Do You Re-Read?

Do you like to read books over and over? If you're like me you have a favorite book that when you can't sleep in the middle in the night you pull it out and it makes you feel all better. Or how about those books you've either been forced to or chosen to read several times over the course of your life? For example, I must have read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee at least four times: first in high school, then college, then when both my kids had to read it their freshman year in high school. The thing with that book is that every time I've read it I've gotten something different from it: in high school it was the mere injustice of the situation, in college it was being a person who will stand up to injustice, with my first child it was how to live as a person of integrity in all aspects of your life and the last time around it was how to be a parent (or rather, how to raise a child--face it, those children were raised). But I enjoyed it and it spoke to my life no matter what my age. On the other hand, I tried to re-read The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger when my daughter was reading it for Junior English. I had to stop--I just don't think it's a book that goes beyond adolescence. While my daughter and her classmates were relating to Holden (as I remember doing at their age), I just couldn't relate. So how about it--are there books you read over and over and get something from each time? Or can you think of some that you loved as a teenager but are just not as enjoyable when you read them as an adult? What's your favorite comfort book for those middle of the night episodes when you need something friendly to re-read? Let's hear about all the re-reads in your life!

Find To Kill a Mockingbird at Adrian Public Library
Find Catcher in the Rye at Adrian Public Library

Did you read the Harry Potter series?

A couple of weeks ago the question was posted "Who was your Harry Potter"? We wanted to know what series books you read while you were growing up. Now I'm curious as to what adults think of the Harry Potter books. I have read them all and I thought they were very imaginative! I loved the fantasy of flying on broomsticks and even playing a "sport" while riding one. The whole world of Hogwarts, witches and wizards, invisibility cloaks and the marauders map drew me in from the very beginning. I read that Universal Studios is planning a "Wizards World" (or something like that) in Florida. Sounds like fun to me.

The Baby Name Bible: 50,000+ Baby Names by Pamela Redmond Satran & Linda Rosenkrantz

Expecting a bundle of joy at your house? Of course you'll want to find the perfect name to fit your new arrival and The Baby Name Bible is just the book for you. This book not only lists names, but the authors will give you insight and advice on every name and tell you what's best, what's hot, and what's not. For example, in their entry for the name "Barbara", the authors opine: "Can the lively young Barbara Bush erase or replace her grandmother's white-haired image? We doubt it." On the other hand, they love the name Oliver: "Everybody likes the energetic, good-natured British-accented Oliver; it's stylish but not nearly as trendy as twin-sister Olivia, with a meaning symbolizing peace and fruitfulness." Also including thousands of creative and ethnic choices, this book will give you plenty of names you may never have even considered. Plus, it's just plain fun to read.

Find The Baby Name Bible at Adrian Public Library.

The Organized Student by Donna Goldberg with Jennifer Zwiebel

School is starting in the next few weeks and everyone, parents and students alike, wants a fresh start. With that in mind, The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond is just what the teacher ordered. Educational consultant Donna Goldberg, founder of the Organized Student, takes the reader through the organizational process step by step, from assessments of the student's learning style to a four-step plan for organizing a backpack and finally providing the keys to graduate from telling time to managing time. A must-read for anyone who wants to start the school year on the right foot.

Find The Organized Student at the Adrian Public Library

Who was your Harry Potter?

Back on July 19th, the New York Times posted the following questions on their blog: "Who was your Harry Potter?" and "What were your favorite books when you were a kid?"
For me, I had to read all of the Nancy Drew books. There was also a non-fiction series called "We were there" and I know I read a lot of those. The biography series published by Dodd Mead kept me reading for quite some time too.
What were your favorite authors or series when you were growing up?