fiction files redux discussion

So I'm house hunting. When my realtor asked me to name three things I was looking for I really only had one thing that was absolutely necessary: one room or den that I could transform into a library. Now that I'm a single girl again and I am buying a house that will be MINE AND MINE ALONE I am finally going to fulfill my lifelong dream and build myself a library.

This home library will not be filled with bookcases either! No, no, no! I'm so tired of bookcases that take up too much space in a room, but never have enough space to fit all my books! I am going to have my carpenter uncle build me floor to ceiling bookshelves for my libray. If the wall is tall, I'll get a stepstool for the high shelves. I will also have an overstuffed super comfy chair, maybe even two, and side tables with lamps for reading. I'm going to do this right.

So I saw this little article today with photos of celebrity home libraries: http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.c...

Pretty cool, huh? So, do you have a home library? What does it look like? Feel free to post pictures! If you don't have a home library, what would your dream home library be like?

i never really had feelings for him before, but i now love keith richards. his is the only library that looks like it's actually being used.

Damn but I miss my library... Hopefully in September I can get back to Pluto and ship them to Venus. Mine was like your dream... floor to ceiling and packed. When I boarded my ship for another distant planet I packed 20 essential books. I've added to that since. But, damn I miss my library.

My own library is a cramped basement packed with books after books. I think I have about over a thousand books. Occasionally you would see me scurry about like a mouse among them.

Patty wrote: "i never really had feelings for him before, but i now love keith richards. his is the only library that looks like it's actually being used."

Patty, agreed.
But why is it not surprising that Sting's library is so ... sexy. :)

I liked Jimmy Stewart's library, myself!

Sting can sit in his library for 6 hours and not make a single sound.

(That's a riff on his tantric sex interview of many years ago. I always seem to watch late night tv on the most random, and best, nights!)

The entire top floor of my house is mine. Off to one side is an unfinished attic with a bunch of gorgeous wood rafters. MY plan is to have that room finished out with built-ins but keep as much of those rafters as I possibly can.

I have the same feeling about my house. Yesterday Alan was just saying that he bets I look around sometimes and say, holy shit, *This... this is mine and I did it on my own.* I said, oh, not just sometimes. Almost EVERY day. :)

Those were some pretty nice libraries. My library currently sits in boxes in the garage. Well most of it does, some of my fancier books are in a book case at my parents and a large portion of my greco-roman collection are with a friend attending grad school in Canada. I'll likely have a reunified collection by the new year.

In a couple of weeks I'll be moving to a smallish place in downtown Phoenix and will be setting up my personal library there. Maybe I'll post some pictures when it's done.

I'm so excited for your new place Dan! It will be nice when your books are liberated from boxes....I look forward to that day myself.

Congrats on finding a place for your books, Dan!

Yes -- PICTURES, Dan. :)

Sure thing, I move in on the 18th so I should hopefully have the library reconstructed and organized within the following week.

I remember really liking your library Patty. Or maybe that was just me liking hanging out with you and the poet. :)

Ditto Patty & Kerry.

Keith Richards' and Jimmy Stewart's are organized, seemingly "in use" and accessible.

Special mention to Julianne Moore's for the desk IN THE MIDDLE. YES!

A comfy chair for relaxed reading (if ever)—and the all-important desk in the middle for scribbles, notes, and (egad) a work to be born.

Admittedly, I'm a "desk writer (long-hand)" and my current mode of writing from the chair ala Virginia Woolf is somewhat frustrating for me.

Great post. Sorry I'm so late exploring it . . .

Mike wrote: "I've been house hunting lately too, and when I mention to the realtor that a library with floor to ceiling shelves is the most important feature for me they look at me as if I'd just farted during mass. Can't trust people who don't love books or animals, I say..."

Oh, I've completely given up on finding a house that already has a ready made library. I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll have to build it myself. I'm currently awaiting short sale approval on a cute little single story home that has an extra "retreat" space off the master bedroom that would be PERFECT for my own private library/reading room. Fingers crossed the short sale gets approved and I can make it mine!

Good luck Kerry!

I hope it's yours, soon.

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Just read this thread and love the library photos, Kerry! Jimmy Stewart's shelves are my favorite. I wish I could look closer and see the types of books they read. I wonder what Michael Jackson's favorite books were...

My library is pretty lame right now. Just a bunch of Ikea shelves in my dining room. I'd love to have a dedicated library someday with REAL built-in bookshelves! And hardwood floors. Maybe even a old timey lookin' map on the floors. And a globe. And original artwork!

Kerry, since you posted this last year... did you end up getting your dream library?

Um, well, let's just say "short sale" does not refer to the time it takes to come through! I'm still under contract for the house, but as the seller has two mortgages, the short sales is still being negotiated. The banks have absolutely no sense of urgency. Fingers crossed it will be mine eventually, but they are not kidding when they say it can take six months to a year. I'm creeping up on eight months waiting! The good news is, I've saved a lot of money. That I can spend on built in bookshelves!

Kerry wrote: "The good news is, I've saved a lot of money. That I can spend on built in bookshelves!"

That's a good way of looking at it! I'd love to see a photo of this epic library once you have it done (if you want). I'm always looking for inspiration for my someday, far far away library.

So I failed to post pictures a while back. For that I apologize. I am going to be moving into a house (of my own!) in the next few weeks so I promise to get photos of my library up when I've got it put back together again.

Dan wrote: "So I failed to post pictures a while back. For that I apologize. I am going to be moving into a house (of my own!) in the next few weeks so I promise to get photos of my library up when I've got it..."

woo! Library photos! I'll be looking out for them.

Yay Dan! I can't wait to see how you do up your home library and am so happy for you on owning your own house!

I actually had a bit of movement on my house yesterday. The short sale approvals are supposedly coming through within the next two weeks. We'll see!

I attended this book sale over the weekend called Friends of the Library Book Sale - it was epic! Today was the last day and they had an entire warehouse full of books marked only 10 cents! On the first day, people were lining down the street, watched over by cops and a guy playing bagpipes. If you ever get a chance, you should try to attend it: http://folacld.org/

They have a section called Collector's Corner - a corner full of first editions, rare books, etc. It really got me thinking about my library and what I would really, really want to make it complete.

Do you guys have a list of dream books that would really make your library the best ever? Mine are:

Complete Charles Dickens in hardback
First edition of To Kill a Mockingbird (this is asking way way too much, but it would be awesome if it was signed, too!)
Signed Jeffrey Eugenides book
An entire shelf of Jane Eyres (in any and every edition)
A collection of antique atlases

I think that's all I have in mind right now. What about you?

Leslie, I love that story about the bagpipes. In fact, I love all stories about bagpipers. They have some secret code between them to show up at random occasions and play. The world sure needs more of that.

I want the first book I remember really reading by myself. It's a hardback called "The Sunbonnet Babies."

Building plans are being made for a little free library outside my house. I'll post pictures of that whenever that happens. It might be a while, but I am taking a woodworking class on the 10th.

Wow...

Book Mark AND Book Rack

Leslie wrote: "Do you guys have a list of dream books that would really make your library the best ever?"

I would love to have a complete set of Virago Modern Classics (preferably with the older green covers and spines) and Persephone Books editions. Penguin Classics used to have a "Complete Collection" (I think Amazon had it), which would be neat.

Elizabeth wrote: "Leslie, I love that story about the bagpipes. In fact, I love all stories about bagpipers. They have some secret code between them to show up at random occasions and play. The world sure needs m..."

Isn't it crazy how big of an impact childhood reading has on us? I also want a copy of the fairy tale book I had when I was little, and I refuse to give up my old paperback of To Kill a Mockingbird, even though it is on the verge of falling apart. There's just something so magical about the books we were first introduced to.

I found this copy of Sunbonnet Babies on Etsy...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/42994807/...

Is that the same one?

Margaret wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Do you guys have a list of dream books that would really make your library the best ever?"

I would love to have a complete set of Virago Modern Classics (preferably with the older g..."

I looked these up... now I have a new thing to drool over. :) It would be so nice to have a complete collection like that!

Leslie wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Leslie, I love that story about the bagpipes. In fact, I love all stories about bagpipers. They have some secret code between them to show up at random occasions and play. The ..."

That is so sweet, Leslie! Thank you for looking for me. They are the right Sunbonnet Babies, but it isn't the same book. I need to sit down with my mom and search the internet until we find the right version and content.

Ha Leslie! You have an entire shelf of Jane Eyre while I have an entire shelf of Jane Austen novels. I'm always buying copies of her novels when I find ones with unique, different, or funny covers.