All Booked Up

I really like books. Not just reading books either. I love the smell of books, the look of books, the feel of books. I especially love old books. Does anyone else think that the smell of old books is the best, most comforting smell in the world? Well I do. I remember being about 12 and my mom and dad took us all to this used book shop that was just FULL of books (we're talking towers, and racks, and rows upon rows of old books) and I just sat in one of the isles and smelled. I really like books.

It's funny because I didn't read until later in my childhood. I refused to read until I was seven when I started reading American Girl doll books (the Samantha and Molly ones to be exact). Then when I was 10 my mom gave me some old Nancy Drew books she had as a kid. I don't think we need to go into how much I loved those. That was when I really took of reading. I would save up my pennies to go buy the sets of six Nancy Drew books that Costco was selling at the time. Each time I'd earned $12.99 I'd beg my mom to go to Costco so I could get another set. Then came Madeline L'Engle. For a girl who hates pretty much anything to do with science, I loved those. I found Meg Murry to be the closest I'll probably ever come to a literary doppleganger. She had ugly mouse brown hair that was kind of bushy, was terribly awkward, and didn't relate to her peers very well (I was much better at pretending to relate to my peers, but most of my friends were always a couple years older than I). I devoured Madeline L'Engle's books. Then came Little Women and an obsession with all things Louisa May Alcott. My mom's former Aunt gave her the whole Little Women set for Christmas when she was really little and I have already put in my claim for those when my mom finally kicks the bucket (I love you mom).

Between all those there were of course other books, like the Royal Diaries, and Dear America series (I'm a huge history nerd), Trixie Belden, Sherlock Holmes (I also am a sucker for anything mysterious. I spent a good portion of my childhood hoping to solve a mystery), and various stories of Celtic folklore (okay so I'm really just a nerd in cute dresses). My library card was well exersised, and I probably still owe $400 in late fees. In high school my Jr. and Sr. year Lit classes were year long (I was homeschooled, but we had a co-op that did classes every Friday) and we read 30 books per year, all classics. Don't get me started on The Gilgamish Epic (epic my foot, more like drug induced ramblings of a crazy person). I got marked down on papers for proving that Helen of Troy went willingly and was not just a vapid, weakling who was kidnapped. Hello Paris was hot, he liked her, she had a beast of a husband. She went willingly. (someday I will have an album called Helen Went Willingly). I made a whole chart on War and Peace to keep track of all the Sashas. My community college had a pretty good library with an extensive folkelore section and an awesome section on fashion, makeup, and costuming. In my English 1B (upper division English) I had a nutcase professor who forced us to read Kafka and Freud. I'm fairly sure he had shrines to both of them at his house. His entire class was based on the premise that Freud was the only original thinker ever. It was one of the most enjoyable horrible classes I've ever had (and I very recently learned that this professor was punched by a student in one of his classes. He made a habit of insulting his students in a most obnoxious manner. I won't even tell you what he told me, but basically I really need therapy to clear up the fact that I have distict memories from before I was 5. Cuz Freud couldn't have been wrong at all, right?).

The point is, I read alot of books, and have alot of books (you should see my mom and dad's collection). This love of books coupled with my love of thrifting has gotten out of hand. Observe:

This is my big bookcase. The three middle rows are double stacked. Double Stacked? Yes:

See? Then there's the single stacked shelves:

It's bad. I mean that's alot of books. Oh did I mention the stack in front of the bookcase or the two fabric shopping bags full of them?:

These are music text books that have been transfered to binders. The joys of Music School.

And this is sheet music. I kind of have alot. Plus I have this weird thing about getting rid of sheet music. So yeah it's bad. Oh and what's this? Another bookcase full of various editions of Nancy Drew as well as scrapbooks?:

Oh and um, this is my book overflow:

So clearly I need more bookcases, but seeing as I don't have room for another bookcase right now, and I'm not willing to part with any of them, I decided I needed to reorganize. So the Nancy Drew Shrine got shrunk to a single shelf and I moved the stack in front of the big bookcase and Time Life cookbooks I collect to the other shelf:

And that freed up room so that I could move everything from my desk to the book shelf!:

Clearly I still need more room, and the two bags of books and music are still sitting on the floor, but it looks mighty better. Now I just need to stop buying books!

Just be glad I'm not showing you my shoe collection!

What's something you love and have too much of?

Happy Friday guys!