We had eleven bookshelves in our last home. Several were floor-to-ceiling and almost all were full. And there were boxes in the garage, and stacks and stacks all over the house. And we were always buying more.
The loss of my books was a tragedy of a magnitude I doubt a non-bibiliophile can appreciate. Call me unnatural but I am every bit as upset about my books as I am about the pictures of my kids. I’d known many of them for far longer.
The VERY FIRST item of furniture we purchased ourselves for our new home was a bookcase. (The second was something to sit our new gigantic television on, but that has nothing to do with me.) We still have room on it for pictures and whatnots but I can assure you that will not last. We’ve never had any use for bookends because our shelves were always crammed so full, in some cases two layers deep.
Since the fire I have felt wary of collecting possessions, of growing attached to anything. I hesitate before saving the pictures Lorelei brings home from school. I toss birthday cards in the garbage. My closet holds just enough clothes to get by. I guess it’s a measure of how central books are to my identity that this fear no longer extends to them.
I’ve joined three book clubs. I’ve raided McKay’s and my church’s book swap. I’ve claimed the discarded books of friends. (“This feeds my soul,” said John, while going through several boxes of books given to us by my friend and her husband.)
So, what have I been reading? I’ve just recently completed a couple of bestsellers: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Stephen King’s 11-22-63. I couldn’t put the first one down–I read it in a day. Spoiler alert: The romance angle didn’t cut it for me. That love triangle/constant misunderstanding thing is SO Harlequin. As for King’s book, I adored his descriptions of the 50s which made me wish I could travel back through time myself, and also that he should just settle down there and live a happy life with his girlfriend and forget all the Kennedy stuff. Because–SPOILER–wasn’t the ending obvious from the beginning to anyone who has ever read a time travel book? It was to me, and I felt cheated having to hold that super-heavy hardback book for hours to find out that trying to change the past is a BAD IDEA.
I read those two for my book club. On my own, I’ve discovered two new authors who write the kind of legal/crime thrillers I enjoy. Having already consumed everything by Patricia Cornwell, Jonathan Kellerman, and Lisa Scottoline, I was excited to find more. I cannot rave enough about Greg Iles, an astonishingly versatile writer who refuses to be boxed in by genre. I’ve enjoyed all his books, especially the ones featuring his recurring character, Penn Cage. I never gave a second thought to Natchez, Mississippi before reading his books, but now I want to go there. He brings the city alive, and he writes about the South brilliantly and authentically. Plus his stories are good.
Phillip Margolin is another recent discovery. His books are not on the same level but they are page-turners with likable characters and evil villains and courtroom twists. He sets his books in Oregon but he does not succeed in making his stories organic to their setting. I also was able to figure out big parts of the plots ahead of time. But that’s okay–it takes some of the stress out of reading them. And they are intriguing enough to have kept me up late two nights this week finishing them.
I have Jeffrey Deaver and Michael Connelly books waiting in the “to be read” stack that never grows any shorter . . .
[UPDATE: The nearly empty book shelf is now stuffed completely full and there are stacks of books next to it. Both shelves of that table above have books stacked several feet high.]
Leslie, thank you for your comment on Family Volley. You will love playing the Spaghetti and Gummi Bear Game. 🙂
I am sitting here with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart, I have just spent the last 30 minutes reading/and re reading all of your posts about the fire and your family. I am speechless. I am so sorry, and wish I could offer a big hug of love and support. I am sending one virtually. What strength you and your husband have and what a postivie attitude as you are rebuilding in so many ways. I was touched by your description of loosing your books. I too have bookshelves overflowing (my husband doesn’t quite understand :)) But I couldn’t imagine them being gone. I can’t imagine EVERYTHING BEING GONE!. Do you have a favorite? A book you wish, above all others, that would have survived? Just glad that you are alright. It brings a new perspective of material possessions. I look forward to reading more about your family, and the rebuilding process, emotionally and physically that you are going through. Thank you for being strong enough to share.
xoxo
Thank you, Heather. I couldn’t NOT share, you know? When it happened, it really helped, writing about it. Sometimes I can’t even really imagine everything being gone. There are times I can’t believe it really happened to us. My ten year old said earlier this week: “I can’t believe that our house burned down. I never would have expected that.” As far as one book I wish had survived, I’ve never really sat and thought about it, but there are certain ones that pop into my head occasionally. I had a 1942 Knoxville City Directory. I just loved that book, because I have a thing about the past, and about what the roads used to be like (strange, I know). Then there was my collection of Eloise Wilkin picture books, that I spent some time buiding via eBay. I miss my dictionary. It wasn’t destroyed, but it was damaged, and with things being the way they are these days it seemed silly to save it. For some reason, the copy of Louisa May Alcott’s Rose in Bloom always comes to mind. it was a 1909 copy that I found years ago in my grandmother’s house. Then there was a little board book called Global Babies, which I had bought for my sixth baby, whom I miscarried. It was the only thing I had bought for him or her. I kept it near my bed, and sometimes I would just hold it and cry. I could replace the eloise Wilkin books, I guess, if I wanted to take the time and spend the money. But the other ones had sentimental value. Another copy just will never be the same.
I’m so glad you’re building up your collection again, even though I know they’re no replacement for the heart value of what was lost.
Yes–“heart value”–that’s a great way to put it! Thanks, Dwija.
Leslie, I have to go to Germany next month to help my sister tend to my dad and I need to download some books for the trip. I want to try Greg Iles but I don’t know which one to read first. Any suggestions? Thanks.
I think the Quiet Game is acknowledged as his best. It introduces his recurring character, Penn Cage. You can’t go wrong with any of them, though. There are either two or three more about Penn Cage. I think the website is http://www.gregiles.com, and there are summaries of each book there. Let me know what you think!
Thanks! I’ll start with the Quiet Game. I’ll give you feed back 🙂
Cannot wait to hear what you think?
Glad to see you were able to build up your book collection again! Thanks for linking to Quote Me Thursday!
Thanks, as always, for hosting! I really enjoy participating.