What are your books saying?

They say you can tell alot about someone by the books they choose to read. I am inclined to agree - I always see both my current interests, enduring passions, and unspoken fears in my book choices.

Two of my favorite books - 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - both speak to my underlying fear of totalitarianism. There are always a myriad of parenting books on the table by my chair (to help me in an often futile effort to mold my three banshees into responsible adults). I try to throw in at least one title that really makes me think - about my life, my family, my principles - right now that book is In The Time of Butterflies by Julie Alvarez. This book makes me realize that the minutiae I worry about on a daily basis is just that - utterly trivial in the grand scheme of things.

Lest you think I am just an intellectually arrogant stepford mom, I also have quite a large pile of what I call "armchair" books - these books can be somewhat formulaic and I always know that good will triumph over evil but I find it relaxing to be able to turn the analysis off and just have fun reading. So you can get a little peek into my psyche from my books - I value freedom above all else, my family is my highest priority, I generally have entirely too many irons in the fire (and books on the table), and I like to be both challenged and refreshed by a variety of topics.

What are your books saying about you? A bookstore is a great place to start a new conversation....