So, after contemplating as I walked paths or knitted part of a sweater or quietly drank tea, I had a few titles in mind. Browsing my bookshelves helped me choose a few others. But after I lined up my ideal bookshelf and took the picture, I thought of others I love or that have shaped me in certain important ways. The shelf could be different tomorrow, too.
The actual book is filled with paintings (which make me want to paint my book spines) of the ideal bookshelves of many famous folks from various occupations and their explanations of why they love particular titles and how those have affected them. Of course, I love what librarian Nancy Pearl had to say about libraries:
"I believe in libraries. Everyone who enters the library is equal. You have a right to be there. You don't have to pay. You don't have to be of a certain ethnicity. You don't have to belong to a certain religion. It's a place where information and the love of reading are both valued." p. 144
This would be an impossible task for me. There are too many books to savor and love.
ReplyDeleteI thought that, too, Kate. Try it.
Deletei loved reading the spines on your "ideal" book shelf (though i couldn't make them all out) and was amazed by how you, in particular, could possibly narrow down the titles to anything short of a ten room library. i've read several of the books on this shelf but feel i must seek out those i haven't read yet (cookbooks, too) and make certain to include them on my must-read shelf.
ReplyDeleteIt surprised me that I could limit my books. They had to be significant in certain ways for me to add them
DeleteHow totally fun to know that you made your bookshelf (for the moment). We intersect with Make Way for Ducklings. Again I'm wanting to read more of your favorites! The quote: Saturday we went to the French Library in Boston & it was so wonderful to hear the librarian expressing those ideas about libraries: in French!
ReplyDeleteWe keep saying this, but would it not be great to be neighbors?
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