Powell's City of Books

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Last week my fiancée and I went to Portland to visit friends and family and while we were there he took me to Powell's bookstore. Not only that...he let me spend two whole hours there. :) I could have spent much much longer but there were other things to see and do. We've decided though that we should go there every time we visit Portland. It's probably one of my favorite places.

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While perusing the shelves for books to take home Britton ran across this one:

Which he immediately fell in love with and HAD to buy. It's a really cute and funny book! However if you have a particular fondness for fairies you may not like Tollins as they are rather careless of them. We read the first story together and then he read the other two over the phone to me. They are really funny. :)

And then I found the beautiful clothbound Penguin Classic Cranford which was used so it was much cheaper but it still looks like brand new:

Can you tell I'm in love with it? :)

And Britton also bought Brisinger, so we now have the whole Eragon set until the fourth book comes out. I need to finish this series!
Going to Powell's can be overwhelming and you suddenly seem to forget what books you've been looking for so we've decided next time we're taking a list. In the meantime...I'm going to get some reading done. ;)

~Elizabeth~

Christmas is Coming.....

Last year around this time I posted about the beautiful Penguin Classics. Oh, they are so beautiful. There are a few new ones so I thought I'd share some of my favorites. I also included a few of my favorites from last year as well.

The next books are not necessarily ones I'd like to own and read, I just thought they had beautiful covers. Nothing like judging a book by it's cover...oh come on, I know you guys do to. ;)

Aren't they beautiful? I would love to own the beautiful copy of Little Women. The pink scissors. Oh my! I also love the Dickens covers and of course all of Jane Austen. And isn't the Jane Eyre beautiful?

For as long as I can remember, books have been on my Christmas list. Old ones, new ones...I just love them. What's on your Christmas list this year?


♥Jane

New Old Books

I did it again. I went to a used bookstore. I caved. I bought books. Oh well, they are fabulous! See for yourself....

Aunt Jo's Scrap Bag by Louisa May Alcott

I couldn't believe it when I found this. I've never ever seen this in a book store. In fact I wasn't even aware that it existed. What kind of Alcott fan am I?? The funny thing is, Lizzie found the exact same book at another store just a few days after I found this copy!

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

I've been wanting to read this book so I was glad when I found it. Can anyone tell me if this is an abridged copy? It's a World's Classic edition. And it says it's edited by so and so (name escapes me). Does that mean it's abridged? Help! If I'm going to read a Dickens I don't want to read a stupid abridged copy. It was only a few dollars so I picked it up anyway.

The World of Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
I'm reading this right now. It's hilarious! If you ever find a P.G. Wodehouse book at a used book store...BUY IT!!!

Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott
Another Alcott book to add to my collection! Isn't this a beautiful copy?

Not pictured: Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery to add to my collection and a beat up copy of Martin Chuzzelwit by Charles Dickens.

Where am I going to put all of these books you ask? Ta-da!

My brother-in-law made me this awesome bookshelf! Each part is separate so that you can arrange it anyway you want. Sim designed it and built it himself. I love it so much and can't wait to fill it up with all my new old books.

I also got a lovely book from Lizzie!!! I need to take a picture of it so that I can show you.

Have you guys gotten new books lately?
♥ Jane

A Question for You

I have a question for you. Has anyone read any works by Willa Cather? I think she may be best known for O Pioneers and My Antonia. I'm wondering if she would be an author I would like. I would love to hear your thoughts! You all know what I like. Thanks ever so!

How is everyone? I hope you are all having a beautiful Summer! I just got back from a bluegrass festival! What a blast! :) Have you been reading anything good? I'm reading another Robin Hood (can't remember who it's by at the moment...), The Swiss Family Robinson and Betsy's Wedding.

Have a beautiful day and enjoy the sunshine while it's here!
♥ Jane

Out of Order!

Just checking in to say that my computer has been down for a few days! Hopefully it will be up and running pretty soon and I'll do some more posting.

I'm still reading tons! I just started Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter. I really love it! Little Billy is just too MUCH! :) What are you all reading?

Be back soon hopefully!

♥ Jane

Happy ♥ Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Romantic books I love:

The Scottish Chiefs
North and South
Anne's House of Dreams
Sense and Sensibility
Little Women
Love Comes Softly series

Which books make you take them to your heart and sigh? Which chapters? I just read Under the Umbrella, a chapter from Little Women. *sigh* :) Go read it if you need a good sigh.


♥ Jane

New BBC Emma

Watched this last night! You can read about what I think about it here on my other blog. Makes me want to read the book again! Lizzie, my sisters and I started reading this quite a few weeks ago. We were taking turns reading this out loud to each other. It was lovely. Let's start reading it again girls! Pretty Please?

It also makes me want to dress up and have a tea! Check out Lizzie's shop! She is having a major sale going on. She's selling some of her regency costumes for ridiculously low prices! My favorite is this JACKET. It is gorgeous. You honesty could never buy something this nice for that price. Oh me, I wish it was my size...

♥ Jane

The Mysterious and Interesting Pasts of Used Books

Don't you just love it when you find lovely books at the used book store? I was so excited when I found this one! I've been looking for it for awhile. Our library doesn't have it so I asked them to order it but they never did! Consequently, I've been scouting around for it everywhere. Wow, It's a hard one to find! Until the other day! We hopped into the used book store to look for a present for a friend and I thought to myself, well, I'll just look again for that Thomas Hardy book. I went straight for H and found a bunch of Hardy books. ALL the wrong ones. So I was off looking for another book and my sister called me over and said hey, weren't you looking for a Thomas Hardy book? Which one was it? Then I said, Oh, I'm still looking for Under the Greenwood Tree but they don't have it. As soon as I said that she pointed to it and I snatched it off the shelf and clutched it for dear life! Oh happiness!

It's not even a great copy. Kind of ugly actually with it's weird green and gold cover but it's in pretty good shape and (best of all) has tons of markings and underlining and notes by the previous owner. :) The first page says
To Gram
Love Wendy

Gram (or Wendy?) underlined this passage and then wrote "Hardy the poet." underneath. Yes, Gram, you are right! I love that passage too. :)


Ooh, and look! I found this lovely book in the kids section. It's the sequel to Pat of Silver Bush which I have yet to read. I'm going to make myself wait until I find the first book before I read this one. Have any of you read these books? Did you like this series?

Do you want to know what the best thing about this book is? It belongs to...get ready...Shirley Ann Cook!!!! Shirley Ann?! What are the odds? :) And look at the surprise I found after I got home!

Little Shirley Ann Cook was using this sweet little paper doll as a book mark. Do you think the doll minded? I don't think so. She probably loves to read. I should move her to a new page. She's most likely tired of reading page 120 over and over! I'll find a really interesting one for her to read. :)
There, she can now read about the lady who mistakenly put rat poison in the family pancakes instead of baking powder!

I would love to hear if you have any interesting old books with odd names written in the front or other such things. Do tell!
Happy Reading!

Jane

I Asked for Books for Christmas...

And oh, did I get some lovely ones!

The Chronicles of Narnia

I got this beauty from my sis. It has the entire Chronicles of Narnia plus excerpts from Beyond the Wardrobe and notes about C.S. Lewis.

I love it that it includes all of the original illustrations from the beloved books. In spite of the recent movies, (which I love) I think that I still see the characters the way they are depicted in the imaginative illustrations. They were what first brought Narnia to life for me. That and C.S. Lewis' amazing knack for descriptions.

Isn't it beautiful? I am in love with the gold edged pages and ribbon bookmark. *sigh* Stories of Narnia will always hold a warm and secure place in my heart. My sister used to read them out loud to us while we drew pictures and paper dolls and we would BEG for "just one more chapter" after each and every one. We were insatiable!

A Girl of the Limberlost

Isn't this book gorgeous? My mom got me this one from a lovely little antique store. I had spied it there a few weeks before Christmas and must have gushed enough about it for her to decide to go back and get it for me. I love it because it's beautiful but also because it is the exact same edition that my mom owns herself and it's the same one that my mom remembers my grandma reading. I love it that books can be enjoyed by so many different generations. I plan to save this for my daughter.
I think that this will be my Summer read this year. I need to get a hold of a copy of Freckles as well...hmmm...

The Swiss Family Robinson

My dear friend Beck bought this for me for Christmas! Isn't it wonderful? Oh, I just love it and the illustrations are to die for! When she gave it to me she said that she saw it and thought immediately of me and she bought it right then. Yes, it IS the perfect gift for me. Don't you think she did well? :) And what's more, I've never read this classic (which is kind of strange). So, I'm very excited to read it! Have any of you read it before?

Jack and Jill

As most of you know, I collect Louisa May Alcott books. This is my second copy of Jack and Jill and I think it's a dandy. I love the colorful dust jacket. Jack and Jill is a sweet and innocent book about learning lessons and growing up.

This print was nestled inside. This is a picture of L.M. Alcott's home. Isn't it lovely? The quote says, "Housekeeping ain't no joke!" -Louisa May Alcott
Isn't it the truth?

Sense and Sensibility

And look, look! My sweet sisters got me this book! I suppose you remember my shameless hinting about these books awhile back... Heh heh. Well, they got one for me. And they really did good. They got me my favorite one. Sense and Sensibility has been my favorite Jane Austen ever since I first read it. And getting to read this edition makes it even more enjoyable. Isn't it beautiful? This edition is based on the very first edition that was printed. Most copies that are in print today are based on the second publication of this book. They say that Miss Austen was more influential in the first printing as opposed to the second printing which was overseen by one of her brothers and the publisher. They made a few minor changes but in doing so changed the original feeling of some of the paragraphs and sentences that were crafted with extreme care by the authoress.


I couldn't stop touching this book when I got it and smelling it. :) Don't you love the smell of new books? Ooh, and old books. Well, books for the matter.

"I never liked the smell of books." -Fannie Ferrars

Cranford and Other Stories

Lizzie gave this to me! Oh, I'm so exited to read these stories. I read Cranford and loved it. I've also seen the mini series that they came out with. In fact, we just finished watching "Return to Cranford" last night on Masterpiece Classic. As you probably know, the mini series is actually a jumble of books and stories by Elizabeth Gaskell. So, I am excited to see which stories are in the series and to see where they got their ideas for some of those hilarious characters. :)

Here's the list of content. Doesn't The Doom of the Griffith's sound thrilling? And I'm tempted to skip ahead to Curious, if True. :)

The Ne'er-Do-Well

Here's another beauty Mom picked up at the antique store. I love these old books with the picture pasted on the front. This book is dated 1911. It once belonged to a man with impeccable handwriting by the name of Charles Horne who lived at 912 E.D. Wondruff. Don't you love old books with inscriptions or just addresses? I love looking at their handwriting. People used to take pride in their handwriting skills. Now, we just jot stuff down regardless of neatness, order, legibility and spelling...

This book has gorgeous illustrations! I love the romantic Gibson Girl look of the women and the clean cut styles of the men. Lovely.


Did you get any interesting books for Christmas? Have you read any of the ones I've listed here? What did you think of them?

Love,
Jane