Well, Toby got the news that he starts a new contract sometime in the next two weeks, so we went out and celebrated. It's a three month contract, but pays the bills..... His birthday is in a little over a week's time, and mine is in May, so we decided to get some presents for today and for our birthdays, early, and tuck them away until our respective cake days. Here is what we bought, from top to bottom:
For Toby: -Ottawa Book of Everything - Arthur Montague
-Frommer's London with Kids
-The Unofficial Guide to London
For Susan (me) - Forest Mage - Robin Hobb
- the Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
- Voice - Arnaldur Indridason
-Forests of the Heart - Charles de Lint
- City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
- Wash This Blood Clean From My Hands - Fred Vargas
- The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet - ed Kelly Link & Gavin
Grant
- A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle
For Holly-Anne: - Thomas and the Treasure
For Graham: - First Discovery, Cars and Trucks
Holly-Anne and Graham get their books on Saturday evening, when we are going out for dinner and they are being babysat. It's a bribe!
Toby gets the Ottawa Book of Everything now as his celebration of getting a job gift, and the others on his birthday. Me? I can't decide which one to choose for getting the job now, and which ones for my birthday, since I want to read them all now! However, I am very very good at putting books away and not looking at them until the big day, so I am picking A Wrinkle In Time, which I bought for the Banned Book challenge, so I can read it and not panic when I see that there are still two more books to locate! Plus, this will encourage me to read more quickly so when my birthday arrives, I have a window of time to read some of these for pure pleasure, no challenge list.......although I am enjoying the challenges so very much, it's also a deep pleasure to buy a new book unexpectedly and read it instead. Yes, we are a happy household tonight!
By the way, the eldest didn't get a book, since he is not into reading these days, and got some money for lunch before he went to work, instead. Boring, but he's poor ( he's 19 so earns his own spending money)as he has few hours at work this month, so he was just as happy with the money.
These are the shelves I have to fit the books onto,when they are "unwrapped" in a month's time:
Yes, I am trying to convince my husband it's time for another bookshelf! Most shelves are double-booked, except for the shelf on the left with the largest books, which I am now squeezing my new book purchases onto. On the floor in front, yes, those are stacks of books, because I had to give a bookshelf to the kids for their toys. We haven't replaced it yet.... I think I can foresee another bookshelf coming home soon!! ** AMENDED:I do have three more full-length shelves, but they are also filled - one in the kitchen, with two shelves of cookbooks, and two shelves upstairs with my writing, quilting, astrology, tarot and spirituality books and magazines. They are full too. ***Toby just said I was a bookaholic after reading this post. He forgets he has his own bookshelf (three tier) filled with his football and hockey books and magazines!! I reminded him that a) we all need a passion, and b)as Christopher, the owner of Collected Works where we bought all our books, said after we went back in to buy Toby's books because Toby only admitted after we left the store with my purchases that he'd seen one or two he liked: "it's better than shoes or hats!" Toby then said I'd never called him a footballaholic, and I said I didn't have to! He was already one when I met him. He agreed I had a point, and dropped his head back into the Everything Ottawa book.***
And, these are some special friends who sit on one of my fantasy shelves. I love gargoyles, and have a collection I have started. I also love dragons, so for now, until I have more, they keep each other company and watch over my books.
