A few days ago, I drove Daughter #3, Dear Son-in-Law, and Beloved Grandson to the airport after their Christmas-New Year visit here on the West Coast. Daughter #3 is known to be neat and hardworking, so naturally she stripped the beds and started the washer and dryer before they left. (Or maybe she instructed hubby and son to do so. I don’t know. I was still in bed.) In the meantime, she got up early to conduct a morning meeting on the East Coast. (I told you she was hardworking.)
When I got back, I brought the clean sheets down to the guest rooms to make up the beds. I have to admit, I don’t go downstairs a lot, no more often than necessary. So, I suppose it’s not surprising that I seldom look at the books I keep in those bookcases.
But that day, every time I stretched out a fitted sheet or tucked a top sheet; every time I folded a blanket or walked around to the other side of the bed to check the evenness of the bedspread, I caught a glimpse of those books.
The bookcase in this room, study/guest room, was filled with old novels and short story collections lined up in alphabetical order. I assume I’ve read them all at some time or other. In fact, I do remember many of them well. Others … not so much.
The first book I grabbed was Bluebeard’s Egg & Other Stories by Margaret Atwood. The next was Woman of the Pharisees by Francois Mauriac. The pages on both had yellowed; the spines had cracked a bit.
Before heading back upstairs, I pulled out two more books: the Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford and Voices from the Moon by Andre Dubus.
I really love my Kindle. It’s lightweight, and I can make the print any size I choose. Nevertheless, I’m really looking forward to reading one of these old books … after I finish the two books on my Kindle I’ve already started. I think I’ll begin with Margaret Atwood. Or maybe Ford Maddox Ford.
These past few years, I’ve been reading mostly new titles, probably books recommended to me online. (Amazon sends me suggestions every single day.) There’s something to be said for books that have stood the test of time, though. These four books have remained on my shelves after so many others were carted off to the used bookstore.
What do you read most of the time? Current titles? Classics? Fiction? Non-fiction?
Have you read any of the four books I brought upstairs?
Thanks for the inspiration NIcki. I have never read those books you mentioned although of course the authors are familiar. I have those same bookshelves in my basement and there are still titles down there that I’ve never read! I tend to go to the pile next to my bed instead. (I also have a kindle that I received as a gift but that’s so old I can’t even use it anymore) Personally I’ve always liked having a book in hand.
I seldom have books I haven’t read. I do have a few that I started and didn’t feel like finishing. Even though I’m only 25% Scottish, my thrifty Scottish heart feels bad about that. Of course, we’re all thrifty or spend-thrifty in different ways. I confess to not using the library as much as I should.
When I get around to reading one of these books and love it, I’ll let you know.
Enjoy reacquainting yourself with some of your books . . . while donating others . . .
One idea: starting a “Little Lending Library” in your clubhouse.
We do have a Little Lending Library at our clubhouse. They’re such a good idea. Next time I’m down there, I’ll have to check if there’s space for another book or two–maybe even one of mine.
I moved to Kindle for fiction quite a few years back, but I do still have overflowing bookcases. I finally let go of all my art related books some years back when down-sizing, but have probably replaced them with books on writing and psychology There is one small bookcase containing some unread fiction and some much loved books. I have books which I re-read – what I refer to as comfort reads – but I generally don’t re-read. There’s so much new to read and contemporary fiction is my preferred genre, that I only go to old books when I feel the need for comfort. I’ve not read any of those you mention, but will check them out as my TBR needs to feel perilous 😉
Debs, I haven’t learned how to comfortably use all the features of my Kindle. I find it much more comfortable using a paper book for non-fiction so I can underline and refer back to passages I need to remember. You should see my book about Ukrainian history I bought in 2022: The Gates of Europe by Serhii Plokhy. At the start of the recent Russian-Ukraine War, I realized I didn’t know much about the history of Ukraine and ordered this book. Plokhy starts back in the 500s BC with the Scythian kings. My underlines fill the book with red ink. I could never have read this on Kindle.
Like you, I have writing books that I refer back to now and then. Also books about health.
I’ve not read any of these four books and will further admit I’ve never heard of them. However I’ll also admit that we have shelves and shelves of old books in one room that I’ve not heard of even though I own them. I’m not a Kindle person and I may not be the most with-it reader on this planet, come to think of it.
It used to be a source of pride to have shelves and shelves of books. And when we lived abroad, we didn’t have access to good English-language libraries, so it was handy to have your own books. But then, every time I moved, we had to pack up multiple boxes of heavy, dusty books. I still have many of those books. But lately, I’ve been feeling that they’re a burden–much like the old clothes in my closet, and I’ve been packing some of them up for giveaway.
I’m not sure where I got these four books. When I get to them, I’ll let you know if they’re any good.
I love real books, but COVID made Kindle my primary source for books. Our house is so small that I mainly utilized the library, even before the pandemic. The books I kept were mainly hard-to-find history texts and the classics in literature. These days, though, I mainly use Shakespeare to elevate my computer for Zoom meetings.
I know I should use the library more. And I am thrifty in so many other ways. But when I need a new book to read, it’s so tempting to just order it from Amazon for my Kindle. Speaking of Amazon, COVID made shopping at Amazon so handy. And Heaven knows, Jeff Bezos is already too rich.
How do you use Shakespeare for Zoom meetings?
With our last move, we downsized books severely. We kept beloved cookbooks and a few “how to” but almost all novels were donated. There is something nice about a paper book but I don’t miss lugging it around to doctor’s waiting rooms and other places. Finding an book like that is like finding an old friend.
You realize how many books you have and how heavy they are when you move. Earbuds are so handy is a doctor’s office. I’m glad my hairdresser still has a few women’s magazines. Waiting for my turn is about the only time I look at them.
Love this, Nicki! 😄😄What treasures you found in your basement!
I have the Kindle app on my phone, but I seldom use it. Instead, I prefer to read print books. I recently started Dickens’ LITTLE DORRIT, which is like an old friend. These days, I tend to read more classics than new books. Many new books are very message-conscious. I read for pleasure and to escape the stress of the every day. Though LITTLE DORRIT has a message, the story takes precedence.
I also read fairy tale collections like THE WONDER CLOCK by Howard Pyle. That is one of my nightly reading pleasures. My parents read fairy tales to me when I was a child. Now I read them to myself! 😄😄
I went through a big Dickens period when my kids were little. He’s amazing! He’s so clever, and his stories pull you in.
Even though I forgot what was in those four books in the downstairs bookcase, I never forget a fairy tale. When my daughters were studying at the International School in Manila, Daughter #2 (the lawyer) read every folk tale in the library, and there were many from all over the world. I think you learn a lot about a country’s people from their folk tales. I wish I knew more of them better.