Below you will find a list of books that are presently on my bedside table. These are not to be confused with the books in the bathroom, or the books on the full wall bookshelves in our room & the guest room, or the baskets of books in Bob’s room and the living room, or the books that line the windowsill downstairs, or the boxes of books in the closets, or the books on Scott’s side of the bed. Nope these are just the books stacked within my grasp on my side of the bed. This is will tell you two things about us:
(1) We love books.
(2) We love piles.
I’m working on becoming a better housekeeper. But between the kids, and the wee farm, and my growing list of home ec-y interests, I just don’t have the time worry about certain details. Or sweating the small stuff. Like the piles of books on the blanket box on my side of the bed. Or the pile of art supplies on the kitchen table. Or the pile of (clean & folded) laundry on top of the washer/dryer.
But I don’t want to talk about housekeeping. I’d rather talk about books.
I love books. We love books. The kids love books. It’s exciting to see what the new favourite books are, and what the lasting favourite books are. For Bob, his new favourite book is the Dirty Cowboy by Amy Timberlake. His lasting favourite is the Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Maggie, her new favourite book is My Dad by Charles Fuge and her lasting favourite would be any “touch and feel” book. Ha.
It is a true wish of mine that they continue to love books. That the simple pleasure of reading will be something they chose to do every day for the rest of their lives. I wish that they will choose books that comfort, relax and entertain them. That challenge their mindset and help them grow.
A new favourite book for me would be Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto. A lasting favourite… out of a pool of Katherine Dunn, Margaret Atwood, Erica Jong, Amy Hempel, Maggie Estep (all women, fancy that), Dunn rises to the top with her classic Geek Love.
And SO.
This is an open letter to whoever has my copy of Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love.
Wait, actually this is a letter to two people: one who has my “back-up copy”, the soft cover, writing in the margins, read 38 times copy of Geek Love and the person who has my “please return this, this is a first edition of my favourite book” copy of Geek Love.
So, HI! I don’t remember who either of you are, but I’d really like my book(s) back. I just got my own version of “Papa’s roses” tattooed all over my neck (to join in with my other GL tattoos) and well, I’d love another re-read.
Between all the pregnancy and parenting books, the green-home books, the Chuck Palahniuk books, the farming books and the art books, we easily have 50 books lent out right now if we have 1. And that’s OK. We lent them all knowing they may not come back. You know, in that knowledge is power, spirit of sharing. It’s all good.
But Geek Love is my favourite book! So please bring it back soon, alright?
Sincerely,
Ashley Duncan
The blanket box reading list in no particular order:
- Harvey Karp – The Happiest Toddler on the Block
- John Taylor Gatto – Dumbing Us Down
- Roch Carrier – The Hockey Sweater
- Triad Classifieds (newspaper)
- Linda Kavelin Popov – The Family Virtues Guide
- Hilary Flower – Adventures in Gentle Discipline
- Marla Frazee – Roller Coaster
- Erica Silverman – Morn of Mayfest
- Jan Brett – Three Snow Bears
- Woody Guthrie – New Baby Train
- Michael Pollan – Second Nature, a Gardner’s Education
- Linda Cockburn – Living the Good Life
- Scuffy the Tugbout
- The Poky Little Puppy
- Wonderful House
- Countryside and Stock Magazine
- Small Farm Canada Magazine
- Thomas & Looby – Backyard Livestock
- Frank Asch – Happy Birthday Moon
- Quality Classrooms catalogue
- Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening
- Charles Fuge – My Dad
- Photoshop Magazine
- Matthew Van Fleet – Cats
- Eric Stanton – The Dominant Wives and Other Stories
- Aviva Jill Romm – Vaccination: A Thoughtful Parents Guide
- Susan Meyers – Everywhere Babies
- Carol Costenbader – Preserving the Harvest
And now for the picture portion of the programme. The kids, exercising ridiculous levels of gorgeousness and my new haircut, albeit a few days lax on the washing.
Geek Love IS one of the greatest novels ever. My husband agrees too. It better be in the durn literary canon already.
Ever read any Tom Robbins? My favorites are – Still life with woodpecker, Even cowgirls get the blues, and Skinny legs and all
ah, chuck p! didn’t know you were a big fan too.
and by the way, i wanted to let you know of a couple upcoming orders i am working on: smartwool socks and KQO! LMK if you have any interest.
On my bedside table I currently have :-
‘The Moonstone,’ Wilkie Collins
‘Christopher’s Ghosts,’ Charles McCarry
‘Bluebeard’s Egg,’ Margaret Atwood
‘The Red Tent,’ Anita Diamant
‘Skeleton Crew,’ Stephen King
‘Grow Your Own Veg,’ Carol Klein
‘East Of Eden,’ John Steinbeck
‘Wise Children,’ Angela Carter
‘The Tales of Beedle The Bard,’ JK Rowling
‘The Clothes On Their Backs,’ Linda Grant
‘The Melancholy Death Of Oyster Boy,’ Tim Burton
ahahaha! i love this post! and hte idea of a “back up” copy is genious!
Delurking finally. (always enjoy your blog, thanks!)
I hope you get your copies of Geek Love back. I understand the problem. That book was the first gift I was given by my husband over ten years ago (with a very sweet inscription on the inside). I lent the book to a friend, years ago now, and it came back pretty wrecked. At least it was returned and I still have that copy, which is more important than the condition it was in when I got it back. Hope your open-call is successful!
Long time reader, but never commented…I hear ya on the Geek Love, I’ve lent and lost so many copies and had to rebuy it as it’s my favorite book too. I really hope you get them back!
I love your blog by the way, really inspirational
well. how uncanny. just this week, i finally finished my GL tattoo by tim (2years and 3 sittings in the making…) so, i really understand your predicament. I first contacted you many moons ago on sg regarding your GL work, and you recommended i go see tim. and so i did.
i really hope you get your treasures back.
v
Ashley – I’m pleased to see you got the books I sent from your Amazon wish list (that must have been about a year ago). I bet the outhouse book is in your bathroom! I got the outhouse book for myself too, and I like that one a lot (I have it next to my bed though).
Im absolutely in love with reading your blog. You have such a wonderful life and a very beautiful family
You set such a positive role family-wise and its so inspiring
Ashley & Scott,
We had a wonderful time this weekend! It was so nice to get some more gorgeous tattoo’s and also spend so much time with you and the kiddos, we missed that when we were up in July. Hope you had a great time at pumpkin fest, and be sure to wish Bob a happy birthday from us on Tuesday.
p.s. what did you say was in the small deodorant shaped tube?
Those are some seriously cute boots Maggie has on!! Love them!
I hope Geek Love is returned to you! I bought Geek Love years ago, and only made it a few chapters in, I never finished it! We moved in between and it’s now in a box somewhere, still unpacked.
I frigging love Maggie’s clothes. She always looks so adorable.
I’m always curious what others are reading. Thanks for sharing.
My son is a bit younger than Maggie but My Dad currently tops the read multiple times a day list.
Hey woman!
I still have a half finished draft email waiting to be sent to you but in the meantime let me just say how super pretty your new haircut is, how mental I’d go over a missing first copy of GL, How super amazing little Bob’s shirt is and your Mike Giant renew for sweet Meeps -but most of all – thanks for the gag worthy photo of poor ol’ Marie’s head. I’m certain to become vegetarian upon moving further away from town.
xo.
I’m always curious what others are reading. Thanks for sharing.
My son is a bit younger than Maggie but My Dad currently tops the read multiple times a day list.
I don’t have your copy of Geek Love but you’re welcome to have mine.
We covered it in an english class last year and I probably won’t read it again. let me know.
Jaime – love Tom Robbins!
Rebecca – I am unfamiliar with the products, will look them up and let you know. THANK YOU!
Ivy – some great books on your list, awesome.
Indebted & Claire – glad you are reading!
Michelle – oh yeah, the Outhouse books is AWESOME. Thank you so much for them.
Mac – I feel really blessed, my family is awesome.
Kara – Pumpkinfest & the birthday were GREAT. The little tube is a hand/body salve. Jojoba, calendula oil, sweet almond oil, hemp seed oil, beeswax and some sweetgrass.
Jessica – her boots are See Kai Run. We’ve had a couple of pairs, they always LOOK great but they wear pretty badly and quickly in my experience thus far.
Synnove – she’s way more fashionable than me!
Shani – I’m always curious too, always on the lookout for a new good read.
Nicole – you should see her head now that it’s been in the compost for a bit, you’d be veggie for certain!
Char – I’ll let you know! Hopefully it resurfaces. Thank you.
Have you guys read Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel? Ash’s fav book by FAR.
unfamiliar with KQO? it’s what meeps wears all the time! kate quinn organics!! LoL
Have a go at “Living on Love – The Messenger” by Klaus Joehle. You gonna love this book. An Angel tells Klaus a secret about sending love. And Klaus uses this in his life. My favorite!
Geek Love! Has to be about the best book ever. I read it a few months back during a very long rail journey and couldn’t stop laughing out loud, sick and rolicking, whoever stole it had taste!