A Life In Books

About Me

I’m 34, living in Georgia with my husband, Mike and two three cats, Mina and Mojo – and most recently, Jack. I’m originally from Newfoundland, Canada but have travelled quite a bit and ended up in the US where I met my husband. After living in Atlanta for a couple years, we moved to Rhode Island, living there for three years. We missed having family close by, so we moved back to the South, first to North Carolina, and most recently back to Georgia.

I’m an avid reader and writer and I also work at a public library, so between one thing or another, I’m pretty much surrounded by books 24/7 – and that’s just the way I like it! But I also enjoy outdoorsy-type things like biking, camping and geocaching. I have a severe case of wanderlust and love to travel. In addition to maintaining this blog, I’m actively involved in BookCrossing and a couple different book clubs, including one I started at my church. I like teas and tisanes, red wines, am obsessed with anything chocolate and my guilty pleasure is watching Survivor.

Why I started A Life in Books: I’d wanted to keep a reading diary for ages so I could keep track of what I’d been reading and my thoughts on those books. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve wondered if I’ve read a book or not, what a certain book was about, how long ago I read a given book, etc. At the same time, I had several people telling me I should have a blog/myspace/live journal/etc. with my response invariably being that my life wasn’t exciting enough to write about on a regular basis! However, the online format seemed a perfect means of keeping a reading diary, and thus A Life in Books was begun. Since that time, I’ve come to realize how many like-minded folks are out there, fellow bibliophiles who also look to the Internet to talk books – which has turned into one of my favorite things about being online.

Want to reach me? Email me!

Comments
  • Erin:

    I have the same problem with books. I’ve read so many in my life I forget about them! I’ll forget details even if I loved a book, hence why I write reviews also. It’s addictive too :)

    It sure is – and I think it’s made me read more, too.

    Reply July 10, 2007 at 5:13 pm
  • Jessie (from work):

    Lesley! Hi! I’ve been skipping around on your blog since you showed it to us yesterday, and I absolutely love it! So insightful and informative. :) Also, I’m glad to know there’s someone else out there whose books look like they’ve never been read. I do the same thing you do: I will search through every copy of a book at a store to find the best looking one. And, if none of the books are acceptable, I sometimes won’t even buy one, no matter how much I want it. Also, no one plays Book Lover’s Trivial Pursuit with me either, so I just go through the questions by myself. It’s actually pretty sad. Ha, anyway, I’m going to go read more of your blog. Hope you’re having a lovely day!

    PS- Sorry if I spelled your name wrong.

    PPS- you mentioned Twilight by Stephenie Meyer in one of your reviews. I just finished Eclipse yesterday. It was okay. Not as great as the first two, but worth reading.

    Wow, see how much we had in common and didn’t even know it! I’m glad I’m not the only one who will walk out of a bookstore without buying a book in bad condition.
    I’m hoping to get Eclipse this weekend – I’m dying to know if Edward and Bella finally ‘get together’! Somehow I doubt it.

    And you did spell my name right. :)

    Reply August 9, 2007 at 1:48 pm
  • The Individual Voice:

    I read Kafka’s Letter to his father and the review is posted here:http://theindividualvoice.blogspot.com/2007/10/kafkas-letter-to-his-father.html
    the individual voice: Kafka’s Letter to His Father

    Happy armchair travelling. The Individual Voice

    Reply October 7, 2007 at 12:15 pm
  • aloi:

    hi, was blog hopping and found your site. i’m inviting you (and all other book bloggers out there) to add your blog to the bookblogblog.blogspot.com … a directory of book and reading sites. i hope you sign up!

    Reply November 13, 2007 at 10:39 am
  • Wilson Crawford:

    I’m an avid reader and a writer as well. I live in North Carolina and enjoy Southern regional fiction, history non-fiction and biographies. I was looking at blogs and came across yours. It’s very enjoyable! Keep writing and reading.

    Reply December 15, 2007 at 8:59 pm
  • Deborah:

    Hi, Lesley, I don’t actually have a book blog, but am considering starting one, and I loved reading yours! Love your blog front, too. My life is books and stitching…everyone’s should be, don’t you think?! I’m originally from NC; spent most of my life raising children in MA; and, am now back South full-time living in Naples, FL. I’m coming back to see you often!! Keep on reading and reviewing! Deb

    Thanks for visiting, Deb! Keeping a book blog is great fun, although it will wreak havoc with your wish and to-read lists! I look forward to reading yours. :)

    Reply December 30, 2007 at 11:20 pm
  • Jessie:

    You found me! Yeah, I know I should get blogger (wordpress and I have issues with each other), but I love LJ because it’s got user icons, and I love my user icons. We’ll see, though.

    I am so glad we got to see each other today. It’s nice to have someone to talk about books with (most of my friends aren’t big readers, or they don’t read what I read).

    Yeah, the user icons are pretty cool. Smilies just don’t cut it. I wonder if blogger with all its enhancements has anything like that now? Anytime you want to talk about books, let me know! Maybe you, Beth and I can meet for coffee sometime.

    Reply January 21, 2008 at 9:30 pm
  • Jackie:

    Hello,

    I’m happy to have found a blog that looks similar to mine.
    Is it ok for you if I put you on the list of my blog?

    Certainly! And I’ll do the same if you post your link. :)

    Reply March 4, 2008 at 10:47 am
  • donstuff:

    I enjoyed finding your blog today. You have a number of interesting things to read.

    Reply July 16, 2008 at 2:50 am
  • Jessica:

    I do bookcrossing! I started to do it a few years ago! I have never met someone else that does bookcrossing! wow!

    Reply August 5, 2008 at 6:07 pm
  • Lisamm:

    I love your blog! I\’m looking for a way to email you but can\’t find it. Could you email me at lisamunleyATcaDOTrrDOTcom? I have a question for you!

    Reply August 21, 2008 at 11:49 am
  • Linda Gillard:

    Hi Lesley

    I saw your comment on A WORK IN PROGRESS and wanted to email you to ask if you’d like review copies of my books but the Contact Me link doesn’t supply an email address. You can contact me via my website if you’d like books – http://www.lindagillard.co.uk

    Reply August 30, 2008 at 2:54 am
  • Sal:

    I’m impressed with all the blogs you all do using wordpress – so cool. Hv created one and deleted – find it quite limiting in creating icons, links and putting up pics etc… or maybe I just don’t know how to. Anyway, what’s the diff between blog and hosting? Thinking of creating a book blog too, but..
    =( I’m a fellow bookcrosser. Cheers to good reading and sharing.

    Reply September 11, 2008 at 11:35 am
  • Colleen:

    Hey, another east coaster! I grew up in NFLD and Nova Scotia and now live in Toronto. I wonder if anyone ever stays down east anymore?

    By the way, I’m jealous – I think working in a library would probably be the best job in the world.

    Reply September 21, 2008 at 9:19 am
  • Rebecca:

    I really like your book blog and I am glad you started it! I did not realize how many other wonderful bibliophiles there were either. I am happy to meet you and everyone else. I like your style of review as well, very nice. Keep reading and keep sharing! :)

    Reply January 5, 2009 at 7:21 pm
  • Rebecca:

    Hi Lesley,

    I just gave you three awards. You can stop by my blog to see them and pick them up if you’d like to. :)

    Reply January 12, 2009 at 8:11 pm
  • Sarah:

    I can’t wait to explore your blog ~ I read almost constantly and without a television reading is my main entertainment. I started a notebook a few months ago of books that I’ve read within the last year or so. It’s to keep me from going nuts when I’m at the library and to keep me from checking books out that I’ve already read. I’m up to 58 books in the last 10 months…the ones I could remember to write down.

    Reply April 22, 2009 at 7:56 am
  • Christian:

    Hi, I’m 39 living in Buenos Aires. My mother tongue is Spanish but I love reading books in English. You will ask yourself how I knew about your great, interesting and formative blog. Last night I watched Kymatica on line. After that, I started skipping into internet pages and suddenly I found you blog. Thanks god!! I’m glad to know there’s someone else there who loves books. I like reading children literature cause I am a primary school teacher and I try to find all the time new stories to retell. I love the jungle book. It’s one of my favourite books. Kippling is a genius. Yesterday I finished reading Ten short stories by Roald Dahl. I think Roald is one of the most widely read and influential writers of the past fifty years. He’ll be a classic. I’d like to be in touch with because I love the way you treat books and in a way you can help me to be up to date about new releases in the States and Canada.

    Reply May 30, 2009 at 4:33 am
Leave a Comment
Click here to cancel reply.

Pages

  • About Me
    • 100 Things
    • A Few of My Favorite Things
    • My “23 Things”
  • Books Read ~ 2006
  • Books Read ~ 2007
  • Books Read ~ 2008
  • Books Read ~ 2009
  • Books Read ~ 2010

Recent Posts

  • Small Town, Big Mystery
  • Life and Love on the Canadian Frontier
  • Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
  • Too Much of a Good Thing
  • Love Thy Neighbor
  • The Sunday Salon: Rainy Day Reading
  • Life in the ‘Burbs
  • The Sunday Salon: Tea Talk with Lesley
  • Saturday Shout-Out #2
  • Suffer the Little Children

Archives

Fellow BookLovers

  • 1 More Chapter
  • 51 Stories
  • A Devoted Reader
  • A Garden Carried in the Pocket
  • A Guy’s Moleskine Notebook
  • A Reader’s Journal
  • A Striped Armchair
  • A Work in Progress
  • At Home With Books
  • Behind the Stove
  • Between the Covers
  • BiblioAddict
  • Bibliolatry
  • Bibliophile By the Sea
  • Blogging About Books
  • Book Nut
  • Book-A-Rama
  • Bookfoolery and Babble
  • Bookgirl’s Nightstand
  • Bookie
  • BookLust
  • BookNAround
  • Books and Cooks
  • Books Are Like Candy Corn
  • Books for Breakfast
  • Bookstorm
  • Capricious Reader
  • CaribousMom
  • Chartroose
  • Confessions of a Bookaholic
  • Dabbling Dilettante
  • Eve’s Alexandria
  • Ex Libris
  • Framed & Booked
  • Full Steam Ahead
  • Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?
  • In Search of Giants
  • In Spring It Is The Dawn
  • Jenny’s Books
  • John Baker’s blog
  • Kailana’s Written World
  • Kate’s Book Blog
  • Katie, Kate, Susan and Sue
  • Leafing Through Life
  • Lesley’s Book Nook
  • Lit and Life
  • Lizzy’s Literary Life
  • Maggie Reads
  • Musings of a Bookish Kitty
  • My Cozy Book Nook
  • Naked Without Books!
  • pages turned
  • Peachybooks
  • Reading Adventures
  • Reading in Appalachia
  • Reading Life of Antipodean Owl
  • Reviews by Lola
  • S. Krishna's Books
  • Sassymonkey Reads
  • Shelf Life
  • Shelf Love
  • So Many Books
  • Somewhere I Have Never Travelled
  • Stainless Steel Droppings
  • Steph & Tony Investigate!
  • Stephanie's Written Word
  • The Bluestalking Reader
  • The Book Lady's Blog
  • The Book Mine Set
  • The Book Pirate
  • The Boston Bibliophile
  • The Indextrious Reader
  • The Library Ladder
  • The Literary Gift Company
  • This Dangerous Life
  • This Delicious Solitude
  • Tripping Toward Lucidity
  • Trish’s Reading Nook
  • Whimpulsive

Other Favorites

  • Arts & Letters Daily
  • Atlanta Booklover's Blog
  • Awful Library Books
  • Bas Bleu
  • Bibliotravel
  • Book Club Girl
  • Book Glutton
  • Book Reporter
  • Book Sale Finder
  • BookBrowse
  • Bookmarks
  • BookPage
  • Buy a Friend a Book!
  • Chain Reading
  • Diversify Your Reading
  • Estella’s Revenge
  • Flashlight Worthy
  • Georgia Center for the Book
  • Gifts 4 Book Lovers
  • Holly Cottage Tearoom
  • LibraryThing
  • Lit Mob
  • Literary Traveler
  • Mental Floss
  • Pajiba Book Reviews
  • Pepys' Diary
  • Reading Group Choices
  • Ready Steady Book
  • Talking Books
  • Tea with Friends
  • That's How I Blog
  • Ultimate Travel Library
  • VERB

Personal Stuff

  • My Amazon Wish List
  • My BookCrossing BookShelf
  • My Facebook Page
  • My Library

Categories

  • Biography & Memoir
  • Book Club Selection
  • BookCrossing
  • Bookish Movies
  • Books About Books
  • Chick Lit
  • Classics
  • Essays
  • General Fiction
  • General Reading
  • Graphic Novel
  • Historical Fiction
  • History
  • Horror
  • Humor
  • Just for Fun
  • Kid Lit
  • Mystery & Thriller
  • Nonfiction
  • Personal
  • Random Stuff
  • Reading Challenges
  • Religion & Spirituality
  • Saturday Shout-Out
  • Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  • Short Stories
  • Sunday Salon
  • Travel
  • YA Fiction

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org
A Rough Guide to
My Book Ratings:

(Began January 2010)
5: Excellent. This book has impacted me deeply, or has simply been a pure delight to read.
4: Good, solid book that I would recommend to others.
3: Decent, but didn’t grab me in a big way.
2: Maybe somebody else would like this. I didn’t.
1: I had major issues with this book. I don’t recommend it.

My Reading Challenges:



  • 14 down, 86 to go


  • Stitches
  • Tales From Outer Suburbia
  • Gray Horses
  • Laika
  • Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel




  • Bootlegger's Daughter (Edgar)
  • Someone Knows My Name (Commonwealth Writers' Prize)

  • Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel


  • Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel


  • La's Orchestra Saves the World
  • Stitches
  • Tales From Outer Suburbia
  • Beach Music
  • Gray Horses
  • Bootlegger's Daughter
  • Laika
  • Someone Knows My Name
  • Who the Hell is Pansy O'Hara?
  • Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel
  • Jane Bites Back
  • My Famous Evening


  • Mrs. Mike (TBR)
  • Bootlegger's Daughter (Who Are You, Again?)


  • Who the Hell is Pansy O'Hara?
  • Jane Bites Back
  • My Famous Evening



  • February 2010 - January 2011
  • Someone Knows My Name





  • January - June 2010
  • Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel


  • Musical: La's Orchestra Saves the World


  • La's Orchestra Saves the World
  • Mrs. Mike
  • Laika
  • Someone Knows My Name









  • January 2010


  • Mrs. Mike



  • July 2009 - June 2010
  • Remembering the Bones
  • Mrs. Mike
  • Someone Knows My Name
  • My Famous Evening


  • The Sunday Salon.com


  • Header Image Courtesy MorBCN | Powered by WordPress | “Blend” from Spectacu.la WP Themes Club