Monday, February 1, 2010

Musing Monday...and Why I Have Lust in My Heart.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post, from Rebecca at Just one more page, is about a random book.

Go to your bookshelf and pick a random book. No cheating now, just reach out and pick one. Now tell us about it – where did you get it? Why? Was it a gift? Does it hold any special memories? Did someone recommend it to you? etc.


Go...let's see...and the winner is...The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The Hobbit is a favorite book, certainly one of Tolkien's that I love. It is a wonderful introduction to the Shire and the world of hobbits, and, let's face it, a lot more accessible than the much more complex Lord of The Rings. LoTR Lite perhaps.

Now this particular edition is not the first that I owned. In fact, my original copy, that I read in high school, was a paperback and I still have it. I also still have my original three book paperback edition of LoTR. But I always wanted a better copy, a really nice copy. So for years I used to look at the lovely editions put out by the Easton Press. Acid free paper, sewn pages, leather covers, gold edging, moire endsheets, lovely illustrations. Then one day, a few years ago, I sprung for it and bought the 5 volume set, with The Hobbit, the three volumes of the Lord of The Rings and The Silmarillion. Since then I have gone on to buy a few more Easton books, usually on eBay, just because they are so very nice.

See, this is why for people like me, people that 'suffer' from the book sickness, the e-book will never fulfill our book lust. And that is what it is...book lust. A book that I really love, I need to own. For the best of the best, I want to own a really nice edition. A nice hard cover, maybe with some beautiful illustrations, a book that will exist long after you and I have given up the ghost, "when we have shuffled off this mortal coil", as my buddy Hamlet said.
For those everyday, ordinary books that past through our lives and, while entertaining, will soon be forgotten, a paperback, a book borrowed from the library, is fine.
But special books, loved books, deserve special editions.

"O yes my precious, very nice."




16 comments:

  1. I love your blog!!! This is such a fun post!!!

    My book of choice was Match Me If you Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, given to me as a gift from my sister...per my request... I fell across the author in the library and now can't get enough of her! Her chick lits are amazing!

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  2. Just for fun, I did this a few seconds ago and picked Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell. It was given to me by a fellow blogger in Germany - Ka-Yam at last year's Frankfurt Book Fair.

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  3. I've never read The Hobbit or LOTR, but I intend to delve into the audios with the kids after I'm done with Harry Potter. (BTW, I call my driver golf club my "precious"!)

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  4. Oh what a beautiful book! I can see why you love it so :)

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  5. I love gorgeous books like that too!

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  6. What a fun question!

    And I know what you mean about "book lust." But I'm perfectly happy with my Kindle ... not every book is a "saver." And if it is, then I'll get myself a keeper copy.

    Yesssssss.....precious.

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  7. I agree: The Hobbit is my favorite Tolkien book, definitely a "lite" book. ;) In fact, I just reread it a couple of weeks ago!

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  8. is it possible for me to get a copy in italiano!?

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  9. I don't call it book lust, I call it my book fetish, but basically the same principle. I loved The Hobbit. But, it definately isn't light reading.

    Here's Mine.

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  10. You are so right....special, loved books deserve special editions. My family does not get why I have 2 or 3 copies of the same book.

    Only book people get it.

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  11. What a gorgeous edition of the book! I have several editions of Jane Eyre cos I just love it, and Nise is right - only book people get it.

    Mine is here.

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  12. Jen, glad you like it! be sure to come on back! ;-)

    Lenore, a book with a memory like that is always a little more special.

    Sandy, Brooke and I agree...start with the Hobbit.

    Rebecca, I really like books...I love lovely books.
    Kathy gets it too!

    Jenners, don't get me started on the Evil Kindle. ;-)

    Wacky, I want to reread the Hobbit now, but I hate to crack open this copy..lol

    Bandit, I will see what I can do, as I know how you like to read.

    Alayne, I must say it is beautiful.

    Lori, lust...fetish...I think we are talking about the same lovely 'illness'.

    Nise, it is good they figured out to stop asking.

    Boof, non-book people just look at us funny..lol

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  13. I imagine we won't see many memes asking us to scroll through all our e-books and wax poetic about where we downloaded them from! I totally agree with you. Books are beautiful. Handing one to someone else is a hell of a lot more personal than forwarding it to them electronically.

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  14. assuming we have the ability to actually forward our e-book...which you usually do not of course.

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