Cherry Blossom Adventures

When I was about 11, grade six, i remember attending the St Rita`s school fete and spending less than 10 dollars but taking home more than a 100 books (I was given 10 days for the day and it all went to books except for a drink I think). A lot of them were light weight crap, but I read them all…I was on crutches at the time (Not the first, and not the last let me tell you!) and my mum`s friend heather had to carry the boxes of books to her car for me since I couldn`t do it. It was near school holidays when I bought the books…and I read a couple a day for the whole holidays. I love books, I have always loved books. There are photos of me as a toddler on the toilet reading books, reading to my dolls and bears and sitting on the floor pouring theough my parents ancient funken wagnells.

My parents were supposed to move while I was in Japan in 2004/2005 so before I left I had to pack up my room and I was limited to one box of books that I could keep. I have over 500 books for sure and I sold a lot of them to a second hand book store on the goldcoast and gave the rest to the mater hospital in Brisbane. I had never parted with books well. No matter how old or crappy they are, I always wanted to keep them. Even if it meant having piles and piles of books in my closet, and the spare room closet, and on my floor and on my book shelves. I kept books that I would want my children to read, especially if they were girls, as well as my favourite books. But I actually did fairly well at clearing them out. Now that I live in an apartment the size of a shoebox I am limited to how many books I can keep here. I have a small bookshelf and one shelf has non-fiction that I keep. Mainly travel guides, writing guidlines and some history stuff. The other shelf has japanese-language and study books. And I have allowed one shelf for fiction that is always overflowing…But I can keep about 30 to 35 fiction books in the apartment at a time…so I have to part with books a lot more than I used to. I realize now though that I have to get serious, stop buying more books, and read the ones I have.

I might not be what the call a `well-read` person but I have read more than my fair share of books. Considering the amount of books I read it is a wonder why my spelling and grammar are still so bad but that is another story. I remember reading Anne of Green Gables for the first time as a kid. My grandmother in New Zealand had sent me a copy and it had been bounded upside down by mistake. By the time she realized and took it back there were no more so she sent it to me anyway, with a note that said `Sorry you`ll have to read it upside down/back to front but you`ll be the only girl with an upside down copy of Anne of Green Gables`. I still have it.

Lately I have had a hard time getting into a book (In fact I have been starting books and not finishing them and putting them back on the bookshelves to start another…This is not like me at all). It isn`t like I read really in depth stuff. There are a couple of reasons behind this I think (This been that I can`t seem to get into a book). One is that I don`t catch the train or public transport much anymore and that was always my time for reading, and if I was into a book then when I got home I would lie on the bed and read some more yet now that I don`t have that I never seem to have enough time to get into a book. Two, my eyesight is getting worse and I kept forgetting to wear my glasses when I read meaning that the words all kind of blur together making me tired very quickly. Three, I haven`t come across a really good book recently and usually when you read a really good book and finish it it makes you want to read more.

I have realized that I needed something to get me motivated and reading again. There are lots of reading challanges out there on different blogs and website (I have been thinking about books and reading a lot in the last week and have started reading a lot of book, writing and reading blogs that review books and blogs of people that read a lot), but most start at the begining of a year. I did come across this one though and the guidelines are fairly loose so I thought I would sign up in the hope that it would give me some motivation. It is for spring, and starts later on in the week and more info can be found here

I can choose any amount of books and while I have a lot of stuff that I already own laying around the apartment and I recently picked up a few classics that I feel I SHOULD read. I aim to read at least 10 books during the challange although since I am a bit of a mood reader I will put up 20 or so books and will choose the 10 from there. I will put the list up in a couple of days, because to be a proper participant I have to give a list.

So who else there likes reading? Leave me info about books if you think I should read them. I usually read anything, (except science fiction mainly…but I don`t like to exclude anything!) and am always up for suggestions.

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