My gaze often lands on these bookshelves.

I love books. I read them in various ways: through the library, via a used bookstore, on my Kindle, through advanced review copies, and in their brand spanking new form via a bookstore. I have hundreds of books (I’m afraid to count them. I might be horrified. Or not.) The bookshelves upstairs in the bedroom are crammed full. They’re the deepish Expedit shelves from IKEA, which allows me to place books two deep on the shelves.

Anyway, back to the bookshelves. It occurs to me that, even though I am being very selective about the books I place on our den shelves, I will run out of room before long.

Then what will I do?

Side note: Did you know I’ve reviewed over 90 books  on this blog and the book blog? I have to say I’m impressed!

I donate a lot of books to our local library. They, in turn, sell them to raise money. I never take them to a used bookstore, though I loved used bookstores, only because I feel better about donating to the good cause that is our local library.

But, gosh darn it, most of the books I acquire I want to keep. They are the map of my reading journey. They tell a story about what I’ve read, the reading phases I’ve gone through, the worlds I have visited in my imagination. Some are old friends that I revisit like clockwork. Some are reference books that also require revisiting. All of them are beautiful.

A book is a beautiful thing.

If I had a dream I would like to come true, it would be to have enough space here at the cottage for bookshelves in every room – preferably built-in bookshelves. Alas, we are limited as to wall space here simply because we have so many windows.

But wouldn’t that be scrumptious? Bookshelves in every room?

Let’s play a game. Let’s say that I was ordered to furnish a small home with only two things I love to collect. Only two collections.

I could have a bed, a sofa and a chair or two. Some lamps. The basic necessities. And some device that would let me play music.

Two collections? I would choose my books and my pottery.

That would be enough. (We’re not counting living beings here, of course. Don and Scout are a given.)

If you had to play the same game, what would you choose?

Happy Sunday.