SLIDER

Trip Down Memory Lane

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/Top Ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists!

Top Ten Best Bookish Memories


1. Grandmothers Who Love to Read
I've mentioned this on the blog before, but I'm blessed to have two grandmothers who both love to read. It's so fun to be able to talk books with both of them, especially since my parents are huge readers. My Grammy would actually buy me books for birthdays and holidays and would always write the date and a sweet note on the first page. I love pulling them off my shelves and looking at what she's given me over the years. Such sweet memories!


2. Savannah From Savannah in Paris
I went to a small private high school, and one thing I got to do through school was go on a two-week summer trip to Europe with some of my classmates. It was an incredible trip for many reasons, but there is one bookish memory that fits with this theme. My friends I fell in love with the Savannah books (Savannah from Savannah, Savannah Comes Undone and Savannah By the Sea) by author Denise Hildreth. I got everyone hooked and Savannah from Savannah made the rounds with my group of friends. We didn't get to visit Paris, but we did have a long layover in the Paris airport. While many students slept, my friend I pulled out our books and spent some time with our new Southern sister. The picture on the right shows my copy today - worn in and well-loved from all its adventures abroad! 


3. Dear America With My Cousin
My cousin, Rachel, and I would usually see each other in the summers and during Thanksgiving break. We didn't live in the same state, so we had to wait for family vacations to spend time together. And when we were little, we fell head over heels in love with the Dear America books. We were so obsessed with them that we once tried to convince two little girls we were hanging out with at the playground that our names with Elizabeth and Marie and we've moved to Arkansas from England and France, respectively. I still get tickled thinking about it today!


4. Read-Alongs With My Cousin
Rachel and I still live in different states (sad!), but we also still love to read. Recently, we've started reading books "together" (at the same time) and texting or calling each other to discuss said book. It's like a book club with two members. Our current read is Les Miserables and there's nothing I love more than a text from her saying things like, "Here's to hoping you read the nun section tonight..." These will be bookish memories I'll cherish forever!


5. One Year Anniversary in Seaside
I know I included this in my review of The Lost Girls, but it still makes the list. My wedding anniversary is July 2, and we happened to be at the beach last year to celebrate. My husband and I enjoyed a delicious dinner in Seaside, followed by a stop at one of my favorite bookstores - Sundog Books. Of course, I couldn't leave without buying a book, and I decided on The Lost Girls. I'll always love this book because of the memory of buying it on my first anniversary. Such a special day!


6. Pride and Prejudice From Japan
I just included this in my post from last week about collecting copies of Pride and Prejudice, but it's worth repeating because it really is one of my ten best bookish memories. My husband sometimes has to travel for his job, and he spent a few weeks in Japan at one point last year. He asked the translator with them to write down Pride and Prejudice in Japanese on a little slip of paper. He then took that slip of paper with him all over the city - visiting bookstores and trying to find me another copy for my collection. He gave me the two-volume copy when he got home, and I've never been so happy to have married a man who understands the way to my heart.


7. Jane Austen Museum in Bath
I studied abroad in Oxford, England, during college. It was an incredible experience, and I have many fond memories from the trip. But my best bookish memory involves convincing a few other girls to spend one of our weekends in Bath - where we visited the Roman Baths, a fashion museum, Stonehenge (which isn't too far from Bath) and... the Jane Austen Museum! Sadly, I'll never be able to go to a Jane Austen (tear) so it was really fun to be able to spend some time in a place dedicated solely to her. Plus, I picked up a copy of Pride and Prejudice in the gift shop!


8. Reading Harry Potter for the First Time
I was really late to the whole Harry Potter obsession. I was convinced I wouldn't like them, so I avoided reading them for years. Then, right after I got married, my husband wanted to have a marathon of all the movies. I decided I didn't care about reading them first (regret that now)... and then I fell in love and bought them all from Target in a moment of obsession. And I read them like a crazy person! It's a favorite memory for two reasons: 1) the books are just so special and memorable and 2) we lived in a different city for two months after getting married and that's where I bought these. They always remind me of that time right after we got married!


9. Scouring San Francisco for Bookstores
I was in San Francisco last year for a work trip, and I had some time in the afternoons to scour the city. I found two of the coolest independent bookstores while there - and I love the memories I've got of wandering the city and searching through two stores for a few special books to take home with me. I love finding an independent bookstore in any city I visit when traveling, if possible, and buying a book while I'm there. Got to support bookstores in every city!


10. Getting My Kindle(s)
My husband bought me my first Kindle two years ago while we were still dating. I had been researching them for months - trying to decide if I wanted to take the e-reader plunge! And I was so excited when I opened the box and found a Kindle inside. He definitely knows how to make this bookish heart happy! And this year he got me the new Paperwhite, which I'm so obsessed with! I've read so many incredible books on both of these devices and fell in love with reading on them. I still buy hard copies, but I'm definitely reading more and more on my Kindle!

24 comments

  1. Seems like you have a pretty bookish family--slightly jealous! Also jealous of the Jane Austen museum. Reading Harry Potter for the first time? Definitely one of my favorite bookish memories too. I already loved to read before I read them, but I grew up with the books--they're just really special to me.

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    1. My grandmothers love reading, and my parents aren't huge readers but always encouraged my love for it! I love how many people grew up with the Harry Potter books and how it developed their own love for reading. So special!

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  2. These are just so sweet. I love how it seems that each moment is extremely, extremely important and special to you! And I love how plenty of them seem to involve people who are important in your life :)

    I'm looking forward to having my first read-along with you! It's going to be FAB.

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    1. Thanks Alexa! I noticed that most of my favorite bookish memories involved people I love and liked how it ended up that way :)

      Yay for the read-along!

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  3. These are awesome. I LOOOOOVE the P&P your hubby bought you! You'll have to show us your collection one day.

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    1. I did a post during my P&P with a pic of the whole collection and highlighted a few of my favorites! I definitely show off more favorites in the future too :)

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  4. My grandparents used to give me so many books! Now they think I have too many. haha Also, I LOVED the Dear America series, especially the princess line. I'm pretty sure my favorite was Cleopatra.

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    1. Oh, I loved all the Dear American books too (obviously) but ATE UP the Princess line! Those were so good! I think Cleopatra was one of the few I didn't read (I think I let my sister borrow my copy before I read) but now I want to go find it and read it!

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  5. You styled this post so well! It looks great, and yay, I love all of these moments and how so many of them include friends. :)

    Sometimes the best bookish memories are the simplest ones. :)

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    1. Thanks Estelle! Yes, I think many of my favorite bookish memories are favorites because they involve people :)

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  6. I love that so many of your memories involve where you were when you read/bought a certain book. Sometimes those things stick with me better than the book itself!

    Old follower, check out my list :)

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    1. I agree! Sometimes the memory of where you were or what you were doing when you were reading a book last much longer than the memory of the book itself!

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  7. This list of memories is so lovely! I can tell you spent a lot of time on it, and I really enjoyed reading them!

    I love notes from people in books (especially grandmothers!) It makes the books extra special. It might even be on par with autographs for me!

    I haven't heard of the Savannah books, but I'll have to check them out! And I read American Girl instead of the Dear America... but I'm sure I would have enjoyed them too! So funny that you tried to trick those kids!

    And wow! Your husband scoured Japan for copies of Pride and Prejudice! He is definitely a keeper! I need to find someone that wonderful!

    I'm refusing to read the Harry Potter books so that my memory becomes fuzzy, and I can eventually experience them as if it were the first time all over again! It's been at least five years now since I picked one up... Am I torturing myself???

    Thanks for sharing all these memories with us! :)
    Lauren @ Hughes Reviews

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    1. I think notes from people in books can be even more special than most autographs! At the end of the day, an autograph is just a name. But a note in a book that is gifted to you shows the care and thought that went into the book's selection for you and that can't be beat :)

      Oh girl, I ate up the American Girl books, too. I think that's why I'm such a historical fiction lover! Felicity was my favorite. How about you?

      Yeah, he's definitely a keeper!

      Haha love that you're refusing to reread them until your memory of them is fuzzy. I think that's as close as you can come to your first time reading experience! :)

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  8. I LOVE all of those memories! Also -- today my friend let me play with her Kindle Paperwhite and oh man. I kind of want one now. Mine is the kindle touch + while I love it, it would be so convenient for it to be lit sometimes. My husband has purchased my two kindles for me as well. (The original and my current touch.) Hubbies are the best! :)

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    1. Thanks Magan! Hubbies really are the best, especially when they get you nice bookish prezzies :)

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  9. Those P&P from Japan are AMAZING. What a great hubs!

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  10. Love your list!! I LOVE going to random bookstores in different cities and browsing! So fun! ALSO your picture of your anniversary made me excited because I have The Lost Girls on my shelf..unread but now I reallyyy want to pick it up! ALSO, I totally was into the Dear America series! LOVED. Never heard of the Savannah series!

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    1. Thanks Jamie! Yes, I love going to bookstores in different cities. So fun to explore different independent bookstores! And yes, I really enjoyed reading The Lost Girls! It was really interesting, and I read it quickly. I think you'll like it a lot because I know you like traveling/books about traveling. YAY Dear America!

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  11. I love how books make us connect to family members more, and I think it's so great your grandmother wrote you a line in the books you got. That makes those books so much more precious! Same goes for reading and talking books with your cousin, so great!

    And like I said, it's SO amazing that your husband spend so much time getting those P&P books for you. And YAY for discovering HP, no matter when! Those books are so special to me. Loved reading your memories :)

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    1. Thanks Judith! Yes, I definitely think certain bookish memories are my favorite because they are connected to people which makes the book/reading of it all the more special! YAY Harry Potter!

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  12. Oh my gosh this is the best post ever. I love so many things about it that I can't even name them all. I'm for real in tears.

    Also totally reading HP this year. Talk about late to the HP party. Gah. I at least started the series, but since I'm so weird I'm gonna have to start it again otherwise I won't be able to do it. EEK. And then watch the movies cause remember, my house is HP movie-free?

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    1. Aw I'm so glad you loved this post! And dang! For real in tears? I love when you get all emotional :)

      Haha you can be late to the HP party like I was! I'm like you - I have to start over from the beginning if too much time passes between when I read books in a series. I don't necessarily have to read them back-to-back, but I do like for the world not to be completely out of my memory haha!

      And then the movies! Get on it, woman.

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