Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Corner View - Books

This is a lazy re-posting for my Corner View folks. The theme is books -- actually my very favorite thing in all the world, but since it's two weeks to Christmas and things are crazy around here without Christmas, I'm reposting. Enjoy! And for more Corner Views, see JANE.




I like to say that the only constant in my life is reading. So I thought I'd roam around my house and show you where I keep them all. I live in a very small house currently over-run with books. The only books I get rid of are the ones that I despise (very few) or those infernal Scholastic paperbacks that my kids pressure me into buying. My bedside table is above. And yes, that is a Kindle. I have nothing but raised eyebrows for those who claim it's going to destroy publishing.





These are the books piled on an antique tea chest on the floor next to the bed. They are stacked two deep and up.








The dining room has books.





Books on the floor behind the chair --





Books in the living room



I'm looking rather contemplative in my late twenties, looking down on more books.





Books piled next to the fireplace





Another pile






Hallway bookshelf




The boys' room has busting at the seams bookshelves. I just can't get rid of them. I can't.




My favorite two shelves of poetry books -- and my 1982 NCAA Basketball Championship bottle of Coca-Cola (go Heels!).


I wish that I had a library and all my books would be in there. I just spent an inordinate amount of time googling home library images to post here, but there wasn't anything enticing. I basically want three walls of books, ceiling to floor with a ladder for the highest shelves. A dark red patterned Oriental rug covers the floor and there are two or three large reading chairs, one of which (mine) is placed before the bay windows that either look out on green trees or the ocean. I can't decide. The light, though, is warm and it's NOT cold outside.

21 comments:

  1. That comment was actually from me (my kind of house), but Sky was logged into my account. Oops. Anyhow, I share your sentiments.

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  2. I enjoyed clicking on your photos, tilting my head to one side and reading the titles of your books. Thank you.

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  3. We rented a house on the Maine coast once for a week where the biggest treat for me is that it had shelves and shelves of terrific books. I did eat lobster, hike Acadia Park and watch the little boats find their parking places in the harbor. . . but mostly I inhaled books. Wonderful.

    If I ever exchange homes with someone for a month, it could be with you. And I think you would be happy with mine, too. The room with the most books in it has a view of trees. And I have books of poetry in the kitchen.

    Thanks for coming to see me once you discovered I'm still here (via Deb), and for your kind words. So good to reconnect.

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  4. I trust that you have read, read , and reread. That is what makes it all the treasured. What vast amounts of imagery must swirl around in your head!

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  5. I have the very same home library fantasy! I am seriously considering parking my car outside and converting my garage. Who needs covered parking?

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  6. I loved this post the first time I read it and I'm loving it all over again.

    We are twins in that department of books being our constant.

    I can't even tell you the days they have saved me.

    xoxo

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  7. This looks like my house! Glad to meet another bibliophile.

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  8. Great post first time and this time too :)

    wouldn't it be fun to be in a book club?! you might already be in one ..... they are a little bit scarce in my rural farm town

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  9. You can never have too many books.

    When we moved to Texas and a house with high ceilings, I bought bookshelves that fit on top of my bookshelves. Now the book towers go 9 feet up. And we have a stool to stand on even though we don't ever read the ones on top.

    Your home looks warm and loved.

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  10. I'd like to visit your dream library ! But ... I think soon your whole house will just turn into a library ! I love it !! BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS !!

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  11. and a fire place... i´d love to join you there. warm hugs!

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  12. yes i believe books play a big part of your life. very nice. xo

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  13. hello!
    i am yolanda, from spain. i have such an amount of books too!
    but yours are in the correct place. mine are a mess... along with my paintings...
    oh my- what a studio!
    what a house of mine!
    lol.
    i love poetry. i need it. i eat it up...
    i love painting. i studied fine arts....
    i love your blog. and your name, elizabeth. the queen.

    xo
    yolandda

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  14. ha, reposting or not, great entry.
    all those books! I have been reining myself in for years 'cos I didn't have room so, the library's become a good friend of mine ;)

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  15. Oh, your library/home is great! What a way to feed our kids, yes! You could start a book check out / rental program out of you home! Love it!

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  17. I have hoarding tendencies, but for some reason, not in the book arena. I used to, but maybe it was my frequent moves on a student budget and the expense of shipping. Still, looking at your collection, I wish I had been a little more OCD with my books, instead of the stacks of ueseless stuff I tend to hang onto. I like that you can walk around your house and enjoy a retrospective of your literary life.

    Also, how do you like the kindle? I was thinking last night, in fact, for the first time, that I could see some situations where it would be preferable to books (my fading eyesight, one factor).

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  18. Oh, Elizabeth - your house is so welcoming, and your books are beautiful...such treasures! Full of ideas and possibilities, so many thoughts waiting to be shared, waiting to spark more ideas and creativity. Thank you for a wonderful glimpse into a cozy & happy place.

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  19. This is just how I imagined your house, actually. But I hope that your wish to one day have a proper library comes true.
    PS I was also half hoping to learn something about your own book!

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