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Here are some of my treasures that I would like to share. Pardon the relative disarray: I haven't got around to making bookshelves yet. These are housed in wardrobes that were cleansed of any clothes and other inconsequential stuff.
The teaser in the living room. Note the book on 'basic computer skills', declaring my lack thereof!:)
Books at hand that A has earmarked as 'to be read over the next few weeks'. Note the Bill Bryson book at the far right in the upper row: 'A Really Short History of Nearly Everything'.
Most of those that have already been read or to be read.
The other half of the same shelf. Harry Potter books and Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series are behind these. As is our collection of picture books by the Indian publishers. The thin red and white books obscured by the issue of Tell Me Why are our collection of the Amelia Bedelia books.
A mix of my books and her books. 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' that you see here has been earmarked for our next read-aloud session.
Some more of the mix of books. Needs some organizing.
OK, most of these are my books. Except for a few. Notably the 'Big Book of Paradoxes, Puzzles and Problems' which is a must have for those who want to indulge in some lateral thinking exercise. For all age groups. We have had many an enjoyable afternoon racking our brains over these!
A mix again, and this, too needs some organizing. The big reference books are in a row behind these.
Leave no doubt as to my interests, do these?
My first love among writers. Enid Blyton. If she had been alive, she would have been 115 years old tomorrow, 11th August 2012. Quite a few of these are copies I have owned since I was A's age or younger. Will be my bequest to her, after the love of reading and books, of course. A bird's-eye view of the open drawer. Can't bear to have them higgeldy-piggeldy on shelves. Same for the books in the next picture, which are...
...the husband's beloved collection of vintage Agatha Christies and PG Wodehouses. I never lend these to anybody.
And of course, those by the inimitable Bill Bryson, as also the twin volumes of Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, and a peek at Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Part of the husband's collection.
There are a whole lot more, that haven't been organized yet. Also those that you cannot see in the back rows. And of course, my Marathi collection, which I haven't put up here.
Do you see any favourites here?
28 comments:
Thank you Sandhya for the lovely lovely article in WW!! I commented there :)
Errr...the stupid computer doesnt let me view the photographs will check out over the weekend :)
but, from what I read, your house is like a library in itself and my Appa will adopt you anytime with the collection you have :)
and oh thanks for the Enid Blyton trivia...I am a big fan myself :) Just got a heap of Enid Blytons on my Kindle from someone :)
Wow! I am sure it will be more overwhelming when seen for real. Ekdum bhaari.
May I just say I'm terribly terribly green?
@RM: thanks. That was high praise indeed- the fact that your Appa would be ready to adopt me.
Do take a look over the weekend and tell me what your favorites are from these. Other than the Blytons, of course!:)
@AA_Mom: thanks. The house does seem like a messy library at times. Especially when we all keep pulling out books to read, reference, etc., and leave the books around for my next attack of de-cluttering madness!
@TMM: just like I turn green when I see the pics of your home that look like they could easily feature in an Inside Outside issue! How do you do it?
Do you see any favorites here? Any on the wish list? Anything that I could add to my mess?
Hey you have not posted any pix of THE room. The one where the entire floor is covered with stacks fo books.
And, do I see any favourites? Yes. I do. Many times over.
An TMM, if you go to her place, you get to see them, read them, even borrow them, AND she will also make you awesome thaali-peeth with home-made dahi and pickle.
I was drooling as I had this younger-me-in-a-chaat-house experience looking through the books (er., in case it is confusing, the analogy is along the lines of kid-in-a-candy-store, except, I'd much rather gorge on Bhel Puri than taffy).
Loved to see the PGW, Agatha Christie, and Enid Blyton - they also grace my shelves - meticulously accumulated from a second-hand bookstore over 2 decades ago, and packed and brought with me when I moved...
Enjoyed A's old Judy Moody, Roald Dahl, Morpurgo, and Ramona books...
There is a calculated irreverence about the way the books sit on the shelves which really only emphasizes how much they are loved!
Thanks for sharing, Sandhya!
Sheela.
Love you, Chox!
The purpose of this post is to showcase and share my books. Not the mess in The Room! A lot of those have been sorted out and put in the shelves or given away. Remember those bags of books you and Sangi rummaged in at my place?:)
And yes, TMM, when do you plan your Bangalore trip? Please come, I'll make the thali-peeth with the curd and pickle. I must patent that combo!
Thanks, Sheela. Coming from you, who I'm so much in awe of, it means a lot. Yes, it is obvious, isn't it, that we love our books with a passion? They mean the world to me.
Sandhya, you are my favorite.
Drooling over the collection.
Thanks, UTBT! You are the boss as far as libraries go, so that is really a compliment.:)
Wow..just the kind of place I would like to lose myself, over a cup of chai or as Chox says repeatedly..thalipeeth...there must be something special about it, since she mentions it so often !
But I would be very happy to sit and look at these books, with your shrikand..even now Shraddha says that Sandhya Aunty's Shrikand is the best and she went "yuck" over some store bought stuff :-)
Thank you, Shraddha, for that!
This is the more organized form for my books, Ranjani! Thought I'd capture the shelves on photo before the go back to their natural state of disorder!
Ranjani, it is nothing short of mind-blowing. I invite you to Sandhya's place to try it and I can come and give you company too ;)
Sandhya, oh yes. yeah. But really you should have taken a pic of that :)
utbt, maybe you should visit us.
Wow!! or actually "Whoa" was my first thought... SO MANY books... and you have a room full of stacks of books, Wow!
That is so inspiring.... I hope to have someday a library at home of all the books I have read :)
Read the article also, very well written!!
Fab Sandhya- you know how amazing your home decor is right and how in awe i am that you remmeber most of it as well
Thanks for inviting everyone over, Chox!:)
BTW, I'd like to tell everyone here that Choxbox's collection of books is equivalent to mine, if not better. We are a mutual admiration society, as is very apparent.:)
@chipsnchutzpah: thanks. That room full of stacks of books has been more or less organized into these shelves now. Some stacks do remain, but as Chox has mentioned, I should have taken a picture of it before. If not to put up here, at least for myself!:)
@Artnavy: thanks!:)
@Sandhya: But you have the thalipeeth too!
:)
when should I come over?
if it helps I can get brownies along ;)
Wow! Got Monika to comment!
Should certainly plan something. Chox has already gone ahead and given an invitation on my behalf!
Brownies, of course, would be welcome! Anything else too!
Wow wow wow wow
LOVED the pics! HAD to, of course! :) And they make me terribly J too! I am sure they would be even more spectacular to see personally :)
I see a lot of books that I haven't read so far.. and a lot of books that have been childhood favourites...
Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl are my literary heroes. :) Love their books!
Sadly, I haven't read any Bill Bryson. :( Would love to read Hugo too, sometime!
Thanks, TGND! The post is meant to share my books with friends and inspire them to build their own libraries.
You must try Bill Bryson. Just like in Veena Venugopal's book, I have been known to laugh out loud or start giggling uncontrollably in public while reading his books.
okie..finally saw this..sorry have been late :)
I think my favorite would be your husband's collection of Wodehouse...I am a big fan... :)
Errr..Bill Bryson..never tried...am going to do it next :) thanks..
If Appa ever visits your house, you can rest assured, he would be the most non social being on earth and just keep browsing..and Amma obviously will accompany, so she will tell you how to keep the books properly and stack them in order *rolls eyes*
I can't wait to meet you, and your Appa, Amma. And of course the R household. Maybe we can meet the next time I come over. Send me a mail, na, RM, at my ID sandhyal(at)hotmail(dot)com, so that we can get in touch offline.:)
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