Ten Thirteen Books I Couldn't Live Without

Books I Couldn't Live Without

Kailana from Kailana's Written World is doing a survey and calling it the Blogger List of Books They Cannot Live Without. She is asking bloggers to submit their list of 10 books. She did say we could list a few more if we needed to. I take that to mean I can list 13 for Thursday Thirteen. I think she is going to create a list from the lists submitted. The same idea was done by the online Guardian Unlimited. Click here to see their list of 100.

I don't quite know what this title means - Books I Couldn't Live Without. Obviously, I could live without books as millions upon millions of people have done throughout history and do so even today. Would I want to - NO. Books enrich my life in untold ways, but if I lived when there weren't books, I could, indeed, live. So, is this list suppose to be my favorites? No, Kailana said "they do not have to be your favorite books of all time, just the books that you think that you or the world could not be without." She did say they should be books that I've actually read.

My list includes books I've read and that I think are important because of their message, the beauty of their language, their importance to a time period, and/or they alter our thoughts and conceptions, enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.

1. The Bible

2. The Book of Mormon

3. Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

4. Book Thief by Markus Zusak

5. History of Love by Nicole Krauss

6. Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett

7. Magic of Believing by Claude Bristol

8. Jane Eyre

9. Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach

10. Pride and Prejudice

11. Hallelujah by J. Scott Featherstone

12. Folding Paper Cranes by Leonard Bird

13. From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz

Hooray for Spring!

It's the first day of Spring - the Vernal Equinox - the day when the sun rises due East and sets due West. I love Spring! It's finally warm enough to sit on the back porch and read and feel the warmth of the sun on my bare feet. Sometimes for long spells I'll look up from my reading and look at all the plump buds on the trees and bushes - some promising blossoms and others green leaves. There are more varieties of birds singing their songs along with the quieter insects. Another delightful sound is the laughter and chatter of my grand kids, who are outside playing in the dirt or riding their little bikes.

Spring always brings a feeling of hope and renewal. My energy levels increase (be it ever so slightly). I've even been exercising a smidgen the last 2 weeks. I feel like cleaning house, cooking meals and writing in my journal. I want to paint inside and out, rearrange furniture and knickknacks. Unfortunately, it will take more than spring to get me in the mood to wash windows!

To those of us in the northern hemisphere - here's to a rejuvenating and relaxing spring, to hope and promises fulfilled, and to basking in the beauties that surround us. Happy Spring!