Corie's Bedside Books

Photo to go with Corie's Book List:

Read her detailed list at the Bedside Book List Challenge, click here! She also posted at Where are you From, click here to read her comment about living in the Mitten aka Michigan!

Your Reading Life in Six Words Challenge

We often have very memorable interactions with BFWP's readers involving disclosure of our reading life secrets: details about ourselves and our lives as readers.

Moments like these lead us on a search for a simple and concise way to tell the story about ourselves, as readers.

The Books for Walls Project invites you to share:

A six word memoir about your reading life. 

 

Need some six word memoir inspiration? 
Go to NPR for the full story click here. 

Now, tell us Your Reading-Life-Story... 

...in six words.

 

 

The Little Sister's Bedside Book List

The Books up in The Little Sister's Bunk Bed:


The Complete Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem for the official Brambly Hedge site click here.
The Rose Series: In the Land of the Big Red Apple by Roger Mac Bride to learn more about the man that inherited the Lane/Ingalls-Wilder literary estate, click here.
The Magic Tree House Series #2, #14-18 by Mary Pope Osborne for a LOT more, click here.
Kristen and the New Girl, American Girl short story series

*The Mom notes the headlamp. So that's where it is and why she seems tired these days...

New Sharing Option and Wood for Good

We've been searching for a "friendly" share button. Blogger just did the work for us. They just added a "share" option (way up there at the top of the page) -a "follow" option is up there too.  Come and follow us (the Sisters have been watching for pictures of new faces, we'd sure like to see yours!)

Why Follow?  Because we have big plans for the summer: contests, new challenges, a "real mail" postcard/penpal program, and since the Big Sister and The Mom are itching to get it going, we'll launch the photo challenge VERY soon!  Why Share? Because part of the project it to watch and learn how the internet spreads information and most importantly to learn from all sorts of people, all over the world, about books and reading!  So go ahead, share us :) we thank you!

Enjoy the weekend... looks like a beauty.

P.S.  The Poet aka John Daniels is featuring his amazing woodworking at the Old Town Art Fair in Traverse City on Sunday, June 27th (go to his website for more, click here.)

Wood for Good: 40% of profits on Sunday will go to the Goodwill Inn tell everyone you know --while his website isn't ready for online sales yet, you can email him to arrange a purchase!  Hope to see you there --look for the Sisters they will be helping their wonderful Bapa and Nana by handing out information!

Ten Around Ten Challenge

This week I (The Big Sister) am going to turn ten.  Lately I find that I am not really too excited about getting older --I feel like I am in between, not really a kid any more and not ready to grow up.


My challenge for you this week is to list ten books that you read when you were around ten, like me.  Tell us about books that you read when you were in between --not exactly a kid and not exactly grown up... 


If you can't think of ten right away --start with one and then come back!


Try some other Challenges: Poetry in a Vacation, Haiku Your Book, On Ice in Antarctica, Bookshelf Challenge or What are you Reading RIGHT NOW! Take a moment and tell us where you are from and learn the easiest way to follow the project, click here.

Introducing: The Big Sister

(WOW, we need to update this! The Big Sis is almost 12!!!!!)New Intro coming soon!


In honor of her upcoming tenth birthday today we introduce The Big Sister. Just recently she learned to use the online catalog for our local library system what fun to be able to browse and hold books, any time of the day. Have fun getting to know The Big Sister a little better and don't forget to take the Ten Around Ten Challenge, she'd LOVE to hear from you!

Favorite Book: I could NEVER list them all!

Favorite Poem: Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost --I know it by heart! (click)

Current Favorite Series: Right now I am reading and listening to the Redwall Series.

Favorite Genre: Mystery and Fairy Tales

Favorite Author: E.D. Baker (click), C.S. Lewis  (click), Blue Balliett (click), Nancy Springer (click), Brian Jacques (click) and Louise Erdrich (click).

Favorite Place: Home

Favorite Restaurant: The Fusion in Frankfort, Michigan and Trattoria Stella, Traverse City, Michigan (click)  --but home is my absolute favorite place to eat!

Favorite Color: Violet, light green and light blue

Favorite Tree: Maple

Musical Instrument: Flute -I've been studying with Lisa Johansson, from Song of the Lakes and Freya, for two years.

Favorite Pastime: Listening to books on tape and drawing

Hobbies: Reading, beading rings, playing house with The Little Sister, swimming, biking, playing the flute --more to come!

Favorite Movie: Ever After and Singing in the Rain

Favorite Food: Mom's Burritos

Favorite Time of Day: Sunrise

Favorite Quote: "If you don't like something change it.  If you can't change it, change your attitude." Maya Angelou I found this quote on my Honest Tea iced tea cap.

What I like about the Books for Walls Project: Sharing books with other people!

Some of my ideas/suggestions/thought/hopes for the Project: I am hoping that the picture project will happen and the gallery will grow --we need pictures of people reading in non-ordinary places!!

My Favorite BFW's Challenge so far: It's hard, I don't have a favorite!!

Better than books? Maybe!

Is there anything better than books.. Our answer is yes.  We think food --good food-- can be better than books.  

What exactly is good food?  

We begin here:

Early evening, summer breeze, seed starts decorate freshly tilled soil, toddlers toddling, cameras clicking, children swarm the play structure,  picnic tables covered in cloth, generations mingling, dogs waiting, and everyone eating, planting, sharing --all together in a garden-- surrounded by Ware Farm.  

Ware Farm is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Organic Farm and all of us pot-luckers and Children's Garden planters are share holders in this summer's bounty.  

This week's highlight is strawberries, the loveliest strawberries I can recall. There is not a child in sight without a juice stained chin and all are happy and fed, a perfect trifecta: belly, heart, and soul.

Ok, now, back to books.  

Last week Michael Pollen wrote "The Food Movement, Rising" for the New York Review of Books.  The five books he lists at the beginning of the article, and the article itself, explain why we were gathered to plant a garden and feast on still-warm-from-the-sun-strawberries at a farm that many of us simply, love. We gathered to share food and support our farmers.

Read the full article, click here.

For more on summer inspired eating and cooking and reading check out To Market, To Market: 10 Top Summer Cookbooks at National Public Radio (NPR), click here.

Have you ever picked strawberries and do you want to? They are ripe and ready for picking! Contact our friends at Ware Farm if you happen to be lucky enough to live nearby, otherwise to find a CSA or a Farmer's Market in the USA, click here.  We couldn't find a resource for Farmer's Markets and CSA's worldwide --let us know if you have a tip!

Have a great weekend enjoy cooking, eating and of course, reading!

Our Emily Dickinson: Evelyn Coffey

Catherine EVELYN Coffey
Born: 8 December 1907 Cleveland, Ohio
Died: 14 July 2001 Detroit, Michigan

Poetry has created a longing in my heart, I want to go to the 1930's and meet Evelyn Coffey as a Young Woman.

I knew Evelyn as a Wise Woman. She lived next door behind framed stained glass that covered her upper flat windows. I never went into her home, now I wonder why --for I longed to live into her life. I have imagined memories of what her flat looked like. But we lived together, separately.  Me a teenager, she an octogenarian.

Evelyn came into our home. Every day. She let herself in with her key. Daily she gave her love to our dog. She was the keeper of his bliss, she walked and pampered him, he dined on boned chicken, fed by hand --that she prepared, every day. I watched silently, secretly, and listened to her heart speak through coos and coddling to a little Bishon Frise --she loved life and honored every moment. I learned from her.

Pat my new friend, and Evelyn's relative, started a blog to share Evelyn Coffey with the world: http://evelyncoffey.blogspot.com/.  You will find stories of the life of an heroic woman and a gifted poet,

 "At Cleveland College (Western Reserve University) the poets called me their little Emily Dickinson. At the time I didn't even know who she was; but Julia and Jack took me to Amherst and I have pressed flowers from her garden."

Mixed among things I have inherited, that were once Evelyn's, are pressed flowers.  I wonder... are they from Emily's garden?

I will exist in the mystery of her and trust in the beauty of her poetry:

Happiness is a quiet springBorn of a thought, a poem, songOr smile.  Like waters murmuring
Glad secrets to the swimming throngOf earth-folk in their floating homes,With inner joy its music gong
Breathes mellow notes, and low. It roamsTo other hearts with gay delightAnd gentle tread, like sprites or gnomes
That dance upon the sea at night --Staccato steps, melodic rhyme --Or colors playing with sunlight.
Happiness is heart and soul chime,Throbbing in harmony with time.
Evelyn Coffey16 October 1933

Poetry in a Vacation Challenge

Throughout the summer we are going to challenge you to think of books that move you to travel --to walk in the footsteps of the author or to go to the places on the pages.  

We begin with Poetry.  Why?  Because we were inspired by Emily Dickinson!  Here is the story:

Soon New York buses will be graced with another poem, this one from Emily Dickinson.  Care of the Poetry Society of America riders can read a bit of poetry as the bus pulls into the stop.  

According to Alice Quinn, executive director of the PSA, the latest poem with share "How happy is the little stone that rambles in the road alone, and doesn't care about careers and exigencies never fears."  A good thing to ponder these days. 

The presence of Emily will certainly help to promote an exhibition, which the Poetry Society of America co-sponsored, at the New York Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden has recreated the gardens which fed Emily's soul and moved her to discover her timeless prose.  Throughout the garden are 30 poems placed near the flowers and trees from which her inspiration blossomed.

We suggest this Poetic Vacation: 

Head to the Bronx and immerse yourself in the gardens that inspired Emily Dickinson. How to get there: Emily Dickinson's Garden: The Poetry of Flowers is open through August 1, 2010.  To get the full scoop watch this segment on PBS, The Garden Roots of Emily Dickinson's Poetry -click here to watch.  For even more inspiration listen to NPR's segment and check out the photos, click here.

We invite you to think of a favorite poem.   Where would it take you on vacation? Another option: think of a place and then search for a poem about it. Tell us about the poet/poetry and the place that inspires the trip!  Please feel free to write out the entire poem.

Help us get to Alaska, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota and West Virginia

Last night we sat down at the table with our map puzzle and removed the pieces where Books for Walls hasn't been and wow, only 7 states to go.


Curious about why we may not have reached these states we did a bit of research.  We started with the population ranking: Alaska 47th,  Mississippi 31st,  Montana 44th, Nebraska 38th, Oklahoma 28th, South Dakota 46th, and West Virginia 37th.  Pretty random, but maybe that has something to do with it, less people, fewer chances of getting there --but that wasn't the case with Antarctica population less than 2,000!


We live in Michigan, ranked 8th in population and 1st in unemployment --it's hard to imagine all of the people without work. On a lighter note we learned, from the Census Bureau's site, that in Michigan in 2000 there were twice as many amusement parks as in 2007 and the number of Zoos and Botanical Gardens grew by 6, less amusement parks more zoos and gardens --that sounded inspiring.  Hopefully the jobs will grow like the gardens...


Can you help us get to the last 7 states?  Do you have friends or friends of friends in Alaska, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota or West Virginia?  Tell them about us -we are watching closely to see just how quick we can scoop up these last 7 states! 


Recently we started Tell us Where you are From? and want to know more about your part of the world, take a minute and tell us!


Welcome Nepal, Egypt, Croatia, and Russia   Country Count: 35, State Count: 43, Continent Count: 7


Have you taken this week's challenge? It's a good one: The Anthropomorphism Challenge --but not as tough as it is to pronounce, try it click here!!  And come back tomorrow for a Challenge from The Big Sister! This week The Mom, next week The Big Sister --because next week is her birthday week and she is turning 10!!

Lemurs on the Loose in the Library/UPDATED: Welcome Baby Kintana

CLICK on the picture to
watch the video

When we set Goal #3, to learn about reading on Madagascar, this is not what we expected!  It seems some lemurs, named Berisades and Ivy, escaped from Duke University and were found... at the library! (Click on the picture of the lemurs to watch the video.)


UPDATE:  The Poet just sent us an article from the Detroit Free Press.  The Detroit Zoo introduced a baby lemur named Kintana, which means Star in Malagasy .  Read the full article, click here.  We are learning about how zoo's can help, and harm, the efforts to save species from extinction.  We cannot imagine a world without lemurs, can you?

Welcome to the world
baby Kintana!

Help us learn about Madagascar first hand, share us with friends.

Have you taken a challenge lately?  We'd love to hear from you, click here to get started.  Please take a moment to tell us where you are from, click here.

The Anthropomorphism Challenge

Defined by Oxford 

New American Dictionary 

The Dad wants to know: What book comes to mind when you think about things that are not supposed to speak, but do?

Please use the following format for your comment: Title of Book, Author, and a little more about the anthropomorphic character in book.

Introducing: The Poet

There are several reasons The Books for Walls Project came into being. One of the biggest is inspiration. That inspiration is thanks in many ways to John Daniels, known at Books for Walls as The Poet.  His ability to share stories and write poetry are gifts, gifts that we feel lucky that he shares with us at BFW! Take a moment to read the original Books for  Walls Poem, click here. And to watch the story of how the inspiration grew, click here. Join us in thanking The Poet for all the inspiration!

Favorite Book: Bible

Favorite Poem: “As Kingfishers Catch Fire”, Gerard Manley Hopkins (for more click here) or perhaps “Prairies” by Emily Dickinson (click to read)

Favorite Genre: Mystic Theology

Favorite Author: C.S. Lewis (click for more there are so many C. S. Lewis websites so we share the Wiki a good starting point!)

Favorite Place: Wherever I AM.

Favorite Restaurant: Home; I’m too cheap.
Favorite Food: Bread

Favorite Color: The eastern sky an hour before dawn

Favorite Tree: Whichever I’m looking at

Musical Instrument: Piano

Favorite Pastime: Riding my bike in the early morning

Hobbies: Woodworking, Writing, Music, Deep films, Reading

Favorite Movie: The Five Senses (click for more)

Favorite Time of Day: Pre-dawn

Favorite Quote: “Honey, please stop working and just relax!”

What I like about the Books for Walls Project: Booksforwalls calls us to remember how much of us has come from this gift we ignore or avoid.

Why I want to be a Regular Contributor:  At my age, being irregular has its complications.

Some of my ideas/suggestions/thought/hopes for the Project:  Persist.

My Favorite BFW's Challenge so far: The Bookshelf Challenge

Please add anything you would like the world of BFW's readers to know about YOU:

My blog shares what comes from my heart www.freelemonadestand.blogspot.com

My website shares what comes from my hands www.lignumsacrumwoodworking.com

Today is the last day to vote in the poll.  Please take a moment and vote!  Thanks!

What is a Regular Contributor?

So what exactly is a Regular Contributor?  We came up with the concept to include a diverse representation of books and ideas and opinions for our readers --and we think it will be fun to follow these interesting folks.

You'll notice that each of our contributors has a nickname and they have been kind enough to share some personal information --to give you lovely readers some insight to these Faces Behind the Books.

Do you love the project, would you like a fun nickname and to help us come up with ideas and participate often?  We'd love you to join us.  Just email us and tell us why you'd like to be a part of the project.

The Where is Your Favorite Place to Read? Challenge

Nice and simple.


Where is your favorite place to read?


Please send us shots of your favorite places to read and how to credit the photo.  


Would you like to receive the Weekly Challenge via email every Wednesday?  Just click here, and send us an email, no need for text!

Has it really only been two months?

In just two months we've managed to get to all 7 continents, made friends all over the world, we've been interviewed on Interlochen Public Radio and in the Northern Express, followed the Atlantis up to the International Space Station (click here to read), learned about the library on Antarctica, we've had just about 1,400 visitors and over 5,000 hits --so much more than we could've imagined!  To celebrate we'll announce our first contest soon, share the full story of why we picked Garrett Reisman to follow into space (we promise, it's a really good story), this week introduce you to The Poet and a new challenge tomorrow! 

Have you watched our video?
If not, click here to watch!

Have you voted in the poll yet?  How about telling us where you are from?   Or read up on the all the challenges and take a few, click on the challenge to read comments and post your own: 

Book Shelf Challenge, 

First Line/Last Lin Challenge, 

Childhood in a Book Challenge, Haiku Your Book Challenge,

 Share Thy Shakespeare Challenge, 

Bedtime Story Challenge, 

What Are You Reading RIGHT NOW! Challenge, 

On Ice in Antarctica Challenge, 

Really Really Really Good Book Challenge, If I Could Live in a Book Challenge, and Yourstory.

Last Week's Highlights and links to reviews and more on the books!

@ First Line Last Line Challenge 

Tracey said... 

Dreamers of the Day 

by Mary Doria Russell (Find a copy, click here)

1st Line:
I suppose I ought to warn you at the outset that my present circumstances are puzzling, even to me.
Last Line:
Try not to remember my name.

I haven't read this book yet. It was an impulse buy the last time I visited Horizon Books. I have to admit that I was captivated by the cover artwork. Has that ever happened to you?

@ Haiku Your Book Challenge 

The Friend said...

Found

Margret Peterson
The Missing: book 1, Found...WOW
Orphan Jonah's life

@ What are you Reading RIGHT Now Challenge 

Anela said...

I just finished Necromancer by Michael Scott (click here for Scott's Website), as always I felt like i was cut short, soooo good and so loong to wait for the next one. 

I'm reading the weed that strings the hangmans bag by Alan bradley. well technically i am but im also reading the curse of the pharaohs by elizabeth peters which are both really good and i loved sweetness at the bottom of the pie which is the first book by Alan Bradley. (Click here for Nancy Pearl's review of Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.)

Megan said...

Above All, Be Kind 

by Zoe Weil (Click here for Zoe Weil's Blog)
It is a wonderful reminder of so many ways to be kind in our world, with the choices we face every day. I love looking around on your site! Hope all is well for your family!

@ The Really Really Really Good Book Challenge 

Kathy Daniels said...

People of the Book 

by Geraldine Brooks (Click here for the NY Times Book Review)

Inspired by a true story, the book traces the Sarajevo Haggadah through centuries of intrigue, exile, and war. Artifacts (an insect wing, wine stains, salt crystals, and a white strand of hair) found in the book’s binding by the heroine, a rare books expert, lead to an incredible journey of fact and fiction through the centuries.

All in all, the book uplifted me (besides being a superb mystery) by the bonds of good shown by diverse people everywhere throughout the ages.

@ If I Could Live in a Book Challenge  

the Little Sister, Krista Meister, and the Librarian all agreed on going back to the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Tracey said... 

My Life in France 

by Julia Child (To read the NY Times review which said, "It is a wonderful picture of the most successful American export to France since Benjamin Franklin" of the book, click here.)

I read this book last summer and think it would be amazing to be immersed in French culture, society, and food in the 40's/50's. I love that Julia was my age when she made the life changing move to France and discovered her true passion.

Kathy Daniels said... 

Earth from Above 

by Yann Arthus-Bertrand (Click here for a slideshow of some of the photos from Treehugger.com)

One of my avocations is photography, really seeing and being aware of all that’s around me. The photo-artist captures beauty (people, nature, and just simply living) all around the globe.

Perhaps my husband and I could take the plane up and I could shoot pictures while he piloted! Bliss! (Although, we may be afraid of heights in a small plane!)

To read all of the comments and to add your own @ If I Could Live in a Book, click here!