Skip to main content

The Next Project

This is the bookcase in the guest bedroom, which like all the others in the house is really packed with books I probably will never get to or won't reread. A lot of these titles are gift books that family, friends and colleagues have given me over the years, too, so it's going to be a difficult struggle. Just taking the pic I tripped over a literary novel that a very famous author signed and sent me out of the blue via my publisher (apparently said author was a big StarDoc fan.)

I love gifts of books, and I'm always honored when someone -- no matter how famous they are -- takes the time to share their work with me. That's where I've been fighting myself with this project. For example, the tripped-over book is a literary novel, and from the description sounds depressing as hell. I doubt I'll ever read it -- but it's signed, and it was a gift. So . . . yeah, probably not going in the donation box.

It's hard to put how I feel into words. All books are treasure to me. Every shelf in this house is filled with jewels. When I see books I unconsciously relax and feel better about being alive. Walking into a library is like stepping into heaven on earth for me. I remember how I felt as a kid, sneaking off to the tiny trailer that was our public library in town and sitting down and reading as much as I wanted. I think reading for me is like what drugs or liquor is for other people, maybe.

I've managed to keep my addiction under control, but I have to stop hanging on to what I don't want, I really do -- and keeping books I have no intention of reading is hoarding behavior. The one thing that makes me feel better is the hope that another reader will have a chance to enjoy these jewels. I keep telling myself that as I work on the shelves: Pass along the jewels. Give someone else a little treasure.

Labels:

Comments

Lisa Cohen said…
I get it - books will always be magical portals to me. When I was growing up, my mother didn't believe in buying books. Don't get me wrong - she was a huge reader - but something in her upbringing during the depression meant that owning books was a luxury she couldn't afford. Even when she could. So the only books I had were library books. As an adult, I filled my house with books. Because I didn't have that growing up.

And I also understand the impulse for - what's the opposite of nesting? - clearing out the decks. The older I get, the less I want things around me. I like the way you are framing this - give someone else a little treasure.
January 22, 2021 at 5:22 AM
nightsmusic said…
I kept the first book I'd ever owned for years until a lack of space coupled with a flooded basement did it in. Having, like you, only had the library as a child, books are the same to me as they are to you and oh, it's so hard to part with them, regardless of where they came from. But I get it too that you want to pare down.
January 22, 2021 at 10:29 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Other Stashes

Along with clearing out the spare bedroom and tidying my office and our guest bedroom, I decided to reorganize some of my stashes. This is all the yarn I have on hand, sorted by color. It looks like a lot, but lately I've been using up a minimum of half a bin every month, so this is approximately a year's supply. All of my solid color cotton perle thread. I go through a lot of this every year, too. I need a container in which I can fit all of it together, but I haven't found the right one yet. I won't show you all of my fabric -- I'm still reorganizing this stash -- but I went through everything and donated two bins of fabric I won't need to the local quilter's guild.
Post a Comment
Read more

Love Means This

Invested in a couple of hand-dyed bundles from one of my favorite fabric artists. This one said "Make me into something for Valentine's Day." So I went for a quilted and embellished tote. I kept thinking about what love means to me as I worked on it. Here's the finished tote. Although I was tempted to embellish with beads and pins, I got sick and only felt well enough to do a little stitching every night. As I worked I thought about how often love seems disappointing to us, especially when it fails to live up to our expectations. But now that I've experienced love in many forms, I can say that it's made me a better person than I might have been without it. Love is a precious thing, and should be appreciated in all its forms. I am very grateful for the love of my guy, my child and my friends who have stuck with me all these years. That's you two, in case you're wondering. :) Also finally found something to do with a ve...
1 comment
Read more

Store Closing Haul

The mega Books-A-Million store over in Sanford is closing, and offered an extra 20% off on their current stock -- all sales final -- so I went over to do some shopping. Safely but sadly there was no one in the store but me the entire time I was there. The Holly Jackson novel is for Katherine, the Halloween board book is for Oliver, and the copy of Garden Spells is to keep on hand because I give that book to everyone. The rest of the books are for me. I love Anne Cleeves, and the Galbraith novel sounded interesting (the first couple weren't, but I'm willing to take another chance.) The Escape Room is by a new-to-me author, plus it was cheap. The GreenCraft mag is just a guilty pleasure. Hopefully the smaller BAM nearer to me won't close. I don't buy many books from brick-and-mortar stores these days, but that's really the last one within reasonable driving distance.
2 comments
Read more