When I visit someone’s house—I make a beeline for their book shelf. What’s there? What do they read? What do the books say about them?
What do your books say about you?
Are you a book snob? Do you line up your beautiful intellectual books for everyone to see, but hide your less seemly books under your bed? Come on tell the truth :)
I will admit I do have a few snobby books—Paradise Lost and The Divine Comedy to name a few—but I have every intention of reading them. I do—I really do :) My book shelf reads like a hodge-podge of styles, genres, authors. I’m an equal opportunity book lover and I display it for all to see.
I have a theory that most writers love books. They don’t display them for show. They read them. They share them. They love them! My sister calls me a Book Whore—so I guess I’m the opposite of a Book Snob.
What about you?
-Angie
I also DO NOT read in my garden dressed in pearls and taffeta. More like couch, pajamas, and chocolate.
22 comments:
I'm a book whore, too. I'll read anything and everything in my path. I have a lot of classics on my bookshelves, but I've read them.
Ha I agree - I also have the snobby, leather-pretty-books that are on main display in the front room. But I can happily say that I've read them. Not all of the pretty ones but half at least. : )
I have a room filled with books but I only keep books that I love and/or haven't read yet.
Hmm, I think I read all the "snob" books as an English major for school so when I have a choice, I choose to check out with YA and non-snob books lol. But, of course, there are exceptions, and non-fictions are more interesting to me now
Angie, I enjoyed your post. Most writers do love books and, yes, our books do say something about us. Your post inspired me to dig up a quote from War and Peace that I had saved.
http://garygauthier.blogspot.com/2011/09/mystical-books.html
I go for the couch, pajamas and chocolate too! And I'm not a book snob. I'm more like you... I love a variety of books and genres. It's more fun that way! I have become a bit of a snob when people want to borrow my books though... I NEVER get them back and that just pisses me off! So now I guard them with great care - they are so "precious."
We don't have a lot of room in our house, so I have my bookshelves in my room. :) I'm glad my hubby doesn't mind! And I have one big shelf full of contemp/lds fiction books. The other is YA fantasy, dystopian, etc. They're both full. I need help. I buy too many books! lol :)
I love that photo. I wouldn't say I'm a book snob at all. I love books so much, I'll read anything no matter what kind of stigma they have. We do have a book shelf in our living room with photos frames and books which are a little more 'on display'. What do I display in them? My Harry Potter collection! Very sophisticated.
Ha! I do the same thing. I'm always checking out what people have on their shelves and/or are reading :)
We have a variety of books/genres in our house. We're kinda like a library, LOL, each room of our house has a book theme (Romance in the bedroom, Mystery in the guest bedroom, Thrillers/Suspense in the living room, Horror and anything sports related in the Man Cave, etc.). We have some "snobby" books but they're spread throughout the house and I've read most of them :)
YES! Then the next words out of my mouth after "hello" are "CAN I BORROW THIS?" LOL!
Miranda - I love the classics too. I'm always surprised how many people have never read them.
Freya - I love pretty books. I guess I am snobby when it comes to the type of books I buy. I only by hardbacks.
Kelley - You are a better person than me. I can't quite fall in love with non-fiction.
Gary - Thanks for the link. I enjoyed that quote.
Abby - I keep a running list of who has my books, and my friends are good about giving them back. I think I have over 20 books lent out right now.
Chantele - Oh I buy way too many books. I'm a bit of an Amazon addict.
Melissa - HP is sophisticated!
Raelyn - I LOVE the themed room idea. *rushes off to Ikea to by more bookshelves*
Emily - I always try and engage people in conversations about the books on their shelf. I think I bug people :)
never heard of a book snob. my bookshelf is in my room because i'm the only pleasure-reader in my house of active boys!
I am also probably a Book Whore. I use a giant bookshelf to divide my kitchen from my "living room" which is filled to the brim on both sides. I have all kinds of books in there all higglety pigglety. I love that new book smell so I buy a lot and keep them all (even if I don't read them again). My parents are both librarians so they find this habit of mine quite vexing.
Tara - That's probably a good call. My boys have been known to ruin a book or two.
Liz - I LOVE the idea of bookshelves as walls! I don't get rid of books either. Oooo I just had a light bulb moment--I'm a book hoarder. But as long as I don't hoard anything else, I'm fine--right?
I have a 3 bookshelves in the family room that are just bursting with everything.
One bookshelf in my bedroom that has my TBR shelf, current reads, borrowed books, and the 'what I'm reading to the kids' books on it.
One shelf in the living room that is very decorative. My husband's job gives him a fancy leather bound book every year and that we display in the living room. Yes, he has the best job ever. No, we don't read them. We already have cheap paperback copies of almost everything he's ever received. It's not really to be snobbish, but it really is the safest place for those books ;)
I do that too - always run to others' bookshelves.
I don't have space to display all my books :-( A lot of YA seems to come to the forefront, though...
New follower from Rach's campaign!
My bookshelf is like my trophy case! I have some snobby books, but it's mostly full of the YA that I love. I like to share those with the people who come over and look at it.
Shelly - I'm totally jealous of your hubby's job. I don't know what it is, but it must rock if they give him free books :)
Deniz - I'm will proudly admit that my YA collection far out numbers any other genre I collect.
Jessica - I love when people look at my books too. Maybe that is why I don't feel too guilty looking through theirs :)
I'm a shameless book whore. I show my romances with the man titty on the covers with glee right beside the copy of Fahrenheit 451 and Baudelaire poetry. And I read them all. Some I just read a little more often than others!
I have no book prejudices. No matter the genre, if it's good, it's good! A while ago I had to buy a larger bookshelf for my living room and it was surprising how fast it filled up. But, my kindle has greatly reduced the books from taking over.
Julie - I love that you are shameless :)
Ruth - I just can't bring myself to embrace the Kindle...it smells nothing like a new book.
My husband and I are both book snobs. The first thing we look at when we go to someone's house is what they have on their bookshelves. That's how we determine if we can be friends with them or not.
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