Home Library Party

I learned to love books at an early age. My dad took this photo of me looking at a Child Craft book when I was only about two. Being the third child I was one of the "students" when my oldest sister was the "teacher". I tried to be a good student; memorizing books before I could actually read them. My whole family likes to tell how I could recite The Night Before Christmas when I was about three years old. I distinctly remember the beautiful poems and stories in those Child Craft books and I can still recite several of those too. When my oldest sister had children the Child Craft books moved to her house, then when I had children they came to my house, and now they are at my niece's house. I hope they continue to be passed along to whomever has young children.

I remember as a young child going to the library with my mother (who was also an avid reader). We kids would go to the children's section and each check out a few books. It was like a whole new world in there. Books provided a perfect way to see the world, have an adventure, or learn something new. I preferred books with maps, beautiful illustrations, and adventurous stories.

I should come as no surprise that I have lots of books. But of course, they're not all my books. The Lord of the Manor and both our children also love books. When they were little we read to them every night. I think we enjoyed it as much as they did. We don't read to them at night anymore, but I often find them reading when I call "lights out".

My children love bookstores too, and we often visit them in our travels. In 2003 we happened to be in London on June 21st when the latest Harry Potter book came out. We took the Tube to Waterstones to get our books and our kids spent the next two weeks with their noses stuck in them.

Let's have a look at our library now. You enter through these pocket doors. In the winter we shut the doors and run the little fireplace to keep it warm.

Here is our library. It was one of the first rooms we finished when we remodeled the house in 2001. The Lord of the Manor built all the bookcases and the sea chest that we use as a sofa table. All the furnishings are old; the leather furniture and rug were purchased in 1990, and the wing back chairs in 1975.

Here is the little wet bar just to the right of the door.

Then there is a comfy chair and ottoman in this corner. And some old books from the Lord of the Manor's family. And the stereo equipment and drawers full of CDs, DVDs, and videos.

Past the fireplace on the left are lots of sailing books from the 1980s when we lived aboard a 35' sailboat that we cruised to Mexico. Some of them still smell of mildew. We also keep the sextant and hand bearing compass there.
On the left wall is the window looking out onto the back garden. I put the window mistreatment back up for the winter. It's merely a piece of silk about 20" wide and 12' long with a bead fringe on the ends. I simply drape and wrap it around the pole and decorate it with whatever is handy. Currently my "S P O O K Y" letters and a crow are there.

The last wall has the largest bookcase with over 500 books. No wonder it took soooo long to clean that wall! It holds lots of gardening, art, architecture, adventure, racing, flying, cooking, science, animal, and bird books.

As I sat exhausted from all the cleaning last Sunday evening I started counting the books. After counting 670 in this room, 71 in the living room, 37 in the kitchen, and estimating 50 in each kid's room, I realized that, yes, we do really love books.