Membermuumi

Real Name

Catherine

About My Library

I've managed to re-acquire most of my beloved childhood books, both the lost ones and the ones that I read at the library and never forgot. I still have some of my university books - representing a degree in Classical Chinese with a concentration in linguistics - although my single course in Children's Literature may have had more of an effect on my library over the years! My husband's books reflect his interest in Chinese medicine and in architecture, and they are getting catalogued too.

In the process of reading picture books over and over to my children hundreds of times, I've renewed my love for beautifully illustrated books and collect them for myself now. I homeschooled three children for 12 years, which was a chance to give myself the education I always wanted, and a lot of the Classical and Icelandic books came into the house and will never leave - unless my kids plunder the shelves. I have multiple copies of many books - sometimes because if it's a joy to read a book with Tasha Tudor illustrations, it must be a joy to read the same book with Ernest Shepard illustrations - but most often because one or more of my 3 kids, now adults, wants their own personal copy... but still keep the book here. Sometimes, of course, I have multiple copies by sheer accident; LibraryThing is helping weed those out.

I haven't even mentioned my crafts books. Knitting is far and away my favourite craft because I can knit and read at the same time.

Like many addicts, I eventually took up dealing to support my addiction. I was lured into it by another bookseller... it's a long story. But, I do sell books now. I am reminded of my alcoholic aunt who bought a tavern.

Stars mean, more or less:
***** If I could take only one crate of books with me...
**** Outstanding, re-readable
*** Worth reading
** Okay
* Possibly not a keeper

Lack of stars implies nothing about quality... they may not be my books, or I may not have felt like making value judgments that day.

About Me

When I was sixteen, I left home -- with seven boxes of books. It would have been more, but my childhood books had been lost in a flood 3 years earlier. When I was 19, I got married and it took a small U-haul to move my stuff. 90% books. Now I have been living in one place for 27 years and even though I move books through my life quickly, more are always coming in than going out.

Location

Ontario, Canada

Memberships

LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Favorite Authors

Mitsumasa Anno, Jane Austen, Mary Burchell, Elizabeth Coatsworth, Eileen Dunlop, Edward Eager, Elizabeth Enright, Eleanor Estes, Rumer Godden, John S. Goodall, Elizabeth Goudge, Giovannino Guareschi, Hergé, Georgette Heyer, Mollie Hunter, Tove Jansson, C. S. Lewis, Charles de Lint, Terry Pratchett, Arthur Ransome, Gerald Rose, Kate Seredy, Rosemary Sutcliff, J. R. R. Tolkien, Meriol Trevor, Charles Williams, Eva-Lis Wuorio

Member Connections

Friends

2manybooksUK, AllieW, benjclark, Bicyclette, callmejacx, CarNagFam, Charlotte14, cmharig, Denise_Tzumli, denisesumpter, Harry_Vincent, Hobbitlass, jabberwocky888, karenmains, kehs, lenticchia, maryanntherese, octobercountry, Rose.Mills, Sasha_Doll, tarpfarmer, Teazle, TheCuratedCatalog

Interesting Library

19vatermit64, adb42, alivanmom, billposer, dimoreien, eithni, eleanor_eader, EowynA, HebrideanHaleBopper, herbofgrace, justjim, lenticchia, lillesmilla, MyopicBookworm, neldred, SaintSunniva, scotsguyinwales, Sovay, soylentgreen23, ThomasJefferson, webecca