52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Wk 23 - Books

Week 23. Books. What was your favorite book, or who was your favorite author from your childhood? What do you like to read now? Books or other formats?

This challenge runs from Saturday, June 4, 2011 through Friday, June 10, 2011.

I have always loved reading, ever since I was little and would visit Woolworths or WH Smiths and be allowed to choose a book. We did this most weeks. My favourites were most of the Enid Blyton books, Noddy especially. I still have my set of Noddy books complete with the wonderful characters of Big Ears and the Gollywog, set back in the days before political correctness went mad!

Mum used to read to me, but the favourite times were cuddled up on my Grandmother's lap or sitting in bed with my Grandmother reading to me. How she must have been fed up of reading the adventures of Mr Twiddle, or the Famous Five.

Now, I still read, although I have to say in the last year or two my reading had slackened off. Just because of work, life, on line time and circumstance. I still go to bed now with a cup of tea and a piece of fruit and my current read, which drives hubby mad!

In the age of reading via computer or iPad, Kindle and Nook, I still prefer the paper version. Our house is full of books, I shamelessly say they are all mine, and they near enough are! Although we do house a collection of angling books which are certainly not mine!

Here is a summary of the books at Anglers Rest......

Children's Books

I have my original set of Noddy Books by Enid Blyton, lovingly read and many still have the Woolworth price ticket of 12p stuck to the front. I have always kept them for my children, but as I don't have any they sit in my study on a shelf next to a set of Beatrice Potter books.

Italian Collection

I am half Italian and am interested in my Italian Heritage. There are not that many books published about Italian communities here in the United Kingdom so when I come across one I tend to buy it!

Thyroid Collection

I have a Thyroid condition and obviously have an interest in the condition. Over the last 20 years I have purchased any books on the subject and added them to my collection.

Both the Italian Collection and the Thyroid collection of books sit on the same bookcase in our spare room.

Family History Collection

I have a passion for researching my family history and over the course of a decade or two have read, purchased just about every book going on the subject. This collection though, is about the books that I have found along with the way that relate to particular ancestors and their families.

This collection is mainly made up of books relating to the family names of Bowring,Bellasis and Eastwick. There is also a copy of a diary called the Diary of ThomasAsline Ward. Which cost me a little over £60 but simply had to be purchased. This set of books sits on the bottom shelf of a pine bookcase in the hall.

Elm Creek Quilts Collection

I was introduced to this set of books by a fellow avid reader and they are lovely books. They are a set of fictional books set with the obvious theme of Quilting. Each dust jacket has a picture of a quilt on it. There is something about these books that makes you want to hold the book and admire the quilt picture. These sit on the top shelf of the bookcase in the hall.

Cookery Books

There is nothing particularly special about this collection, other than it sits on the middle shelf of the bookcase in the hall and is, and one would expect, of a practical nature. Two books which do stand out are those that I have kept from my school days and I have fond memories of my O level cookery classes.

Angling Collection

These are not mine, but Stuart's and sit in a bookcase in the lounge with a few angling type ornaments and collectibles.

The Rest

The remainder of my books sits on three bookcases on the third floor of the house. Two in my study and the third one on the top landing. These books span the last 25 years and cover fiction and non fiction. The fiction books are ones that I will read again and particularly want to keep. Others are sent to the charity shop. The fiction books are mainly the lovely cozy mysteries set around bookshops and craft shops which are to me pure escapism!