I've been MIA for so long because...

... I've caught a cold bug (not so serious) and the reading bug (very serious). First I started reading up my old ballet series (Drina books, either you know or you don't). And that had eleven books, so although on average I finished one per day (skimming only), it still took quite some time. I'm of the type that cannot put down a book once I've started.

Along the way I was waylaid by my old Enid Blyton Mystery series, in which you find the Five Findouters and Dog. I started out with 2 books when I was a kid, but in the last few years I've bought more as I saw them, mainly at 2nd hand book sales. And last Friday at the MPH distributors sale at Downtown East, $50 went on 2 of these as well as other classics such as A Treasury of Narnia (left). I'd only just completed reading the Chronicles of Narnia a few months back and it has become one of my favourites. A Treasury of Narnia sheds light on the author, C. S. Lewis' background, besides other interesting stuff such as why he wrote the stories in a certain order, and how they reflect his own life. Well worth the $12 I paid, especially as it is a hardcover and is of great quality.

And I'm proud to say that we've now got the complete Winnie the Pooh collection - by A. A. Milne - a lovely box of 2 hardcover books. I foresee that I will have to read it out to the kids sometime in the future, as it is not what you would call a picture book. I was very tempted to get a very pictorial Winnie the Pooh book, but it had only a few stories in it.

And I do believe that the next series I'm going to start on is Lemony Snickets' A Series of Unfortunate Events. As far as I know there are thirteen books plus a few other extras. Ack! Each hardcover book cost $8 at the fair, so I think I'll wait till the complete omnibus comes out in paperback.

I'm now on the hunt for the last book in the Enid Blyton Mystery series to complete my collection - The Mystery of the Secret Room. Haven't seen it at any of the 2nd hand book stores, nor at MPH!