Les Livres

bib⋅li⋅o⋅phile [bib-lee-uh-fahyl, -fil]: a person who loves or collects books

In case you haven't checked out my blogger profile (see right), i am a bibliophile, aka lover and collector of books. My love affair with books began long ago when i was in elementary school and lived in Lafayette, Louisiana. My mother had a store in downtown Lafayette, mere blocks away from the Lafayette Public Library. On the days we accompanied my mother to work, my sister and i would spend our afternoons at the Library, reading, absorbing and checking out a multitude of books. (Back then i thought that Library was huge. Who knows how big it actually is because after all, every place seems huge when you are a child, n'est ce pas?)

Every summer the Library had reading contests in which you got little prizes for x number of books read. My mom and dad would sign off on this piece of paper where i listed all the books i had read that summer. I always ran out of space and had to request more and more sheets. I was a voracious little reader, i couldn't get enough! To this day i am frequently reading several books at a time. I'm also a freakishly fast reader so it doesn't take long for me to get through them. (It took me one day, working day mind you so really just a few hours, to read each of the Twilight books, except Breaking Dawn. But that's because i didn't want the series to end, and let's be honest, that book kind of sucked compared to the others.)

Unfortunately, these days i often start too many books at one time and find it difficult to actually finish them. One of my June goals is to finish 2 of the books i'm currently reading, which in theory, should not be that hard to do. The problem is new books are so alluring that i often cannot stop myself from starting another and another and another. This is why my bedside table (which isn't really a table after all but really just a tray, and i desperately need to replace it with something that can actually house some of my books, candles, chargers, etc.) is overflowing with books. It's a serious problem.

I just got home from a trip to Tarjay. While i was there i picked up about ten different books, but only 4 made it back home with me (don't worry, they were paperback and discounted so not terribly expensive). I'm currently seeking chick lit, as it's lighthearted, fun, and i haven't read one in awhile. Plus this summer heat also inspires me to buy beachy reads. I bought:

1. A Summer Affair by Elin Hilderbrand
2. One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
3. Shoe Addicts Anonymous and 4. Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison (per recommendation by Jen Lancaster)

Have you read any of these? Thoughts? Should i return any of them??

Books I Am Currently Reading (aka have started but not finished):

1. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn
2. Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper by SARK
3. Make Your Creative Dreams Real by SARK
4. French Women for All Seasons by Mireille Guilano
5. Pretty In Plaid by Jen Lancaster
6. La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer
7. The Women's Comfort Book by Jennifer Louden

See what i mean?

A Note On Audiobooks - While i love hard copy books, i also frequently enjoy a good audiobook, especially these days when i have less time to read due to my annoyingly full-time job. Currently playing in my car is Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck read by Ms. Ephron herself. This is not the first time i've listened to this audiobook, i've had it for years, and i adore it. Nora is delightful, witty, and charming. I want to be her friend. I highly suggest you pick this one up if you like audiobooks. I honestly think it's better listened to by the author herself than read. Her tone and inflection are priceless.

I should probably get off the computer now, unpack my Target bags, brush my teeth, wash my face, and get in bed with one of my many "currently reading" books. But let's be honest. I'll probably open one of my newbies. Old habits die hard!

But first, i have to know: what are you reading these days?