A Little (or maybe a lot) About Me 😅

 

Me at Gina S's apartment! So cozy!

Hi there! Welcome to my book blog! I'm Gina (aka Babsbelovedbooks) and I'm so excited to have you here. Yay! 🥳

Just to warn you...I usually overuse exclamation points (I'm a very enthusiastic person) and, though it might sound like I'm a little wacky, I can assure you that I'm a normal (?) book lover like you 😄

Before I share a lot of lists about who I am, let me tell you two things. 

1) I started this blog for two reasons. First reason—because my amazing friend Caro (@carosbookcase) started her book blog this year and she inspired me so much that I had to join in, too! Second reason—I love posting photos to Instagram, but I simply can't say all that I want to say (which is usually a lot) in my description. No one wants to read that much while they're scrolling, right?

2) Why is this blog called 'Babs Beloved Books' when my name is Gina?? Good question! When my husband and I were in college (Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA), we often both ended up hanging out in our friends' (John E.) dorm room watching the Tiny Toons cartoon. (That's kind of how we met and fell in love 😍) Anyway, Ian started calling me 'Babs' after the pink bunny character in the show...possibly because I love pink and I'm only 5' tall. But, anyway, that was his nickname for me and he's called me that since 1991 (whoa)! (FYI, almost no one who knows me personally calls me Gina...my kids call me 'Mom' and my family calls me 'Be'. My close friends call me 'G'...lol) So...short story long...I am Babs who love books. And, I also love alliteration. 

Whew! If you've gotten this far, you're awesome! 🥰 (and thank you!) If not, I totally understand 😬

So, now, here are lists that might give you a better idea of who I am (both personal and bookish). Let me know in comments below if we have anything in common. I love to make new friends who have similar interests as I do! 😊

WHO I AM

• 50+ years young(ish), Gemini
  
• Mom of Rose, 31 and Benji, 21 (love them both so much)
• Wife of Ian, my best friend...we've been married for over 30 years (wooo!)
• B.S. Degree in Mathematics (minor in Art History)
• ESFJ, Highly Sensitive Person, Empath
• Content Writer, Recipe Developer and Community Manager for World of Vegan
• Creative Artist
• Reiki Master
• Certified Yoga, Hula Hoop and Knitting Instructor
• Knitwear Designer
• Competitive Archer (olympic bow)

FAVORITE GENRES

• Christmas Books
  
• Interwar Years
• Vintage Middle Grade/YA
• Modern Classics
  
• Children's Classics
• Golden Age Mysteries 
  

FAVORITE VINTAGE AUTHORS

• Gladys Taber
• Agatha Christie
• Elizabeth von Arnim
• Elizabeth Goudge
• D.E. Stevenson
• Miss Read
• Mary Stewart
  
• Louisa May Alcott
• Rosmaunde Pilcher
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher
• Pearl S. Buck
• Frances Hodgson Burnett
  
• Noel Streatfeild/Susan Scarlett
  
• Margery Sharp 
• Dorothy Whipple
• Molly Clavering
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher
• O. Douglas 
• Moray Dalton
  

FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS

• Kate Morton
• Ginny Moyer Kubitz
  
• Laura Wood 
• Susan Branch
• Lisa See
• Jennifer Ryan
  
• Laura Purcell
• Julie Klassen
  

FAVORITE COMFORT RE-READS

• Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
• Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge by Gladys Taber
  
• Heidi by Johanna Spyri
• Marigold at Godmother's House by Joyce Lankester Brisley
  
• The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge
• Linnets & Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge
  
• All the Dogs of My Life by Elizabeth von Arnim
  
• The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim
• The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
• Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
• A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
• Nemesis by Agatha Christie
• My Life in France by Julia Child
  
• The Private World of Tasha Tudor
  
• Honey Bunch and Her First Little Garden by Helen Louise Thorndyke
• A Fine Romance by Susan Branch
• Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
• Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther
  
• Archangel by Sharon Shinn 
• Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
  
• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  
• Any D.E. Stevenson
  
• Any Miss Read  
• Any Mary Stewart
  
• Any Nancy Drew
  

 FAVORITE FICTION SERIES

• Garden Series by Elizabeth von Arnim (Elizabeth's German Garden, Solitary Summer, Elizabeth in Rugen)
• Thrush Green by Miss Read
• Fairacre by Miss Read
• Miss Marple by Agatha Christie
• Torminster Saga by Elizabeth Goudge
  
• Mrs. Tim by D.E. Stevenson 
• Eliot Family by Elizabeth Goudge
  
• Ivy Hill Saga by Julie Klassen

 FAVORITE VINTAGE CHILDREN'S SERIES 

• Albert by Alison Jezard
• Maida by Inez Haynes Irwin
  
• Milly Molly Mandy by Joyce Lankester Brisley
  
• Honey Bunch by Helen Louise Thorndyke
• Chirri & Chirra by Kaya Doi 
• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame/William Horwood
  
• Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder 
• Shoes Books by Noel Streatfeild

FAVORITE VINTAGE YA SERIES

• Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
• Cherry Ames by Helen Wells
  
• Vicki Barr by Helen Wells 
• Judy Bolton by Margaret Sutton (just starting!)

FAVORITE VINTAGE NON-FICTION SERIES

• Stillmeadow Series by Gladys Taber

FAVORITE FANTASY SERIES

• Archangel by Sharon Shinn
• Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
• Four Quarters by Tanya Huff
  

FAVORITE PUBLISHERS 

• Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow
• Persephone Books
  
• British Library Women Writers
• Folio Society 
  
• Manderley Press
• Macmillan Collector's Library
  
• Greyladies
• British Library Crime Classics
• Dean Street Press Golden Age Crime Fiction (especially Moray Dalton!) 
• Slightly Foxed

FAVORITE PLACES

• Antique Stores
• Used Book Stores
• Library
• Coffee Shops (though I don't drink coffee)
• Thrift Stores (like Savers/Value Village)

MY FAVORITE INSTAGRAM & YOUTUBE ACCOUNTS

• Gina Stanyer Books
• Marjorie/Marjorie Paper
• Caro/CarosBookcase 
• Carla/C.Brown685
  
• Arpita/Bagfullofbooks
  
• Beth/Beth Bonini
• Liz/Pony.Books
• Kate Howe 
• Caro/Caro Reads Books
• Julie/ElizabethGoudgeBookClub
• Christine/Felines_and_flowers 
• Virginia/OldBookDreamer 
• Marion/Fortheloveofbooks75
• Ellie/MyCozyChronicles
  
• Missi/Missi50fl 
• Beth/LittleBookBelle
• Sue/MyOwnBookJourneys
• Michelle/Noraandedie 
• Ginny/Moyerginny
  
• Andrea/Sorrythankyou79 
• Melissa/Aduchessinside
• Penny/Veganpen
  
• Snuggery.Mom
• Simon David Thomas

plus, so many more!!

FAVORITE TV SHOWS

• The Vicar of Dibley
• Agatha Christie Adapatations (Joan Hickson and David Suchet)
  
• Miranda
• Keeping Up Appearances
• Rosemary & Thyme
• Seaside Hotel
• Doc Martin
  
• Downton Abbey
• Call the Midwives
• The Great British Baking Show
• The IT Crowd 
• Sense & Sensibility
  

FAVORITE MOVIES

• Breakfast at Tiffany's
• Roman Holiday
  
• The Sound of Music
• Sabrina
• 84 Charing Cross Road
• When Harry Met Sally
  
• The Changeling
• Exorcist (1 and 3)
• The Omen
• The Others
  

FAVORITE ARTISTS/ILLUSTRATORS

• Tasha Tudor
• Lore Pemberton
• Helen Wells
• Edward Shenton 
• John S. Goodall
• Susan Branch
• Kaya Doi
• Mindy Lacefield
• Eric Ravilious
• Katie Daisy

FAVORITE ONLINE BOOK STORES

• eBay
• Abebooks
• World of Books
• Thrift Books
• Blackwell's UK 
• Etsy
  
• Amazon

FAVORITE FOODS  & BEVERAGES

• Potatoes (any form)
• Fruit Smoothies
• Chips, Popcorn and Pretzels
• Huge Salads
• Stir Fry Green Beans or Veggies with Rice
• Veggie Sushi with Miso Soup
• Hearty Vegetable Stews
• Cauliflower Wings
  
• Jasmine White Tea
• Lemon Balm and Peppermint Herbal Tea
• Oolong Black Tea
• Hot Chocolate or Sweet Chai
• World of Vegan recipes (some are mine!)
  

Omg, thank you so much for reading all of this! You must be exhausted. lol. I promise, all of my future posts will not be as long as this. I just couldn't help myself sharing once I started 😂

I hope you have the most wonderful day and please let me know a little about you and your favorite things in the comments below. I'd love to know! 

Much love and many hugs!!

G.  

P.S. Happy 51st Birthday to my husband, Ian!! Love you! 🥰🌟🎉