Good Books & Ex Libris

January is here and with the new year comes new resolutions and new beginnings. One of my goals for 2011 is to start and finish at least 4 books. That may not sound like a lot, but I had a hard time keeping up with my reading list in 2010. Don’t get me wrong, I love books! My problem is that I love to buy new books more often than I actually read them and I mostly buy books with lots of pictures. One of my favorite quotes from Lewis Carroll’s, Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorite books!) is, “What is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations?” I think that at some point last year, I was like Alice and I forgot how great it is to curl up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and read a good book. Taking time out of your day for reading is relaxing and a great rainy day activity. Living in Portland, Oregon, we have A LOT of rainy days ahead of us.

Speaking of books, we’ve all heard of the latin phrase, “Ex Libris” meaning literally, “From the Books.” It is often used to indicate ownership, as in “From the Library of” and we see it most often used on bookplates. Evermine has a great selection of bookplate designs. I don’t know how many of my books have gone missing over the years. I can never keep track of who I’ve loaned books out to and using these pretty bookplates are sure to keep them from getting lost! Personalized with your name and favorite design, bookplates make an excellent gift!

Did I mention that January is National Book Month? Our contributors were kind enough to tell me a few of their favorite books and I’ve compiled them together for you below.

Evermine Recommended Reading List!
Jeanne Williamson

Lindsay Jewell

Lacy Schmidlkofer

Rachel Beyer

James Luster

Rachel (160 Posts)

Rachel Beyer is an artist, designer and creative maker based in Portland, OR. She loves crafting, party planning and illustration. Rachel runs her own creative blog, Adventures In Making and also has a line of greeting cards, art prints and handmade goodies called Camp Smartypants.