Monday, August 24, 2009

Home Decorating


A friend of mine sent me the link to this picture. She finds the prospect of books piled on a staircase in such a manner to be somewhat of a hazard and an eyesore.

If this was to be a warning, my dear friend, it back-fired. I happen to find this set-up aesthetically pleasing and quite an original solution for a book hoarder such as myself. The circular staircase adds a nice touch. Unfortunately, I don’t have one.

However - sigh - I am in the process of purging my home of an excessive number of books. I actually have four boxes packed (two of which are not mine – ha! ha! boys) and a pile to give to Oreneta.

But can a beloved book collection ever really be considered excessive?

***

For Bee and Mom of Three who asked what I’ve been reading this summer (and to anyone else interested) here are a few of the books I enjoyed. Strangely enough, I do less reading while at the cottage. I spend far more time yakking with others. And I don’t read at all while at the dock. Can’t. The sun and heat (although rare this summer) make me feel sick to my stomach if I read. Strange, huh?


Mouthing the Words – Camilla Gibb

The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor – Sally Armstrong (for my Book Club)

Driving Sideways – Jess Riley

Leaving the World – Douglas Kennedy

And here are a few of my To-Be-Read finds:

Man Walks Into A Room – Nicole Krauss

South of Broad – Pat Conroy

Still Alice – Lisa Genova

Remembering the Bones – Frances Itani


And if anyone would like to recommend a book for me, please do. I now have space for more!

20 comments:

Sherry said...

That's the truth..clear out space that books are taking up -- and fill the space with more books.

I did like David Ebershoff's "The 19th Wife" -- part truth, part mystery. It was long and it flips from past to present to past and back, but it was well written and I enjoyed the story.

Other than that, my reading has been what I would classify as "mindless". It's summer....

Travis Erwin said...

No. You can never have too many books.

Miss Kim said...

I LOVE that staircase! WIsh I had one....

JR's Thumbprints said...

I've thrown out two dumpsters full of old moldy books and donated some to my local library. You may want to check out HTML Giants link to free audio and/or text books.

Lainey-Paney said...

while i find the picture to be visually appealing---i imagine a future filled with (1) dusting {just the top books, of course...you know, if you clean like I do most of the time!} and (2) "have you seen ....title...?", and "where the heck is...title...?"

Cid said...

Books are always in style except when they are chosen purely for their look and obviously never read. Somebody lent me "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" and although I had been avoiding it (one of those ubiquitous Recommended for Book Groups books) but I enjoyed it. I never realized that the Channel Islands had been occupied during WWII. "The Nineteenth Wife" was another eye opener about pologamy and on an entireley different note I have never laughed out loud so much as when reading "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and I am a Jane Austenophile!

Angel said...

books are like babies to me.....its hard to let them go! But I DO make myself "get rid of some"..that sounds so extreme and severe. I lend them out or just give them away. WE do ahve a paperback shack nearby, that takes paperbacks and gives you credit for them...then you can buy more in the store! Love that place!

and while it might be a hazzard to put your books on the steps like that...I do it too!

Beth said...

sherry lee:
Already noted “The 19th Wife” from your blog!
And I read quite a few “light” books this summer, too.
‘Tis the season...

travis:
Only when I start to trip over them...maybe...

traveler one:
Wonderful, isn’t it?

jr:
Moldy books. How sad.
Thanks for the link.

lainey-paney:
I like the way you clean. ;)

cid:
Thanks! Have read “The Guernsey…” and loved it, noted “The 19th Wife” via Sherry and will check out “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” (??!!)

beth:
Most of my books come from a used book store – one of my favourite hang-outs in the city!

Bee said...

Which of the four did you like the best? (Because I haven't read any of those.)

I also find the staircase of books to be aesthetically pleasing; however, it would probably distract me!

~h~ said...

I am forever removing then adding more books. Especially with each move. Four homes later, we've lightened our load considerably. There was a time many years ago when I only had books and plants for interior design.
As for summer reads, I spent the summer reading poetry and little fiction. Eliot's 'Four Quartets' was an old favorite re-read. And a little light reading of Pamela Huston's as well.
With that, hope all's well. ~heather

Beth said...

bee:
Tough question - I found The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor fascinating (fiction - based on the real life of a woman settler in the Maritimes) and Leaving the World very engaging although full of angst!

april:
Good idea. I should get out some of my old favourites...poetry...the classics - always worth re-reading.

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

I, too, love that photo, can imagine my own spiral staircase as such, if I owned one. Thanks for the reading tips. I have been waiting to be bowled over by something lately.

Marla Paul said...

I've been purging as well.

My current reading has been totally mindless. I fell in love with Beverly Connor and have been snatching up everything I can get. ;-)

Anonymous said...

I like the stair-bookcase! Bit of a hassle to find a good read before sleeping though.

I can't buy more books until I buy a new bookcase, and I'm not finding anything cheap nor nice.

Seraphine said...

oh pat conroy... that's the guy that wrote prince of tides and lords of discipline? i *love* him. it's been years since i've read anything of his.
some of his sentences and paragraphs are so beautifully written, i want to underline them so i can find them later.
south of broad? is that a new one? i don't remember the title.

patricia said...

Love that photo! And I actually like the design. If we had a spiral staircase, who knows....maybe I'd do something similar? Oh, who the hell am I kidding? The hubby would fall down on the books and break his leg and blame me...

May I recommend some titles?

'The Elegance of the Hedgehog'. A MUST read.

'The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie'. Pure delight.

'The Little Stranger'. Haunting and very compelling.

Ok, my work here is done. ;)

Cipriano said...

Wow, I love that book staircase.
A really great "sleeper" of a novel that is out there right now in the Chapters/Indigo Bargain Books [remaindered] section is Afterlands by Canadian [Kingston] author Steven Heighton.
One of the best books I have read in a long long while.
Based on a true story [but this is a novel] of a severely stranded Arctic expedition. Amazingly well-written.

Tracy Golightly-Garcia said...

Two good books I would recommend for you to read are: Return to Sullivans Island by Dorothea Benton Frank and Prayers for Sell by Sandra Dallas. Both are wonderful books!
Enjoy
Tracy :0

Maggie May said...

Beatrix Potter: A Life In Nature

The Big House

Savage Beauty

oreneta said...

I am SO looking forward to those books....mmmmmmmmm I have been so bereft of good books this summer. NO TIME and my library card expired! BOOO HOOOOOO