Friday, July 27, 2007

A New Home!!

For my books, of course!





These have been on order since March and were supposed to take 12-16 weeks. Today is the end of 19 weeks, and I've been thinking about how I wanted to arrange things since March.

For the first time, I'm feeling like I have too many books. I lugged everything downstairs, there were piles everywhere and I'm already feeling like these shelves are too small. The truth is I don't have room for anything bigger than this in the living room. There is definitely going to be more rearranging. I had no idea how many nonfiction books I have - at least as many as fiction.

I have so many books I bought years ago, in some cases I'm not even sure why I did or if I'll ever get to them. I find it so hard to cull, though. If you click on these photos you can get a better peek at what is on the shelves.




I really wanted to get my cookbook collection out of the cabinet I had it in. I don't have room in the kitchen for all these and wanted to see them. Here is the better part of my collection.






More photos to come, as I get things arranged the way I want. There is also the Virago collection which is now housed by itself.

14 comments:

Gentle Reader said...

First of all, congrats on getting the shelves, they're great-looking! I have shelf envy! Secondly, I love the Best Recipe series of cookbooks, and I love Nigella's books, too...nice to see them on your shelves :)

Bookfool said...

Those are gorgeous shelves - definitely worth the wait!

Nan said...

Beautiful, beautiful shelves, especially when they're full of all those books! Even when I clicked, I couldn't see all the titles. The two that caught my eye were Diana Mosley and Circle Of Sisters. What is the latter one about? I have a lot of non-fiction, too. I find that these are the books I need to own because they are often big and I hate to have a deadline of getting them back to the library and also, because I like to check back in them, re-read parts, etc.

I wanted to give you an address of a blog I just found which I think you'll like. Maybe it is already on your list. I should have checked first. :<)

http://noimpactman.typepad.com/
blog/

Cath said...

Buying new bookshelves is almost as nice as buying new books. 8-D I see a nice collection of Persephones there. I've just started my collection; I have a grand total of *five*. LOL. I went to the shop when I was in London in June - that was fun.

I also see a couple of Nigel Slater's books there. I'm such a fan of his TV shows. Are they shown in the US? Have you read his autobiography, Toast? He has a new book coming out soon too, How the British Eat or something like that.

Tara said...

Gentle reader, thanks! I love the Best Recipe series, I receive their magazines and enjoy America's Test Kitchen Family cookbook as well. I'm just nuts about Nigella. I discovered her on E! when my daughter was a newborn and waking before 6am. I've even gone to a luncheon to hear her speak.

Bookfook, I think so too!

Nan, what you've said about nonfiction - again you've read my mind. Exactly. Circle of Sisters is about 4 lower-class sisters who marry well known men - Edward Burne-Jones, Edward Poynter, Stanley Baldwin and Rudyard Kipling. This is a fairly new purchase for me - I love books about sisters - and the author, Judith Flanders, wrote an amazing book about Victorian domestic life that I recommend highly. I will take some closer photographs when things are arranged better. Thank you so much for the blog link - I'd never been there but I'm enjoying it so much! That is a blog I'll go back and read in its entirety. He has some good links, too.

Cath, it's funny, my husband asked why I didn't leave any room next to the Persephones since obviously, I'd be getting more. I reminded him of the current horrible exchange rate, and he reminded Me of Christmas. Nigel Slater is not on TV here, or at least I've never seen him. My first experience with him was through The Kitchen Diaries, which I loved and then read Toast. I am aware of his forthcoming book, being about British cooking it is unlikely to be published here so that will be another Book Depository purchase.

Jill ONeill said...

I think the real problem begins after you fill all of those bookshelves and the piles begin to appear near the baseboards of your rooms.

sally906 said...

Lovely new shelves - I have filled my two bookshelves up - and now have a large 'under the bed container' that is also full :)

I suppose I could start reading my books and reduce the congestion....

Yes - and the space just means I'll have to buy more books to take their place - LOL!!!

Cornflower said...

Lovely shelves, and what fun you'll be having getting everything arranged!

Tara said...

Jill, unfortunately that is the case - I had to lug just as many books as you see here upstairs and double stack them on a small bookcase and there are still piles on the floor. Sigh.

Hi Salley, thank you! Now that I see how many books I own that I haven't read, I'm a bit more motivated to read them and not those from the library. Maybe I can even hold out from buying more for a couple of weeks.....I guess it's a problem I'm happy to have!

Karen, thank you, I agree.

Carrie K said...

Those are great bookcases! I'm currently savagely culling my books - it's hard but otoh, soon there will be no room for me. And it's really shameful how many TBR books I've got.

I did spy Henry VIII by Alison Weir on your shelves.....it's so much fun to snoop through bookshelves.

Danielle said...

Lovely bookcases--I wish I had room for more.

Tara said...

Carrie K - I also love snooping through bookshelves, it is a great habit of mine. I love Alison Weir's books about Henry VIII.

Danielle, I also wish I had room for more. My husband mentioned that I didn't leave room for any of his books. Hmmm.

Lesley said...

Great bookshelves! Did you get them from Ikea? They look like the ones I have in my living room. They were definitely an indulgence, but one I'm very happy to have!

I love looking at pictures of other people's bookshelves, thanks for posting - and congrats!

Tara said...

Lesley, I enjoyed looking at all your books! The bookcases are not from IKEA. I actually went to a furniture store I really like and since they didn't have anything on the floor I wanted, I looked through all their catalogs and picked these. I think the company is David Lee.