How I love books! I have been a reader of books all my life. It has taken me many years however to come to the point where I want to be much more selective of the books that I read.
Since being introduced to TJEd, the types of books I do read and want to read has changed quite a bit. I stopped reading romance-type novels(trashy) over 15 years ago, trying very hard to read historical novels that weren't smut-filled. They were a pleasant way to pass the time or reward myself when the work was done. Now, I long to read for the purpose of learning new things and opening my mind, expanding my understanding. The list of books I want to read has expanded as well. You know the song,"Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"? For me, please change Diamonds to Books and it will be much more accurate.
I had the great opportunity last year to take home boxes of books that came out of my Grandfather's basement. Some of them had been his father's and grandfather's and some my Grandmother's and her mother's. So I have a large selection of books to peruse. Some of the most interesting ones I have found are:
A Progressive Course in Spelling by J.N. Hunt, copyright 1904(wondering if I should use this in homeschool?)
Treasure Island-given to my dad for Christmas in 1954
The History of the United States(my grandmother's text from high school or college), copyright 1924
Business Law for Business Men and Students,(my great grandfather's book-college in Iowa?), copyright 1901
Agriculture for Beginners(my grandfather's book), copyright 1903
A tiny, suedebound, 3x4 copy of Thanatopsis and Other Poems, by William Cullen Bryant, no date, (My great grandmother's)
I have loved looking through these books and seeing my ancestors annotations. My grandma and her mother were especially fond of writing in the margins of their books. It is neat to see what things caught their attention and to read their notes in their own handwriting. My husband abhors writing in books, but I think these books are a treasure. I'm compiling a list of what I'd like to read and including many of these wonderful old books.
WOW!!! You definitely have a treasure trove there. I love borrowing books from my father-in-law. He writes in the margins too. So I get to see his thought process and gain deeper insight into areas I probably would have missed otherwise.
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