This morning as I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes I was listening to the radio news and they stated that the bookstore "Borders" was filing Chapter 11 and closing 40% of their stores. They said that Borders and Barnes and Nobel are having trouble competing in a world of Kindles and IPads and are closing stores rapidly. This news broke my heart. I LOVE books. It really is a love affair, and I am not just saying that I love to read, I am saying that I love books. I love the feel, the look, the smell, the weight, oh just everything about a book I love. I have always wanted a library in my house. Chris and I decided years and years ago that we never wanted a TV in our living room because we wanted it to be a place of learning, not passive watching. I dreamed of having a library with shelves and shelves and a ladder going up high because I wanted to have so many books with shelves that go so high that we would need a ladder to reach them. I searched high and low for years to find the right shelves. When we found these shelves 2 years ago they became my pride and joy. I may not be much of a decorator but when you enter my house you will have no doubt in your mind as to what is important to me. I love these shelves and the books in them.
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| These shelves are about 20 ft accross and 10 ft high. Some shelves are still empty but I will love filling them. (They are a little messy in this picture, but that is because it is not a show peice...we are always using these books. ) |
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| 1918 edition of Tom Sawyer on the 4th shelf up, I also collect early editions of books. |
I love these books because I am a culmination of all of their concepts and philosophies. They have moved me, changed me and opened my eyes to an understanding of myself and others. There will never be a time when you come in my house where you don't find at least 3 books by my bedside as well as Chris's. We are always reading and then discussing everything we read. The other day we talked about how it is difficult for us to comprehend how someone would not like to read? I just can't wrap my head around it because my progression in life is so strongly tied to the books I read. The funny thing is I don't read that much, I read in the morning as I begin the day for about 45 min, then I read at night at the end of the day for about 1 hour. I guess you could say that books are the bookends of my day.
It makes me happy that my girls are lovers of books also. We are always passing the latest great read around my house and sometimes we have to buy 2 copies. If you look closely in the picture above you will see 3 copies of Hunger Games, ha ha!
So if books one day become an obsolete thing of the past like so many things in this digital age, I will be so sad. I do have an IPad, and I do read books on my IPad and find it very convenient (especially when I travel) but I still prefer the book in my hands. Books are a very personal thing but I will leave you will a list (in no particular order) of a few of my favorites.....if you have recommendations of great books you have read please leave me a comment, I would love to know the great reads that have affected you.
The Book of Mormon
The Bible
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
John Adams By David McCullough
1776 by David McCullough
Bonds that Make us Free by Terry Warner
The Disappearance of Childhood by Neil Postman
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
To Him that Believeth by Fredrick Babel
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Living Loving and Learning by Leo Buscaglia
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Oh I will stop because I could go on forever, this is just a tiny list of many many that I adore. I hope the few of you who read this will post a few of your favorites so I can finish filling my shelves.
