Thursday 17 April 2008

Books for the whole family....



Well, Toby got the news that he starts a new contract sometime in the next two weeks, so we went out and celebrated. It's a three month contract, but pays the bills..... His birthday is in a little over a week's time, and mine is in May, so we decided to get some presents for today and for our birthdays, early, and tuck them away until our respective cake days. Here is what we bought, from top to bottom:
For Toby: -Ottawa Book of Everything - Arthur Montague
-Frommer's London with Kids
-The Unofficial Guide to London
For Susan (me) - Forest Mage - Robin Hobb
- the Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
- Voice - Arnaldur Indridason
-Forests of the Heart - Charles de Lint
- City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
- Wash This Blood Clean From My Hands - Fred Vargas
- The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet - ed Kelly Link & Gavin
Grant
- A Wrinkle in Time - Madeline L'Engle
For Holly-Anne: - Thomas and the Treasure
For Graham: - First Discovery, Cars and Trucks

Holly-Anne and Graham get their books on Saturday evening, when we are going out for dinner and they are being babysat. It's a bribe!
Toby gets the Ottawa Book of Everything now as his celebration of getting a job gift, and the others on his birthday. Me? I can't decide which one to choose for getting the job now, and which ones for my birthday, since I want to read them all now! However, I am very very good at putting books away and not looking at them until the big day, so I am picking A Wrinkle In Time, which I bought for the Banned Book challenge, so I can read it and not panic when I see that there are still two more books to locate! Plus, this will encourage me to read more quickly so when my birthday arrives, I have a window of time to read some of these for pure pleasure, no challenge list.......although I am enjoying the challenges so very much, it's also a deep pleasure to buy a new book unexpectedly and read it instead. Yes, we are a happy household tonight!
By the way, the eldest didn't get a book, since he is not into reading these days, and got some money for lunch before he went to work, instead. Boring, but he's poor ( he's 19 so earns his own spending money)as he has few hours at work this month, so he was just as happy with the money.

These are the shelves I have to fit the books onto,when they are "unwrapped" in a month's time:

Yes, I am trying to convince my husband it's time for another bookshelf! Most shelves are double-booked, except for the shelf on the left with the largest books, which I am now squeezing my new book purchases onto. On the floor in front, yes, those are stacks of books, because I had to give a bookshelf to the kids for their toys. We haven't replaced it yet.... I think I can foresee another bookshelf coming home soon!! ** AMENDED:I do have three more full-length shelves, but they are also filled - one in the kitchen, with two shelves of cookbooks, and two shelves upstairs with my writing, quilting, astrology, tarot and spirituality books and magazines. They are full too. ***Toby just said I was a bookaholic after reading this post. He forgets he has his own bookshelf (three tier) filled with his football and hockey books and magazines!! I reminded him that a) we all need a passion, and b)as Christopher, the owner of Collected Works where we bought all our books, said after we went back in to buy Toby's books because Toby only admitted after we left the store with my purchases that he'd seen one or two he liked: "it's better than shoes or hats!" Toby then said I'd never called him a footballaholic, and I said I didn't have to! He was already one when I met him. He agreed I had a point, and dropped his head back into the Everything Ottawa book.***



And, these are some special friends who sit on one of my fantasy shelves. I love gargoyles, and have a collection I have started. I also love dragons, so for now, until I have more, they keep each other company and watch over my books.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the book shelves! Nice and orderly like mine ;)

Do you live in London?

Susan said...

Rhinoa - no, we live in Canada - Ottawa. Toby's parents live just outside London in Grays, Essex, and we are planning a trip over this summer - not sure of the exact timing yet. Toby wants to show off more of London to the kids (his mother hates London, so she can't really show us around), and he loves, loves planning trips and things to see, and he's homesick a bit as well. when he lived in Grays 15 years ago, he worked in London in the government, so he knows it fairly well. But I found all the bookstores on Charing Cross Road! He knows the way to Stamford Bridge (home of Chelsea Football Club)!

As for the orderly shelves ;) they actually bother me, I like them a little neater! I think my ultimate goal is to have ceiling to floor shelves lining the entire living room and my study ......then I can have neater shelves and be able to see all my books at a glance! *sigh* I just don't have any space left.....so I'm dropping mega-hints right now that we NEED another shelf if he hopes to get floor space back.

Emily Barton said...

Oh my. I do believe your bookshelves actually rival ours! It's nice to know there's someone else out there like that.

Susan said...

Emily - it's pretty sad, isn't it? We love and treasure our books, but we just can't get them organized/shelved properly to do them justice. I'm glad to know someone else suffers from buying more books than shelf space!!

Patricia said...

Ah yes. The bookshelves. No matter the number of books never enough bookshelf space. Now how many books are on those shelves that you haven't read yet? I'm sure they will all be read in due time.

Now maybe people will understand why I cried when you went into a bookstore back when we were younger, MUCH younger!!

chrisa511 said...

Heh...I loved this post! There's nothing I love more than pictures of people's books and bookshelves. Elaine at Quixotical coined a phrase that we book bloggers use all the time now for our pictures of books..."book porn!" lol...Sad, huh?

Great buys there. I just picked up a copy of Name of the Wind myself. I've been wanting to read it for ages but I've been so intimidated by it's size...but I finally caved. Now who knows when I'll finally get to it. You'll love a Wrinkle in Time. Is it your first time reading it?

Congrats to Toby!! That's great news! What a way to celebrate :) It makes me happy to see families celebrating with books. And I feel the eldest's pain...there are times when that lunch money from Mom means the world! Hope things pick up for him soon!

Bybee said...

Wow, I love your shelves! Can I come over?

Anonymous said...

I loved the Patrick Rothfuss and can't wait for the next volume, but I've been very much under-whelmed by the latest Hobb which is a shame as I loved the first series she did so much.

Ana S. said...

I love how you organize your bookshelves :P Seriously, there's nothing I love more than the sight of a bookshelf practically exploding with books. Like Chris said, thanks for the book porn!

Enjoy A Wrinkle in Time! And the DeLint! That anthology edited by Kelly Link sounds great too. I look forward to all your reviews!

Anonymous said...

Durr I knew that as you commented on my post about Toronto! Let me know when you are in London as I live just outside in Surrey.

Carl V. Anderson said...

I'm not sure how much convincing you need to do, just show him that picture! You do need another bookshelf...or shelves! ;)

Tara @ Tales of a Book Addict said...

Oh wow. Now I don't feel so bad about my book shelves, lol. You've got a lot more books than me! (I secretly envy you ... my husband, on the other hand, is cringing as I say that!).

Tara