Nerd Alert

Maybe if anyone ever sends me pictures of our vacation earlier this month, I'll get around to posting about that. But since I'm currently pictureless, I'll write about what a major nerd I am instead (as if most people don't already know).

The last few weeks, I've had a weird urge to re-read some books I used to love from my childhood. This included The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, etc., and also The Little House books. While thinking about the Little House books (which, I am aware, is total nerd-city in and of itself), my memory went back to my early tween days and how after reading all of those books (which stop being entertaining to me when Laura enters adulthood--same with the Anne books--why is that?) I happened upon another series of books that takes place during the same time frame about a group of crazy kids being raised by their single preacher father.

I could only remember bits and pieces of these books but knew that way back when I first read them, I had thought they were hilarious and the grandest things ever written. I willed myself to remember what they were called and my memory failed me terribly. I tried googling my vague references but came up empty handed there, too.

I knew I would go crazy if I couldn't figure out what they were called.

So, I made the only logical decision: that when I went back home to Utah I would go to my old library and find these books because, oddly enough, I could remember exactly where they were located (I lose my car keys constantly but can somehow remember the exact location of a library book I checked out 18 years ago. Obviously my short-term memory needs some work).

Well, after arriving in Utah and telling my mother my plan (hoping she'd remember the names of the books), she convinced me that going back to the library would be a waste of time. During a nearly 20 year time span, libraries do rearrange their shelves, afterall. I conceded that she was right, but still secretly hoped for a trip to that library anyway.

But, before I knew it, my time at home was dwindling to an end and there would be no time to visit the library. Uhg. If I didn't figure it out while I was at home, I knew I never would. And maybe it was just as well.

Lo and behold, a miracle occurred on my last morning there.

I was cleaning out a closet in my old bedroom and popped open a tupperware box with some old school work in it and the very first thing I pulled out was a handwritten book report. But not just any book report. It was a report detailing every book in that very series that I had been wondering about. I now had the name of not only the series, but of every single book in the series. What were the chances?

The really nerdy part? This "book report" was not written for school. Nope. I was so obsessed with these books that I did a write-up on them just for fun. It included character sketches, book summaries, and even a four-star rating system for each of the books.

All I could do was laugh and thank my 12-year-old self for being such a geek. Who knew that 18-years-later this would be just what I was looking for?

After a quick search on Amazon.com, I am now the proud owner of all eight of those books. Were they as interesting/entertaining as they were when I was 12? Well, no, not really. I've read too many books in those 18-years to reconstitute what good literature entails.

But, for a quick read, they do the trick. I've had the books less than six days and I'm currently on book five of the series. So although they aren't quite as riveting as I remembered, they are entertaining enough that I have to keep reading.

I think re-reading old favorites is a must every now and then. I cannot stomach watching a movie more than once, but re-reading an old book is like getting reacquainted with an old friend and I highly recommend it.

If that's not nerdy advice, I don't know what is.

Update: Oops. Totally forgot the most important part! The series is called "The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder" and is by T.L. Tedrow. If anyone else out there ever read these, I'd love to know! Also, if anyone wants to borrow the books, let me know! :)