My books and I have, as you will know if you tune in regularly on the 13th of the month, moved house. As well as a drastic cull, there’s been a big rearranging. The large bookcase in my sitting room, which once housed adult novels (E-S) has, for various reasons which even I consider too dull to share, been relocated in my bedroom and now houses some of my children’s books. These books used to be in various small bookcases around my old house – pony books in one, paperbacks in one, slightly more collectables in another. It’s surreal to see them all making friends in one place, and even stranger to have them in my bedroom where, in a new environment, they surround me like the old friends they are.
I got a gorgeous hardback of The Mirror and the Light for my birthday last month, and I’m really looking forward to it, but so far it’s been too easy, in the tired half-hour before sleep, to reach for I Wanted a Pony or What Katy Did or First Term at Malory Towers. What with moving house, wedding preparations, and trying to finish my current novel, I’ve been grateful for these easy pleasures.
After the wedding next month, my bedroom will become the guest room. First Term at Malory Towers will not make it across the landing to the master bedroom, but I do hope it and its friends will sweeten the repose of any guests who chance our way.
5 comments:
I've taken one box of books out yesterday. Sad to see them go but they'll go to readers so that is some consolation. Still more to go.
I've always been minimalistic about what goes into a bedroom. By choice, when I owned my own home, there was the bed, a carpet, and nothing else really. I almost cracked after I watched the mostly execrable 1980's film 'Pacific Heights', in which the anti-hero, Michael Keaton,is awakened from his pit by the shouted instruction from his alarm clock.., "GET UP, you lazy b...". I was rather impressed by that, I'd never encountered a speaking alarm clock.
Nowadays, in my rented studio flat, there's no choice about whether my bed shares the space with books, guitars, etc. To tidy things up somewhat, I've long intended to purchase another of those Billy bookcases. I am, though, very much in the mode of .. if I buy something, then something has to go.., to either compensate for the money or the space. The most obvious candidates for disposal are my vinyl LP's.I mean, I sold my expensive turntable years ago. I still have the amplifier and speakers, that cost £1000 35 years ago. But never use them, because these days, I listen to music on Youtube, through earphones.
So anyway, every time I delve into the piles of LP's to decide which ones to sell/get rid.., as I go through.... The Doors, Country Joe and The Fish, 10538 Overture by The Electric Light Orchestra, The Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra, The Smiths, The Damned, Forever Changes by Love, The Cure, Courtney Pine, Frank Zappa..., after a while, I return to the laptop, find them on Youtube, and.., nothing ever gets sold.
I really must get that Billy bookcase.
There are eleven Billy bookcases in this house - triple stacked in places - and they are not the only bookshelves...I really must get rid of some books
I don't dare to count the number of bookcases in our house - I have five in my study alone, and in the living room four more plus two long shelves (full, of course!) Not to mention sundry piles of books in other places, waiting to be read... But I love them all! Good luck with relocating all yours, Sheena, and I hope your new husband doesn't have the same number of books to accommodate!
Great picture. Almost as good as visiting a friend's house and taking a peek at that they've got on THEIR shelves. (Are those all the 'Swallows and Amazons' books I see there? Talk about bringing back memories!)
Post a Comment