Thursday, April 8, 2010

Favourite Books
As most people who know me or read this blog know, I LOVE books. If ever there was a fire in this house, after the kids and photos, I would be grabbing a lot of my favourite books. Here are some I would be packing as the flames licked my heels.


The World of Susie Wong.

I watched this as a movie when I was a kid. The movie had William Holden in it and is about an artist who moves to Hong Kong to paint and falls in love with a Wanchi girl who works in a bar as a prostitute (Kinda like Pretty Woman about 30 years before Julia Roberts was born).

Then one day in a dusty old book store I found the novel - for a huge $1. I was so overjoyed and of course the book is SO much better then the movie.


Betty Blue.

Another find in a second hand book store in Glebe. I bought this when I was 19 and I have read it 31 times. No word of a lie. Djian's prose is the most beautiful writing I have ever read. The story is set in France and is about Betty who is a functional lunatic and the love affair she has with Zorg. Zorg knows she is a bit unbalanced but loves her (and tries to save her from herself) anyway. Of course I own the movie too, but the book is just perfect...nothing could compete.


The Creative Family.

Amanda Blake Soule has a blog and I discovered her books through there. This book is food for the eyes to look through and it encapsulates everything I would like my home with with my family to be. Lots and lots of creative and home made things to do with your kids.


Handmade Home.

Another book by Amanda Blake Soule. Here she has lots of sewing and craft projects for Mumma to do. Such a lovely book with quite achieveable projects to do within its pages.

Our Family Table.

My newest addition to the bookcase. My husband Bill bought this for me (Gotta love a man who buys you stuff for no good reason).

If you were a fan of Masterchef last year then this book would need no introduction. Julie Goodwin was the winner of Series One and this is her cookbook. Lovely photos and nice family friendly recipes. I'm sure it will be a favourite.

And Bill, my new book wishlist is on the fridge.

I'd love to hear all about your favourite books. Your oldest, the one you'd save in a fire and the newest addtion. I may have overlooked a potential new favourite to my bookcase.

5 comments:

libby said...

Hi Vanessa,

You got me thinking with this post. I do have a number of favourite books and I've always been a reader. But in recent years I have been able to let go of books - something I never used to do. And while I still have my favourites I don't think I'd have to grab any in the case of a fire. Most are still available in print so I could rebuy them if necessary. If one of my good friends didn't own a bookshop I'd be buying all my romances on kindle! Still can't believe I said that but the kindle is so comfortable to read with in bed.
My oldest books would be my Edin Blytons I kept for the girls (but they've never been that interested in them). My newest would be Sewing Green - which arrived from Amazon yesterday. I borrowed this one from the library 3 times so thought it best to get my own copy :-).

Libby

Linda said...

The first part of Libby's comment up until kindle is where I am at basically too.

I know the Suzie Wong book, probably from when I was a young teenager.

I have old copies of the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder starting with Little House in the Big Woods. Mine were given away by my Mum, I rebought them on ebay. I reread them. The Long Winter is reread the most I think.

I like the Caroline series about her Mum as well.

Thanks for the information about Julie, I didn't know that about her.

Vanessa said...

Hi Libby,
Although I like the idea of the kindle there is nothing like running your hand over beautiful smooth pages. I'll have to have a look for sewing Green - I've never heard of it.
Linda, I too am collectingthe LHOTP set. we are collecting the DVD set as well and my DD 6 loves it. I love The Long Winter too and have read it twice.

libby said...

Vanessa,

Never in a million years did I think I could give up reading REAL books but I actually find the kindle a lot easier to read in bed :-). Now I have to get a move on reading all my paperbacks so I can buy more kindle books :-).

Libby

Cheryl said...

You have to read Pioneer Women of the Bush and Outback by Jennifer Isaacs. How those women coped in the conditions they did is amazing, and for the foodies out there, The Long Table - My love affair with food by Mary Moodie, she manages to intertwine stories of her life with the food and recipies she loves, fantastic photos too.

From Cheryl