Member LadyLo

About My Library

My collection (about 2000 books...and growing) varies from classics: Austin, Dickens, Dostoevsky, Fitzgerald, Forster, Fowles (The Magus), Irving, Heller, James, Maugham, Mitchell (Gone With the Wind), Lewis, Rand, Proust (entire collection), Steinbeck, Tolstoy, Wharton, and Woolf.

Among other fiction: Margaret Atwood, Pearl Buck, Judy Blume, Taylor Caldwell, Dunne, Colleen McCullough (love Roman historical novels),Stone (The Agony and the Ecstasy), Anne Tyler, Stephen King's (The Stand and IT), and Tom Wolfe

Non-fiction includes Roman, French, Greek, Russian, German and Jewish history, Holocaust survivor books, Philosophy, Psychology, and various biographies ranging from: Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, the DeMedicis, to more currently celebrated people like Princess Di.

Also, recently passed on to me from my father, a collection of about 50 hardcover books that were printed in the late 1800's and very early 1900's.....mostly American Wild Wild West Novels and French Historical Fiction.

About Me

I have always loved books, as far back as my memory takes me. My earliest recollection is pre-school. I would amuse myself by sitting in my little rocking chair with a book in my lap while my mother went into the basement to do the wash. I was neither the oldest nor the youngest of 5 siblings and as I grew up, at times when sufficient parental attention was lacking, I lost myself in books: Trixie Beldon, Nancy Drew, Little Women, etc., etc.
Today reading is not only my favorite pastime, but I consider it as essential to my well being as eating and breathing. I'm addicted, as most LibraryThing members must be.

I will read just about anything as long as it is well written, but I especially love the classics. Also, I am slowly working my way through several lists: Pulitzer, Booker, Orange, and National Critics Award winners.

I started seriously collecting hardcover books about 20 years ago, going to used book stores, library sales, yard sales, and I occasionally buy new books although I have great concern that the quality of printing is deteriorating in new books. I recently purchased 2 new books that both split at the binding before I even finished reading them. Pages actually started to fall out. One was a "Modern Library" book. I'm not sure the exact year the standards for printing declined, but this experience makes me want to run out to every used book sale I can find and buy up everything. I know we are the "throw-away society"...but books too?

I don't borrow or lend books, and I have a hard time parting with ones I have already read unless they are worthy of "2 Stars" or less. This leaves me in a continuous chaotic attempt to keep things organized.

My main purpose for becoming a member of LibraryThing is to eventually join discussion groups (when time allows) and take advantage of others reviews and reading suggestions. I would greatly appreciate comments, feedback, and suggestions for expanding my ever growing collection.

Location

Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Memberships

LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Member Connections

Friends

ellenandjim, gitaaudhya, hookedonbooks1, JoeHamilton, NoPlanetB, rabornj, WhitehallLibrary

Interesting Library

debweiss, donandpatti, ellenandjim, gbill, PensiveCat, sycoraxpine, vaellus