One of the fun, and sometimes unexpected, things about blogging is what catches people's attention. I've written posts that I knew would get hits - the ones on
The Hunger Games (
first post,
second post,
third post) and
Fifty Shades of Grey, for instance. And they did too... But then there have been others that have surprised me - such as the string of bookcase 'porn' posts. Obviously, given the nature of keywords and search engine functions, a search for 'porn' of any type is quite likely going to mean my posts land somewhere in the hierarchy of the search. But, they've also attracted the book junkies in goodly numbers, because, as I wrote in the
first of the posts, we're none of us immune to drooling over photos of fabulous bookcases! You can find the other posts
here and
here...
So I figured (particularly in the light of comments that just landed on some of the older posts) it was time to post the pics I've been collecting over the last little while as I've come across them. There are some beauties in this lot. Enjoy!
I just realised there's a common theme in this lot - the whole floor to ceiling thing... That would have to be the ultimate book junkie fantasy, I think - a room where the bookcases can do just that - and all the more fun for having to have a ladder to get to the uppermost ones!
Beeyootifull! These bring to mind the words of Henry Ward Beecher: "Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house."
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is the opposing view. Here in San Diego, we have an elderly gent named Irwin Herman, or as he is known locally, "Bookman." His view is that when you finish a book and put it on the shelf, usually never to be seen again, it dies a long, agonizing death. He began in 1990 donating a few used books to the County Jail for the prisoners to read. They were so grateful that he was moved to do more. To date, he has given away 8,000,000 books, mostly donated to him, and is at the moment involved in a project he calls "A Million Books for Africa."
Sure, there are going to be those that you can't bear to part with, like my Salvatores or your Potoks, but for the most part, he expresses the view that books give by being given. Yeah, I've got the big bookshelves, too, but here's a view for a future discussion...
I like your Bookman story, Jack. I've donated my books to various places when I've done culls - which I do do occasionally! Most of my collection is now made up of books I re-read regularly - that became my criteria for keeping them in the first place - so, I doubt any of my current lot will be going anywhere anytime soon!! But, it does make me think about what to do with them when I'm not around any more - apart from signing them over to the avaricious young who are all too aware that there are a number of quite valuable editions on the shelves...!
DeleteWe have three rooms with (some) floor to ceiling shelves all jam crammed with books and DVDs and ornaments. Maybe I should take some photos... next time I dust. Would love to own that painted table for one of my piles of stuff.
ReplyDeleteHi Georgina,
DeleteI'm revelling in the luxury of, once again, having a room where ALL the bookcases can go - wrapped around two walls. Budget and the fact that we're renting preclude built in floor to ceiling shelves, so it's cheap flat packs for now. But they're still presenting a uniform arrangement of shelving that looks opulent and rich, which pleases me immensely! DB said last night he'd like some shelf space for photos - the top of the sideboard is going to house a new turntable and amp in the next week or so, so the framed photos need to move - so, the books will be broken up a little bit, but I've always had a few treasures in amongst the books, so that's OK.
You'll have to go hunt a small table and have a play with some sample pot sized paint tins and make a table like that!!