Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A book for the log cabin nook

I've created my own little nook in the log cabin for reading. I have my comfy chair with a pillow, a stuffed moose to sit on my lap when the cat won't, a window with a great view and an inspirational painting hanging above me. I need a fuzzy blanket for the winter and some good reading material. What are your top 3 favorite books you would recommend for "log cabin" reading?
P.S. I've read the Gift of Deer, Alone in the Wilderness and the Woodswoman books.
P.S. I am guessing the following people will have some great input:
  • Bobbi at Bobbi's Book Nook will have some great ideas. Her site offers very insightful reviews of a wide variety of books.
  • My buddy (I think Rob) at The Cottage Chronicles. He is a great resource and reviewer on so many things such as getting rid of mice, hooking up a cottage water system and great links to furniture and so much more. His site is a must see if you own a cottage or cabin.
  • Wendy at "It's Just Me." She's a pro at poll questions so I figure she must have some great answers too. The pressure's on Wendy!
  • Jen at Unglazed - she's funny and just seems to know so many things!
  • Jessica at Five Pines. She always finds the coolest things (such as weird objects and antique aprons) so I figure she knows about some cool books too.
  • Sandy at Birds, Bees, Bugs and Blossoms. She's very artsy so I'm counting on her for some "artsy" recommendations!
  • Michelle at New Beginnings - she has a passion for life!

If you visit any of my blogging friends above, I guarantee you won't be disappointed!




This was painted by Greg's cousin. Greg's brother Alfonso purchased and framed this as a gift for us. I treasure it greatly!

16 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Shelley,
My three favorite books are not necessarily about log cabins or the wilderness, but they make for good reads:

1.) The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
2.) Clear Springs: A Memoir by Bobbie Ann Mason
3.) A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House

All three of these are by KY authors (Kingsolver is originally from KY). I think these would be excellent books for guest visiting the cabin.

Of course, some of my favorite books are about vampires, werewolves and zombies, but not all your guest would appreciate these!

Lolosblog said...

Sorry, I am not much of a reader, so no suggestions. I do, however, think your nook looks great.

RobDares said...

Hi Shelley,
I am a voracious reader but my tastes run this way and that...however, three books that I have enjoyed are:
1)The Holy Blood and Holy Grail by Henry Lincoln, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh. Whether you believe the theories of these guys or not, it is interesting reading.
2)Walden by Henry David Thoreau This is a classic, and if you are looking for a simple life, there is inspiration here.
3)Winterkill by C.J. Box This is fiction, but I found it a pretty entertaining story.
Of course around the cottage we have a bunch of repair manuals.....

Rob
The Cottage Chronicles

Constance said...

Hi Shelley,
We got back from Canada late yesterday and I am making my rounds.

I love the Bermese Mt Dog, they are and have been, a personal favorite of mine.

Did you get to keep the tractor?

Some of my favorite readings are biographies and I agree with Bob, Thoreau is a good read.

"Silence of the North" by Olive Frederickson:

Here is the incredible true story of one woman’s fight for survival in the Arctic wilderness.
When she was nine years old, Olive Fredrickson witnessed her mother’s death in the Arctic wilderness. At nineteen, she married a trapper who led her into a perilous life far removed from the comforts of civilization. Told from a harrowing first-person perspective, Fredrickson recounts the hair-raising experiences of her first years in the frozen wasteland that was her husband’s hunting ground. When her attempt to run a farm single-handedly, after her husband’s death, threatened to end in ruin, Fredrickson walked 40 miles alone to the nearest village, in a desperate attempt to obtain food for her starving family by bartering against future crops. It was a life-or-death journey filled with bears, wolves, and unparalleled danger.

"Ada Blackjack" by Jennifer Niven:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Blackjack

"Two In The Far North" by Margaret Murie:

Two in the Far North is the life story of Margaret Murie, who grew up in Alaska before it was a state, tramped its wild lands before they were mapped, and has worked hard to preserve its wild places. She went North at age nine to a new life in a log cabin in Fairbanks. Her childhood was filled with the dangers and thrills of life on the frontier: the night the town caught fire and her father and the other men burned the town's bacon supply to keep the water pump going; an exciting cross country trip on the last dog sled mail run of the year over rivers that were breaking up; the dazzling weekly arrival of the mail sleigh with its flamboyant driver. When she graduated from college she married - at three a.m., just before the Arctic sun rose - a young biologist named Olaus Murie. Together they spent the next fifty years exploring and mapping the wilderness of Alaska, researching, studying, and counting its wildlife by dogsled, snowshoe, skis, boat, and floatplane - sometimes with a baby in tow. All of these adventures she shares in buoyant, lively prose. For Margaret Murie it is the people as much as the place that makes Alaska home, and her book is a loving tribute to both.

These are some books that I have enjoyed and could read over and over!

I look forward to the day when I have my own reading nook in our own cabin. Make sure you have cabin type coasters for those mugs of coffee or hot chocolate!

Grins,
Connie

reliv4life said...

Shelley - boy, I am honored to be included in your list! I LOVE the reading nook!! Books are serious business around my house and am going to try to pick 3 - very hard to do since I am a bookaholic. Anyway, I will get back soon with my picks!

Jen said...

Thanks Shelley
Since I have a serious side too I would have to suggest the Bible—however there is quite a bit of humor in there. Can’t you just see a camel trying to squeeze through the eye of a needle? And BTW, Charlton Heston can’t be found in the table of contents; so don’t look.
I like to read autobiographies; I think that’s why I like this blogging stuff so much.

P.S. Love the watercolor done by your cousin.

Wall-to-wall books said...

I've read "Gift of a Deer" too!
Isn't that funny!

1.Bittersweet Country by Elaine Long
is perfect for cabin life, it takes place on a sheep farm in Montana. Hands down, best book I've ever read.
2.The Healing Woods by Martha Reben
Takes place in the Adirondacks, memoir, very old. Excellent story.
3.Cold Oceans - Adventures in Kayak, rowboat, and dogsled by Jon Turk
True story. On the edge of your seat good!
4.Rowing to Latitude Journeys along the Arctic Edge by Jill Fredston
True story. Very good Kayaking book!

Well you can certainly tell what kind of books I like.

Jessica said...

Oh, I like this post. I love books. In fact this gives me a great idea for a post on the subject. I'll post my suggestions soon. I've got some good ideas for log cabin reading.

Thanks for mentioning the blogs. Jen is the only one I have visited before. I'm going to check out the others.

Anonymous said...

Oh I have a book! It's titled, A Year in the Maine Woods, by Bernd Heinrich. It's a true story about Bernd and his raven, who takes a year off to live in a cabin he built in Maine. It takes you through the whole year and it's so interesting to read what he experiences in the different seasons. My favorite book!

Walden is #2 but somebody already suggested that. I'm reading that one now.

And #3 is Robert Frost's, A Boy's Will and Mountain Interval are a great collection of nature poems!

Happy reading!

reliv4life said...

OK, I am back! I have not thought of many "log cabin" type books! The only book I can think if about the wilderness is called, "Mrs Mike" I can not remember the author, but couldn't put it down, that was a few years ago.
I have been trying to think of books that really impacted me.
My top 3 books after the bible are:

1. The Secret - this books talks a lot of about "the universe" which I just replaced in my mind with "God" - cuz to me he is the universe. The month I read this book I placed 14th in the Nation with Reliv and do believe it was the influence of this book. I have also seen it help in all sorts of areas of my life besides just money.

2. "It Ain't All About the Cookin' " by Paula Deen - this is not a cookbook. It is the story of courage and overcoming great odds by following what you are passionate about. It is very much about home and family - perfect read for your log home!

3. "How your Child is Smart" - this book was very eye opening. I not only learned a lot about my kids, I learned tons about myself and realized for the first time why some things come easy to me while others are hard.

Catherine Holman said...

Looks like a great spot to read. I also think The Bean Trees would be a good one to start with. I need to curl up with a book soon too!
Cathie

Wendy said...

The Tree People by Naomi Stokes; and Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer.
I know, it's five, but I had to share!

You asked about the picture of the tall tree and dramatic sky I posted Wednesday: I wish I could tell you what kind of tree that was, but I really wasn't close enough to tell. It does appear to be quite tall in this picture, but in relation to other trees in the area, it's pretty a normal height; this is a forested area after all!

At the time the picture was taken, it was a beautiful day and we weren't anticipating any rain (despite those clouds, which really weren't as threatening as they appear), but there's a saying here that if you don't like the weather, wait 20 minutes and it will change. Two hours later, it was pouring.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Favorite books I have read are The Secret Life of Bees, The Time Travelers Wife and the whole Midford series by Jan Karon....
Penny

Shelley said...

Bobbi - thank you - I'm going to check these out! Not sure about the vampires - might be hard for me to go to sleep in my dark cabin in the woods..ha,ha

Brani - thanks!!

Rob - I picked up a copy of Walden and need to start reading it all the way thru this time!

Constance - I love survival stories - these will be good!

Jen - do you think they have Heston on "audio books" reading the bible? Now that would be good!

Wendy - especially appreciated the kayak book reads!

Letspaint - I agree on the maine woods book - I read the a couple years ago - but thanks for the Frost recommendation!

Jessica - I think you'll definitely like everyone elses blogs - all nice like you!

Michelle - Reliv - how funny - my husband made me watch the Secret video - I loved it!

Catherine - will ck out Bean Trees - thanks!

J. Robin - all the titles sound interesting!

Penny - I've been meaning to pick up the secret life of bees - thank you!

sandy said...

I will think on this and get back... I know I have lots of good books I've enjoyed..thanks....

that's a beautiful painting. I really really want to do something specifically for your log cabin...

one of these days I'm going to.

Cassie said...

"Riverwalking" by Kathleen Moore has a bunch of short essays you might like.