I am not a minimalist, but I tend to lean that way more so than the way of clutter. My husband on the other hand tends to lean more toward the clutter, border line hoarder when it involves anything with engines: automobiles, ATV’s, snow machines, etc. Apparently you need 2 or 3 broken ones so you have parts to fix the single running one. It can be frustrating, but it’s also saved us money on occasion, so I really can’t complain too loudly.

I do have one item that I collect. Individually it is a small item, or can be, but collectively, they take up some room in my house. I love books of all kinds, but I have to say, children’s books are my favorite. My favorite children’s book authors are Dr. Seuss and P. D. Eastman.

When I was really young, my favorite book was “Are You My Mother” by P. D. Eastman. Then, still young but a little bit older my favorite was “The Monster at the End of the Book” by Jon Stone. This book was also one of my kids favorites when they were little.

I have 2 large bookshelves full of children’s books, all of which I have read many times, most of which I read to my children many times. When I go to book sales and books stores I always gravitate toward the children’s books. I think I love them because a lot of them teach lessons, but do it in a fun colorful way, especially Dr. Seuss.

Another favorite genre in books is how-to books. Over the winter the past couple of winters I have read many books on gardening. I love to grow vegetables, and Alaska is a little bit unique in the climate and growing season, so it can be more difficult to grow a large variety of plants simply because there isn’t enough time in our summers. This is the opposite of what I grew up with, so I have appreciated those who have taken the time to write about cold-climate gardening.

I also have discovered that I enjoy reading biographies. I read about Victor Frankl and Corrie Ten Boom this past year and I am currently reading about the wars in Sierra Leone in a book called “A Long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah. There seems to be a trend here I am thinking. The first two books were well written and I learned a lot from their personal stories. I haven’t finished the third, so the jury is still out on that one. It is more graphic in descriptions of the war than I was expecting, so we’ll see if I like that one and what I learn.

Some may find books to be clutter, some may not keep books in their physical form because of all the digital options. I like the actual book, the feel, the smell, and most important, the content. I am not a fast reader, but I do love reading good books. What do you like to collect? What are your favorite books to read?