This week’s musing asks....
What does your bookshelf (or, what do your bookshelves) say about you to the people who come into your home?
What does your bookshelf (or, what do your bookshelves) say about you to the people who come into your home?
Leading my hermit like life, I don’t get a lot of visitors in my humble hovel. But when I do, especially when they see the bookcases in my den, well many are a bit taken back. Those cases hold about 800 of the 1300 or so book that I own, so they don’t even account for the shelves and piles scattered around in other places. If I could get them all together, that would be cool. But perhaps it is even odder in the eyes of many.
The last strangers that I think that were in my house was when two TV repairs guy arrived to try (unsuccessfully ) to fix the Big Screen some months ago and they just could not get over all those books. Even more the fact that I had actually read them. They asked me that several times in fact... “You have read all those books?” They really seemed to think it was not an ordinary occurrence.
See, there is the salient point I think. It is not just owning books. That is a whole other question… why I actually want all those books in my house. No, the point is simply that, like many of you all, I actually read books.
We here in BlogLand, many with book related sites, sometimes fall into the mistaken idea that everyone reads books. Well, they do not. I read maybe 2 to 3 books a week, no great achievement among book blogs, many of whom read many more per week. The 1300 books I own represent just a small percentage of the books I have read in my lifetime. But that 2-3 a week...well, we have to remember that many, many people do not read that many books in a year! Some have probably not read that many since they left school where they may have been forced to crack a couple open. We read books, we buy books, we talk about books, we read about reading books, we love books...but it is not a love everyone shares or understands.
So sad.
For them.
Musing Monday is hosted, as always, by MizB at Should Be Reading. Drop by and check out some other answers.
It is easy to forget that we (book bloggers and/or readers) are the oddity -- not the norm. It is sad. I hear people almost bragging about only having read 1 book in a year. Very sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteAnd never ever drop a match in your house. I bet it would go up in seconds.
So sad for them is right. I just don't understand people who don't read.
ReplyDeleteYesterday my mom announced to me that she just finished her 3rd book this year. I was aghast (but also happy for her, since this is a record).
ReplyDeleteCompletely understand about people (repairmen, etc.) commenting on all the books. We have piles all over the place, and we are also lucky enough to have a cleaning service once a month. They're usually different people each time, and they always comment on all the books. ("Are all these yours?" as if I run a book babysitting service.)
I work in the world of academia so most of the people I work with share our love for books. But in the outside world it still surprises me that people don't read like "us"...They really have no clue what they're missing. With the recent influx of movies from books people are surprised that I've read the book. Many of them think the book came out because of the movie. All I can say is what my southern mother would say "Bless their hearts"
ReplyDeleteOr if people do read, they only read books written by a handful of authors. Weirdos are we! I am convinced though, that if some of these people knew a book blogger, and had them pushing books on them, they might see the light. I have converted a few people in my life into readers.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I would do without my books. I have one on my reading table at all times, and always carry one in my purse. It sure beats setting around with nothing to do and the I'm bored, what can we do, theme. I keep very few books after I read them, I either donate them to the library, or sell them to a second-hand bookstore. but, nevertheless, I still have many books on my shelves.
ReplyDeleteHow funny - I get the same thing from repair people (right before they give me VERY weird looks even though THEY are the ones who look like serial killers and *I* just look like a librarian!!!)
ReplyDeleteSo true!...sad for them. Mine let people know just how organized/anal I am. They are alphabetized or arranged by size or arranged by color!
ReplyDelete