritz Karach and Rebecca Robertson have put out a volume that so speaks to me - the stunning images cover a wide array of collections. if you're a collector you need this book!

That's Not English by Erin Moore is an amusing take on how different the same language can be!

Perfect English Cottage is an anglophiles dream - filled with scrumptious dwellings. Theatres is bursting with superb images from all over the world.

holy cow!!! Slim Aarons' glorious images in A Place in the Sun makes us all wish for buckets and buckets of money to summer and winter in high style.

i'm absolutely in love with Paris in Bloom this gorgeous book by Georgianna Lane will make you swoon.

i'm such a total #bookjunkie i could just keep sharing more titles and get into my to read list but,  i'll save all that for another post. although there is no way i could close without mentioning the book that started it all.  

The Christmas Mouse by Miss Read i received when i was 5!  

please leave a comment - about what you're currently reading and your favorite book.

til next time.