Baby Books to Make a New Mom Cry

Now, I don't actually mean that in a bad way. Some of my favorite baby books so far have been the sweet, sentimental ones. And thanks to the postpartum hormones (WAY crazier than the pregnancy hormones, in my experience anyway!) my eyes were rather leaky while reading them to my little man. Whether I was outright bawling, just getting a little misty-eyed, or something in between is directly related to how far removed I was from delivery when I read them. Proceed with caution if you're trying not to trigger the waterworks (is such a thing even possible?!), but I highly recommend all of these wonderful books for any little one's library.

I Love You Because You're You 

by Liza Baker, illustrated by David McPhail

I Love You as Big as the World

by David Van Buren, illustrated by Tim Warnes

Love You Forever

by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw

On the Night You Were Born

by Nancy Tillman

Bunny Roo, I Love You

by Melissa Marr, illustrated by Teagan White

The Runaway Bunny

by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd

Corduroy

by Don Freeman

A Bookish Decorating Project for the Nursery

I can't believe my son is 3 weeks old already! I know that is not really a lot of time, but it just feels like it's flying by already. As my due date approached last month, I kept myself busy with projects around the house and I had some serious nesting going on. One of my favorite projects was decorating the nursery. I knew from the beginning I didn't really want to do a "theme" where we bought perfectly coordinated sets from a baby store, but I definitely wanted to add some bookishness to his room.

I mentioned a while back that I wanted to do this wall art project and frame pages from favorite childhood books of mine and my husband's. But in the end, I had a really hard time tracking down the books my husband remembers and I truthfully couldn't come up with a favorite of my own -- I remember loving story-time with my parents, but there wasn't any one book that stood out in my memory. So, since an unofficial animal theme seemed to be forming anyway after we chose the bumpers for his crib, a lamp for the room, and received an adorable bookcase at our baby shower, I decided to go with three different children's books/series that feature animals: Make Way for Ducklings, Humphrey the elephant, and Paddington Bear:

Make Way for Ducklings, by Robert McCloskey

Humphrey books, by Sally Hunter

Paddington Bear books, by Michael Bond
(Top two frames)

Paddington Bear books, by Michael Bond
(Bottom two frames)

I am thrilled with how this project came out and it really was very simple. I already had the frames because I got a great deal on packaged sets back when I first started hanging pictures around our house and still had a bunch leftover. This nursery project actually filled up the remaining frames I had, so that was a few less piles of "stuff" laying around our house which is always good! Then all I had to do was buy extra copies (some new, some used) of books I already bought for the baby and knew had artwork I loved and would fit in the frames. I tore out the pages I needed, trimmed them to size, framed them (some with mats, some without), and hung them up.

My Dad was quite impressed with the project and had me send him these pictures so he could show them off (in addition to baby pictures of course -- he's afraid the people at his office are going to start avoiding him!) I highly recommend this project for any book lover looking for easy DIY wall art for a baby's room -- or any room! And the best part is that you get to go book shopping first :)

Where I Disappeared To...

I can't even count how many times I said to myself, "OK, today I will post a baby update..." and it just didn't happen. Someone so small sure keeps me busy! So here I am, finally sharing the happy news of our little man's arrival:

Our first day home -- my favorite picture of us :)

I actually went into labor at 3AM on my due date -- of course I didn't really think it was the real thing at the time, but as the night wore on, it became clear that it was indeed "baby time" as my husband liked to call it. He wasn't born until the morning after my due date, but everything went rather smoothly as far as giving birth goes, so I won't complain. My recovery hasn't been nearly as bad as I feared it would be, but having a newborn has definitely been an huge adjustment -- a wonderful one, but not always easy.

I had a week with both my mom and husband home with us followed by another week with my mom when my husband went back to work. This is my first week home alone with the baby -- I will admit I was really nervous, but we are doing well so far. He's a pretty happy baby unless he is wet or hungry and he loves to snuggle. I already can't picture my life without this little one and we just love him to pieces :)

What I've Been Up to Lately + Some News!

Anyone who has been gracious enough to read this blog regularly has probably noticed I've been a bit MIA lately. I was never one to stick to a schedule or post every day, but one post each for the months of September and October is pretty light, even for me. I've missed blogging, but I also must admit I've really liked the freedom not blogging has given my reading (re-reading! chunksters! no review books!) And as much as I like writing, I don't particularly like how much time it takes me to write posts I am proud of and willing to share. Being on a bit of an unplanned, unofficial hiatus has helped me read more books this year than ever before in my life (unless you count my middle school years when I could inhale several Nancy Drew mysteries in a weekend, but I wasn't keeping track then!)

I know that most of the pressures associated with blogging are self-imposed and I can let go of those pressures and still blog if I want to, but I'm honestly not sure if I do want to. That is something I am still thinking about, so this isn't actually a goodbye post -- not yet anyway! There have a been a lot of things happening in my personal life that have bumped blogging to the bottom of my priority list and I am happy to say these have all been good things, they've just given me a different perspective and changed my focus -- #1 on the list being:

Yep, we're having a baby! I'm due in April and have so far been one of those lucky b*tches who hasn't been nauseous or throwing up for the first trimester. We've been telling people in stages and I must say, it's been the best part of this whole experience so far. For both sides of the family, this will be the first grandchild and also the third great-grandchild for each of our grandmothers so there has been a lot of excitement and distraction these past few weeks (months actually!)

If I really look at my life lately, trying to maintain the healthier habits I started before getting pregnant, sleeping more because I've been so damn tired, and also carving out more reading time have been taking up the time I used to spend blogging -- I can't say I regret any of that even one tiny bit though. I have to enjoy the sleep while I still can, right?

I know many moms continue blogging as their creative outlet, I'm just not sure yet if that will be the right thing for me. I love the community and I've still been reading many of my favorite blogs, but quite a few of the bookish gals who started around the same time as me have also cut back or gone on breaks, so it's been easier to let go than I ever imagined it would. I plan to keep this space open and post if and when the mood strikes, but I'm not going to make any grand promises. Inspiration hasn't been striking lately, but can't say for sure that it's gone for good. I'd love to do a round-up post of the bazillion books I've been reading over the past few months, but the list keeps growing so it does feel a bit daunting. I will most definitely still be around on GoodReads though no matter what happens here!

I am grateful for all the lovely people who've visited this space over the past few years and the bookish internet friends I've made -- it was hard to keep this news a secret for so long (especially when a few people were wondering where the heck I disappeared to!), but I'm glad I am now able to share it. I hope you have all been well in my absence and thanks for listening to my rambling today :)

Judging a Book By Its Cover: Classic Holiday Editions

I admit it, I'm a total sucker for cover design. I've come to realize I have a particular soft spot for special editions of classics. I am occasionally disappointed to remember I already own an earlier edition of a particular book when I see some dazzling new version is being released. The rate at which I have accumulated classics far outpaces my reading of said classics, but I think I can live with that. They are just so darn pretty on my shelves! And they remind me of the infinite possibility still awaiting me in the form of books yet to be discovered for the first time. (How's that for a glass-half-full explanation of my bulging TBR shelves?!?)

Anyway, this morning I found out about the beautiful new Penguin Christmas Classics thanks to an announcement on their Facebook page and it was love at first sight -- I want all of them!

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

The Nutcracker, by E.T.A. Hoffmann

A Merry Christmas & Other Stories, by Louisa May Alcott

The Night Before Christmas, by Nickolai Gogol

Christmas at Thompson Hall & Other Christmas Stories, 

by Anthony Trollope

I am not the kind of person who likes to rush the holidays. I don't like to skip over Halloween and Thanksgiving in a hurry to get to Christmas, but I have to say I'm glad I found out about these now. Now I have some time before December rolls around and I am ready for all things Christmas to decide if I want to add them to my collection. Wouldn't these make a fabulous bookish Christmas gift?!

* * * * *

But to get a little more in line with the current date on the calendar, I thought I would also mention some other Penguin Classics I've been pining over: the Penguin Horror Collection -- perfect for Halloween!

American Supernatural Tales, edited by S.J. Toji 

& Guillermo del Toro

The Raven: Tales & Poems, by Edgar Allan Poe

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

Haunted Castles: The Complete Gothic Stories, by Ray Russell

The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories, 

by H.P. Lovecraft

I currently have American Supernatural Tales borrowed from the library, but am sorely tempted to pick up a copy of Frankenstein which I don't have and would like to re-read. And maybe a few of the others too, though I'm not as much of a fan of the last two listed here, from a strictly visual perspective.

So, I'm curious -- does anyone else have a particular line of classics they love? I am partial to Penguin in general (Threads and Clothbound and Drop Cap, oh my!) but there are so many other fabulous ones out there -- which ones are your favorites?

NOTE: This is not a sponsored post, I just really like these editions! I couldn't resist talking about these books after I found out about them :)

Re-Reading Harry Potter: The Sorcerer's Stone

I'm so glad I decided to re-read this series! This is at least the fourth time I have read the first book -- there was the first time, the time I re-read it for a college class, and the time I re-read it right before my wedding (comfort reading to escape the wedding-planning-craziness? Yes, I do think so.) There may have been an extra time or two I don't specifically recall though, it's gotten hard to keep track!

I've read a lot more widely since I first discovered these books, so I'm always a bit afraid they won't live up to my memory of them. But I'm happy to report those fears were completely unfounded. The first book was just as magical and wonderful as I remember even as more years have passed and I've gotten older. For me, when a story stands up to so many re-reads, that is the mark of a great book and a true favorite. There's not too much else I can say that hasn't been said before, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite quotes.

* * * * *

The line that started it all...

“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” 

The wisdom of Albus Dumbledore...

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”

“The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.”

“As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.” 

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” 

And a couple of bookish quotes from my girl Hermione...

“Oh, HONESTLY, don't you two read?”

She was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms. “I never thought to look in here!” she whispered excitedly. “I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading.” “Light?” said Ron.”

 

Required Re-Reading #2 - #4: Beowulf, Oedipus the King, & The Crucible

Required Re-Reading is a feature here at Buckling Bookshelves where I revisit books I read for school -- grammar school, high school, and college are all fair game. Most of the books I choose will be ones I didn't enjoy the first time around, but think deserve a second chance now that I am older, more interested in the classics, and can choose to read them of my own free will. I will also re-read books I did enjoy because not all of my assigned reading needs an attempt at redemption! I don't always make enough time for re-reads, so I see this as an opportunity to also revisit some of those favorites, hoping I will enjoy them just as much now as I did the first time. Thanks for following along with me on this reading journey :)

* * * * *

I'm grouping my next three re-reads together because they have two things in common: 1. They are classics that were originally meant to be performed -- whether read aloud or on the stage. 2. Because they were meant to be performed, I re-read all three as audiobooks.

Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney

Date: 800
How did I get this book? borrowed from the library
Original Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Required Re-Reading Rating: 3 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

I remember severely disliking this book when I first read it and probably only gave it two stars instead of one because I knew intellectually it was a significant piece of literature despite my own personal feelings. My World Lit professor (whose class I really enjoyed) assigned the Seamus Heaney translation because he felt it was the best one available, so I sought it out again when doing my re-read. Unfortunately, the only audio version of this particular translation is abridged, but it is narrated by Heaney himself, so I decided it was definitely still my best option. There is an exact listing on the CD's jacket of which lines are included and while there were certainly sections left out, I didn't feel like I was missing a whole lot. I vaguely remember there being a lot of repetition anyway, so I got the impression most of what was left out were those repetitive sections to streamline the narration a bit. I don't find abridgement ideal, but I don't think it hindered my understanding or appreciation in this particular case.

This was definitely a much better experience on audio and listening to it felt very true to the original spirit of the story. I was able to follow along more easily and could really understand how this epic poem was passed down orally through the generations before it was ever set in print. I still didn't love it the second time around, but I had a greater appreciation for its history and significance and how it influenced later writings.

* * * * *

Oedipus the King, by Sophocles

Date: 442 BC
How did I get this book? free download from the summer Audiobook Sync program
Original Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Required Re-Reading Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

I don't really remember why I didn't care for this one in high school to be honest -- maybe the whole "kill your father and marry your mother" thing was just a little too much for me at the time? The audio was a really excellent way to experience this play though, especially since it was performed by a full cast. I imagine watching it on stage would be even better, but listening on audio was far better than reading it in print. There was a lot of nuance and feeling that was better conveyed in this medium than reading what is essentially a script, complete with stage directions and notations for the actors. There is also a huge difference between hearing a Greek chorus perform their lines and reading them on the page. For me, plays are not like novels where the writing can really paint a picture -- printed plays seem more utilitarian and are really brought to life by the performers. Oedipus is of course a tragedy -- and a pretty twisted one at that -- but it is a fascinating story that I appreciated much more as an adult than as a teenager (and as a performance rather than in print!)

P.S. I remember reading this in an anthology where it was titled Oedipus Rex, but find it listed almost everywhere else as Oedipus the King, especially when published on its own. Not sure what accounts for that difference!

* * * * *

The Crucible, by Arthur Miller
Date: 1953
How did I get this book? borrowed from the library
Original Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Required Re-Reading Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

I've always found the Salem Witch Trials fascinating, so this was one I did like when I first read it for high school. Just like Oedipus, this play was much enhanced when performed by a full cast. When I decided to re-read it, it was short enough that I actually listened to it twice! There were a few parts that got a little confusing, but I realized on my second re-read that those parts were meant to be confusing to convey the hysteria the witch trials created.

I also watched the 1996 film starring Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis which has to be the most faithful adaptation I have ever seen. There is obviously a big difference between turning a play vs. a novel into a movie, but it was really incredible to see an almost exact representation of what I had just read show up on the screen.

* * * * *

In case you missed it:
Required Re-Reading #1: The Joy Luck Club

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Reading Challenges:
Classics Club #4-6
Back to the Classics
Re-Reading
Book to Movie
Translated
Lucky No. 14: Once Upon a Time + Freebies Time

Goodnight June

Goodnight June, by Sarah Jio
Series? No
Publisher: Plume
Date: May 27, 2014
How did I get this book? free from the publisher for my honest review
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

I absolutely love books-about-books, so when I first heard about Goodnight June I knew it would be right up my alley. When June Anderson inherits her great-aunt Ruby's children's bookstore, she travels to Seattle to settle the estate quickly and return to her high-power, high-stress banking career in New York. But when June finds a letter from Ruby with a cryptic reference to all the secrets the bookstore holds, her plans begin to change. As she tracks down a string of correspondence between Ruby and Margaret Wise Brown, the author of Goodnight Moon, June finds herself on a path to discover the inspiration behind the classic children's book.

I absolutely adored all the bookishness in this novel -- the love for the written word and brick-and-mortar bookstores gave me a major case of the warm and fuzzies. This part of the story was so well done and really shines as its strongest element. However, you should be aware that this book falls pretty firmly in the "chick-lit" category -- as much as I hate that term, it really does apply. While the mysterious origin of Goodnight Moon is at the core of this novel, the rest of the story is about an unhappy, stressed out woman making big changes in her life -- there's family drama, work drama, and a love interest -- you get the idea.

I am totally fine with a degree of predictability in these types of stories, but I must admit I saw a pretty big twist coming from a mile away. I am usually completely awful at figuring anything out ahead of time, so I was definitely disappointed to not have that element of surprise. Despite some weaknesses, I still loved reading this book. From the first page to the last, the bookish love pulled me in and wouldn't let me go. It was a pretty fast read and if I had more free time, I could have easily read it in a weekend. I think it is perfect for summer or beach reading, particularly if you like books-about-books. And if you  fondly remember reading Goodnight Moon as a kid, I think you will enjoy it even more.

My own memories of Goodnight Moon were fuzzy, so I borrowed it from the library to re-read and am so glad I did. Having the original story fresh in my mind and beside me for reference as I read Goodnight June really made the descriptions in the novel come to life.

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Reading Challenges:
New to Me
Review Pile
My Kind of Mystery

Children's Books: Five Mini Reviews

Every Thing On It, by Shel Silverstein
Series? No
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's
Date: 2011
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

Not the most well-known of Silverstein's poetry collections, but this might be my favorite! Though it would be a close call between this one and A Light in the Attic. While still mostly silly and funny, quite a few of the poems (like A Light in the Attic) tackled more serious subjects. This was still done in a light-hearted way, but I felt it gave the collection more depth and the reader more to think about.

* * * * *

Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by Clement Hurd
Series? No
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's
Date: 1947
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

I'm sure this was read to me as a kid, but I don't remember it very clearly. I decided to read it as an adult in preparation for reading Sarah Jio's Goodnight June (review coming soon!). Goodnight June is a fictionalized account of the inspiration for and literary mystery behind this classic children's story, so reading the original beforehand gave me a better foundation than just my vague memory. A lovely kid's book.

* * * * *

Under Shifting Glass, by Nicky Singer
Series? No
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Date: February 19, 2013 (first published Feb. 2012 in the UK as The Flask)
How did I get this book? won a free Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher via a Facebook contest
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

The information printed in the ARC states this is a YA book, but it didn't really feel like YA to me. The age specified is 12 and Up and to me, that's on the line between middle grade and YA. Maybe most YA books seem to be getting "older" because so many non-young-adults read them now, but despite the heavy themes, this book felt very young to me. The main character Jess is coping with the death of her beloved aunt and the impending birth of her critically ill twin brothers while also navigating friendships, school, family relationships, and all the other things kids her age go through. It's a very quiet kind of book. That might sound odd, but it's honestly the best way I can describe it. I enjoyed it, but I can't say I loved it. I think it could be a very powerful read for the right kid though, particularly if he or she can relate to any of the issues or situations Jess is dealing with.

* * * * *

The Best School Year Ever, by Barbara Robinson
Series? Yes, The Herdmans #2
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's (audio)
Date: 1994
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

I listened to this one as an audio book what feels like ages ago. It is not quite as excellent as The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, but still a great children's story. In this second installment, the students have a whole school year to come up with compliments for their classmates and Beth struggles to find nice things to say about trouble-maker Imogene Herdman. As with the first book, there is always a lesson to be learned. This one might not be quite as universally appealing as the Christmas book, but it would definitely be a winner with younger kids.

* * * * *

The Best Halloween Ever, by Barbara Robinson
Series? Yes, The Herdmans #3
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's (audio)
Date: 2004
How did I get this book? borrowed from library
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Publisher

The Herdmans may always be getting themselves into trouble, but that just may prove more of an asset than a liability when it comes to the most mischievous holiday of the year. Again, not as good as the first Christmas book, but a very worthwhile read (especially at the appropriate time of year!) All three stories had the same audiobook narrator, Elaine Stritch, and her delivery was absolutely perfect throughout the series.

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Reading Challenges:
Dive into Poetry
New to Me: Nicky Singer
Review Pile
Clean Sweep ARC
Lucky No. 14: It's Been There Forever
My Kind of Mystery

My Big Bookish Regret

Dear readers, I have a confession to make. You see, I've been looking back on my reading history and feeling like my shelves are missing some of my old friends. I keep asking myself why on earth I ever got rid of them, but that's a rhetorical question because I know damn well what the answer is. You see, as a kid and a teenager, I loved getting rid of books. Don't worry, I never threw a book in the trash, but I was big on "growing out of" books and rounding up big piles to take to the used bookstores so I could replace them with newer books, non-school-related books, more "grown-up" books or whatever else was striking my fancy at the time. Granted, it would have made our multiple moves over the years even more difficult, but I look back and am so sad I don't have any of my Nancy Drew or Babysitter's Club books. I don't have any of the Mary Higgins Clarks I inhaled during my first "adult" mystery phase. I can count on one hand the number of books from my school days I have the same physical copy of:

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury -- I thought this one was gone as well until I found it recently at my parents' house. Lucky for me we held onto it for my brother who didn't mind in the slightest if added it back to my collection.

Wait Till Helen Comes, by Mary Downing Hahn -- This wasn't a school book, but I read it SO many times. I also read every other Mary Downing Hahn book my hometown library had in circulation. I can't even really remember what they were about anymore, but I absolutely loved them back then.

Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of Nimh, by Robert C. O'Brien -- a grammar school summer reading assignment that I enjoyed and miraculously held onto for all these years. Why this one and not others is a bit of a mystery to me!

And that's it. Those are the only ones that have survived to adulthood. There is a box of (mostly) picture books at my parents' house that my mom kept, but so many of the ones I remember most fondly now, I passed on with barely a second thought. I'm not upset I got rid of the ones I didn't like the first time around, but I actually liked reading Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. I liked Cold Sassy Tree so much I actually sought out the (unfinished) sequel. They may not have all been absolute favorites, but I distinctly remember liking The House on Mango Street, The Giver, Number the Stars, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Last Unicorn, The Poisonwood Bible, Catcher in the Rye, The Importance of Being Earnest, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, A Christmas Carol, and The Crystal Cave -- all of which were either part of the curriculum or summer reading options. Strange & Unexpected Love was an incredible memoir written by a Holocaust survivor who came to speak at my high school -- why on earth did I not keep that book?!?!

So this, my friends, is my Big Bookish Regret. This adult bookworm really wishes she had held onto more of her childhood and teenage books. 14-year-old me couldn't possibly imagine the nostalgia 28-year-old me would be feeling all these years later. I've replaced a few over the years, but in my excitement over my new Required Re-Reading Project, I've been doing it a lot more lately. Starting fresh with new, shiny copies of books I didn't like when I read them for school is one thing, but I do wish I had my original copies of some books I did like. There's not much to be done about it now, unfortunately. I think I've found a bit of a loophole in my Golden Rule of Book Buying, but I really don't feel too guilty about it :)

What about you? Do you ever regret getting rid of books? Or have other bookish regrets? I'd love to know!