Farmer's Wifey's My Fav Books

Today Michelle from Farmers Wifey has been kind enough to share with us her fav books. Farmers Wifey is one of my newer blog finds and I'm really enjoying reeading about Michelle's trials and tribulations of life 'on the farm'. Make sure you pop over and show her some blog love.

In her own words -

I am a busy, part time working mother of 3 crazy little birds and one long suffering but patient Hubbster. I started my blog to document our move from a comfortable home in suburbia to a 75 acre farm with no house. That's right, we live in a shed while we build our house, and I want to remember the good (and bad) times because it is a journey of discovery for us.

My blog now has turned into something greater for me. I have always loved to write and blogging has enabled me to do this, as well as meeting some amazing people along the way. I am interested in how other mothers live and cope with the daily grind, and I now realise that although we do not know each other in "real" life, we are all friends in some way.

Where is your favourite place to read? In your bed, on the lounge? Somewhere nice outside?

I love to read in the bath. I miss this so much because at present we don't have a bath until we finish our house. I always filled the bath right up to the top to nearly overflowing and climb in and lay back. I love it when it is late at night and the house is quiet and I can become swept away in whatever I am reading at the time.

We all know the old addage, 'You can't judge a book by it's cover', but how true do you believe that really is? And, if you can remember (no pressure here, if you can't think of one) what is your fav book cover? Do you have a fav?

I would say that 60 percent of the books I read I find on the net, in newspapers or through word of mouth. I usually google and read about them and if I like the blurb I will decide to buy the book. Saying that, if I am browsing the book section and I see a vibrant book cover, I will be interested.

I really love how the famous authors (like Stephen King) have their names in big type usually at the top and the title of the book in a smaller font below. This kind of makes me want to become a writer.

I don't have a favourite book cover because what is inside is of the most interest to me....

 

1. Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillippa Pearce . I read this amazing, haunting book when I was a child and have plans to reread it as soon as I can. It's about a little boy who finds a magical garden and a special new friend, when the clock strikes 13. I want my children to be taken away by this story. It has adventure, magic and questions the nature of time and reality. It is said that the final piece is one of the most moving moments in childrens fiction......

2. The Stand by Stephen King. This book is an epic. It's big and bold and it took me ages to read but I did it. I have read most of Stephen Kings' books but this one "stands" out. The novel is divided into 3 sections, and is part horror, part fantasy and recreates in some way the final "stand" between good and evil.

I love how Stephen King develops his characters and I always try to read his books first before watching the movie of the same name because he is just so good at character building - I don't need to see what the person looks like to know who they are.

3. Midnight Express by Billy Hayes. This true story is about the authors' experience as a young Americian who was sent to a Turkish prison for trying to smuggle drugs out of Turkey to the US. This book is not for the faint hearted. Several parts were hard to take and the final moments had me spellbound as I turned each page to find out what happened. A film of the same name was released in 1978 and although there are some differences to the book, the story never stops to amaze me.

4. The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson. This book covers all the things that I love, my fascination for America, travel and humour. It's about the very funny Mr Bryson and his road trip across 38 states to discover himself and the quintessential American small town. Does he find it? You will have to read the book to find out!!

5. Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. As I like to "own" my books and have them on hand on my bookshelf, I wasn't sure about this so I waited for weeks for it to become available at the library rather than buying it. Needless to say I now plan to buy this book.

It's about a young socialogist who infiltrates and studies the gang culture inside Chicagos urban poor housing projects. He is accepted and spends the most part of a decade experiencing this lifestyle and befriending the leader of the gang. Honest, brave and fascinating, I read this book in record time, I couldn't put it down.