Sunday, February 1, 2009

Fun Monday - My Reading List


This week's Fun Monday host is the lovely AOJ at The Lurchers. Angela is asking the participants this week some bookish questions. 1. What are we reading currently? 2. Are we enjoying our current read? 3. What one book would we take with us to a desrt island?

My current read may not be a surprise to some regular visitors to Return of the White Robin. I am currently reading Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama. As a huge fan of the current president of the United States of America, I am enjoying reading about this man and the forces that shaped his character. One of the many quotes that I treasure from Obama's book is the compliment that he pays his wife Michelle in the introduction. Complimenting his wife Obama thanks his wife "for her wit, grace, candor, and unerring ability to encourage my best impulses." ( I can only hope for an unerring ability to encourage the best impulses of those that I love.)
Actually, I am reading several books these past couple of days. On Saturday, our son, Luke, and daughter-in-law, Bree, became parents for the second time. The little boy, who is not so little at 9 pounds 5 ounces and 22 1/4 inches long, is our third grandchild and our first grandson. My husband and I are caring for his big sister, Kara, while mom and baby rest in the hospital. Our granddaughter, not quite 14 month-old Kara, is quite a fan of books. For many months, she has been sitting and looking at board books by herself or with an adult. She sits patiently turning the pages of a selected book using the skill of turning the pages from the left to the right. Recently, she has included books with paper pages. With supervision, she treats the paper pages with utmost respect turning the pages one by one carefully so not to bend or tear the pages.
Animal Babies in Ponds and Rivers is just one of the many books that we have been reading with our granddaughter, who is pictured here with her parents the night before the birth of her baby brother.

One day old Nathan.


For the book that I would most like to take with me on a desert island, I am tempted to say The Bible or my favorite book, God is Love, by Philip Gulley or perhaps, a favorite of my youth, An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott. However, since I know little of survival, this book seems more practical.
To see a list of participants or to sign-up to participate, visit AOJ at The Lurchers.

21 comments:

Jan said...

Great choices, Molly. Years ago, when I read Dreams from My Father, I turned to my husband and said, This man is going to be president.

Sarah said...

I love that choice for the island - very practical! The Usborne books were a key part of my childhood :)

Books about the Obama family seem to be a popular choice at the moment.

Thanks for sharing your choices with us.

Sarah said...

I love that choice for the island - very practical! The Usborne books were a key part of my childhood :)

Books about the Obama family seem to be a popular choice at the moment.

Thanks for sharing your choices with us.

Hootin Anni said...

I've read it...and I've also read his 2nd book...Audacity of Hope. Me too...me too. I'm a huge fan.

You'll see what I'm reading [close to Obama] if you stop by.

Anonymous said...

A lot of Obama fans out there, my hubby is reading Audacity of hope, I am next in line. Congratulations on your new grandson. His big sister sure is a cutie pie. Oh the joy of being a grandparent!

~moe~ said...

Thank you! I totally forgot I have Obama's book in my pile to read and I borrowed it from my friend so I need to get it finished soon. ;)

Molly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pamela said...

I've read excerpts from both of those books - I must find time to finish them.

It is so fun to read to the grandchildren.

I posted so late last night I just got around to amending so that I have a book on a deserted island -- and my choice was similar to yours.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the new arrival!
:) Becky

Ali said...

he he - great minds think alike!

ChrisB said...

The new arrival is so sweet as is your granddaughter. It's lovely to get children to enjoy and respect books from an early age. I always enjoyed sharing books with my grandchildren. When they are here they get to read all the books their mum and auntie had when they were children.

I had to laugh at the survival book; a brilliant choice and it didn't even cross my mind that I might need skills on a desert island!

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

I think I might get that book about Obama, he seems such an interesting person!

And Nathan! How sweet is he!?

Sandy said...

What a terrific choice for your island book! I thought about trying to find Survival for Dummies or something similar myself.

Margaret said...

We read Dreams from my Father for Book Club and all liked it! It was very interesting, wasn't it? The new baby is beautiful.

daddy d said...

Good job upon watching the older sister. They are a wonderful family.

Faye said...

Congratulations on the new grandbaby--sweet little Nathan. Hope he wasn't deliveredd in the ice storm.

Your post brought back some very pleasant memories, Molly. When I was working with a program called Agriculture in the Classroom (Farming the Classroom in IN, I believe)we got a grant to establish a lending libray for teachers and students statewide. What great fun to buy hundreds of wonderful books to help students learn where their food comes from--Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes, a personal favorite. Also bought lots of the Usborne series.

Haven't read the Obama books yet--need to. I'm a late upporter for Obama, but since Grant Park speech I've been very glad to have voted for him. And, what a great thing to say about someone that they have the "ability to bring out our best impulses."

Junebug said...

Congratulations on that beautiful baby boy! Brings back pleasant memories, my little boy was 9 lbs. exactly. He was my biggest.

Anonymous said...

Posting from iPhone while riding so there may be many typos.
First, congratulations on new baby boy Nathan. He looks ready to start walking any day now.
Love that your precious little granddaughter not only loves books but respects them,too.
Was not an Obama fan in the very beginning but am beginning to admire him more. Hoping that everyone will just give him a chance. I have his books and do plan to read them.
Your choice for the island is a good one.
Lastly, thanks for the comment at my place.

debi said...

You have another beautiful grandchild. Love the pictures.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your new grandson. I've got two little girls, but Nathan was on my shortlist of favourite boys' names.

I kind of feel like a party-pooper for saying this, especially given the outpouring of enthusiasm for Obama here in the comments section, but to be honest, I'm not such a big fan. He seems a decent man, his family are absolutely gorgeous and I wish him well on a personal level, but the fact is that we come from different ideological planets. A Ronald Reagan autobiography would be more up my street.
Hope you don't mind me expressing a contrary opinion - it's nothing personal. Some of my closest friends IRL are on the other side of the political fence from me.

Unknown said...

Beautiful childer. Mine are bookworms, too.