Hello sweet friends are you ready for Saturday Smiles A Literary Roadtrip? Earlier this week I received a text from my long-time friend Kelly who lives in San Antonio. It went something like this:
- K: Do you have any reason to go to Tulsa, Oklahoma?
- L: Um, no, but do you?
- K: YES! They have just opened The Outsiders House Museum.
- L: WHAT! How did I not know about this? We must make a Literary Nerd Roadtrip!
- K: I don’t care what you call it as long as we go.
- L: Can I dress up as Cherry Valance?
- K: YES!!!
Saturday Smiles A Literary Roadtrip
Books were my world as a child. I could spend hours at the library and even more with my nose in a book. Certain characters truly resonated with me and have become my lifelong friends. My daughter’s middle name is Beth. Can you guess from which book?
Over the years I have made pilgrimages to The Beatrix Potter Museum, The Home of Ernest Hemingway, The House of the Seven Gables, All of the Little House sites and many, many more literary-themed sites.
I’d love to add this enchanting library housed in a New Jersey cottage, to my MUST SEE list.
I LOVED the post my friend Joni wrote on Where To Put Extra Books.
Literary Themed Decor
It appears I also like to create literary-themed decor and party celebrations.
My favorite featured works by Jane Austen.
Little House on the Prairie country party for Mary and Laura as well as a town party for Nellie.
As well as Halloween appropriate celebrations such as Dicken’s Miss Havisham.
Edgar Allen Poe’s Nevermore.
Candy houses, garlands and more for Hansel and Gretel.
A Lovely Literary Themed Tablescape
This is my idea of a truly perfect tablescape.
A Movie To BOOKMARK
I’ve already written about the upcoming Little Women movie. I’m also so excited about the new The Secret Garden coming in 2020.
Laura’s List of Books
It’s almost impossible to create a list of my favorite books. Because to choose a favorite…well, it’s like my children. I can’t. I gave the matter a great deal of thought and decided I would simply list a few favorites in alphabetical order. These are the books I have read over and over. They are the tombs of which I quote certain lines from on a regular basis. I could have listed many, many more but I simply ran out of space. It should be noted that I have read and loved all of Austen’s books. Ditto for Dickens and Karon.
I would love it if you create your own list and send it to me.
Stay gold sweet friends!
Laura
In Case You Missed Last Week’s Posts
Fast, Fab and Fun Update for Flats
Oh what a fun post and all of your tablesetting are amazing. Each one is so perfect to tell it’s story.
Both of my boys have recently read the Outsiders and loved it like I did. Great book list! There are a few on there that I still need to read. What a pretty library above – since I live in NJ, I should visit that one next time I am at the beach. And what beautiful library themed tables too! So inspiring! Enjoy your weekend!
Shelley
I always love your tablescapes – so inspired. If you ever visit Austin, the home of William Sydney Porter (O Henry) has been preserved as a museum. It was a frequent school field trip when I was a girl. It was one of my favorites – I need to go back!
Being a book-lover myself, I loved these! My favorite books would include:
The Bible
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Little House books
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Narnia series by C. S. Lewis
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
The Hobbit and LOTR by J. R. R. Tolkien
Jan Karon’s Mitford series
Dee Henderson’s books
To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson
Amy Carmichael of Dohnavur by Frank Houghton
Hudson Taylor: Growth of a Soul by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor
By Searching, In the Arena, and Second Mile People by Isobel Kuhn
Mountain Rain: A New Biography of J. O. Fraser by Eleen Crossman
Goforth of China by Rosalind Goforth
Climbing by Rosalind Goforth
The Small Woman by Alan Burgess (about Gladys Aylward)
Evidence Not Seen: A Woman’s Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II by Darlene Deibler Rose
In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham
All of Elisabeth Elliot’s books
Persuasion by Jane Austen
When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada
The Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer
Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series
The Princess and Sophie’s Heart by Lori Wick
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
I could go on and on. Once when I tried to list the books that had impacted me the most, I couldn’t get below 98–and some of those were series.
Oh Laura, have you not read the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace? You must read them! They are wonderful.
You go on some fun trips. This is seemed like a very fun one. My husband is a huge reader. Traveling to NYC every day affords him time to read. He reads many different books but loves it.
I loved your page runner.
Cindy
Did you go to England for the Beatrix Potter Museum? Where is it located? Yes, the Secret Garden and Little Women are some of my must see coming movies, along with the Tom Hanks Mister Roger’s movie. Also, have you seen the trailer for Jungle Cruise with Chris Johnson and Emily Blunt? Looks fun!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu0KIlFCUn8&list=PLC4DAD367E52ECAF8
So love your posts!
Georgeann
Oh, what fun! I love every single table and your pages runner is a four-star dream! I might have to destroy something to do that for book club next time I host! Too many favorites! And oh, your Austen banner is lovely!
You’re making me think of my list of favorite books. It probably is rather a long one! Have a grand and glorious time (and of course we all expect photos!)
Love this post, Laura. And also your list of books. Your table settings are so pretty. Enjoy your road trip. Photos, please.
OMG, your list of books reads like my own. Books saved me from a very poor and somewhat neglectful childhood. Back in the late 40s and early 50s, In my tiny little rural town, the “library lady” came once every two weeks pulling her little Airstream-type trailer that she had fashioned into a library for children who knew nothing of libraries. I would pull my little wagon to the corner where she stopped and fill it with as many books as she allowed. I always read from beginning to end each and every one I had selected, and for those two weeks I was transported away from a life not of my choosing. If I had to name the person who most affected my life as a child, this kind and patient lady would have to be at the top of my list. She both understood and encouraged my passion for reading and would often bring a book that she knew I would especially like – one that she kept just for me and not on the shelf. Even as the old woman I now am, I can still remember the feeling of joy and appreciation I felt for the world she opened up to me.
What a lovely post. I, too, am an avid reader. I don’t have a list of the books that have impacted me the most, but it would be fun to come up with one. That table setting with the book pages as table runner is sensational! Have a good week, Laura.
I love books and rooms filled with bookcases and libraries that are really cool.
Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Spurgeon, Piper, MacArthur…
And the book that is sufficient for anything and everything…the Bible.
Hope the tornado didn’t affect you.