Lynness: Re: Making Time to Read, my recent reads, some suggestions?

I've been meaning to replay to the last couple of posts for days...I think all of us that post here are of the same opinion as Qait- books are necessary!  I get myself in trouble sometimes though: I DO shut off the rest of the world and then I suddenly realize that I've been reading for 2 hours and the girls' WHOLE naptime is gone and I haven't done half the things I meant to or maybe I burned the bread or whatever.  I'm sure I neglect my kids occasionally!  I'm so into my books that Nathan knows that if he wants any response then he has to get my attention first before talking or I will miss all of it.  He can't just start a conversation while I'm in a book, or it will be very one-sided.  (Or it will make no sense and I may agree to all sorts of things, which I'm sure my kids will take advantage of one day).  Isaiah is exactly the same.  You can tell him to do something and if he's in a book, he either doesn't hear or gives a vague "okay" and continues and has no idea what he will shortly be in trouble for not doing when he said he would.

As far as books on tape (CD/mp3/whatever), I don't really have any patience for them.  I read very quickly and, to me, they take waaay too long to finish.  Also, I am NOT an audio-learner: I often find it hard to concentrate on the spoken word alone- I wouldn't get a thing out of Conference this weekend if I had to listen to the radio.  And I usually can't hear over the dishwasher/microwave/kids/etc... anyway.  That being said- my mom read to us up until I was in college.  I didn't mind that it was so slow because it was her (and that was when I didn't have so much responsibility of my own- I could sit for an hour doing nothing but listening).

Here's what I have read most recently...I'm very into non-fiction currently
An Edible History of Humanity (Tom Standage)- fascinating insights into how food has shaped civilizations.  I liked it so much that I read another of his books: The Victorian Internet- about the invention of the telegraph and how it changed society.  There are some very striking parallels with the changes the Internet has made in our day.  I plan to get another of his books: A History of the World in 6 Glasses and just realized when I umped to Amazon to make sure I got the title right that I have read another of his books, about the Turk an 18th century chess playing 'machine'.
I also read Get Me Out!, a history of childbirth through the ages, from groaning cake to sperm banks, from no men allowed to most OBs being male.  It made me realize that (although we're not currently trying), I am ready for pregnancy and childbirth again- whenever that should happen.  Any earlier than this I would not have been (Tabitha will be 8 months on Friday).  While I'm not quite up there with Abby on the no pain, and I'm not ready to try an at home delivery like Jennica, I do enjoy (in a weird way and in retrospect) labor and delivery and I think the world of my midwives!
And I'm browsing Square-Foot Gardening and have high expectations for this new yard with no trees!!

We have finished the My Father's Dragon series and have plenty of books, but I'm wondering what some of your favorite chapter-book reads are for kids.  Keep in mind that I have to appeal to an almost 8 year old boy and a barely 3 year old girl at the same time.  We're thinking Charlie and the Chocolate Factory next, or maybe the Mary Poppins books.