Friday, July 10, 2009

HOOKED ON FRIDAYS: BOOKSHELVES EVERYWHERE!!

Today I am joining Julia at Hooked On Houses for the very first time. The event is called Hooked On Fridays. Please visit Julie and see a bunch of things other bloggers just love with a passion. It's really interesting stuff!! Today I am showing off some of my bookshelves, which are just about in every room of my wee little house. Exercise caution though; this was a last minute post and I did not tidy up or stage one tiny bit! So, if you see cobwebs or dust or something I stuck on the shelf because I had no other place to put it, I will attest to the fact that organization is not one of my strong points and I am inherently lazy.

Above are the shelves in my kitchen that hold all of my cookbooks. You may note that the shelves are sagging and it is not the fault of my carpenter. I recently cleared out about half of the books along with scraps from newspapers, magazines and hastily written down recipes from friends or bloggers. As I was going about this arduous task, I came across cookbooks that I had never even opened!! And I am a little ashamed to admit why. I have a bad habit of judging a book by it's cover! You see, there are so many cookbooks in the discount bins at bookstores and I go through them and think "Wow, this looks like a great book! And look at the beautiful cover!" I get them home only to find that one book involves cooking entirely with tofu, or one involves purchasing ingredients from a select and obscure Armenian food market. Looking at my shelves today I saw Jewish Holiday Feasts (I'm Catholic). The Black Pot (I don't own a lick of cast iron cookery). The Lazy Baker. (They got the lazy part right, but I abhor baking).

So I donated a bunch of books and brought a carton up to the Lakehouse even though we are pretty much "Throw some meat on the grill" people.

But truth be told, I really love to read cookbooks, especially one's where the author talks about how and when they made the dish (only to find that the guests at her dinner party generally shied away from beef tongue), or a little story about how they got the recipe from a medicine man in the mountains of Bali. Really interesting stuff. So my secrets are out.



Moving along, this is the shelf in the master bedroom. And these books belong to the Master of the house. If they have dust on them it is because they almost as old as him. I can't argue the point that he wants to hang on to them (I still have my first cookbook: The Clueless Baker...). He maintains that these are reference books. Some just sound so interesting, it brings me to my knees: Larrey: Surgeon to Napoleon's Imperial Guard. Larrey? Larrey who? And then this one, a real conversation starter: The Autobiography of Gordon Saltonstall Hubbard. Hmmm... maybe he knows Larrey. And some of us may be interested in this book: How Walmart is Destroying America. Gulp. This book might just destroy my love for one of my favorite haunts.

So there you have The Husbands books. I have shuffled them around the house so this shelf does not look so messy. A bedroom is supposed to be relaxing and soothing and I don't like to see the jacket cover with Larrey hovering over French soldiers with swords in their chests.




I keep most of my book in the den. It is a mix of self help books and Chick Lit. Maybe I could use a little self analysis to figure out why a married woman of my age wants to read about twenty~something girls romping around New York City with the very best of friends and a couple of cads thrown in for fun. I also keep a lot of note cards that have sat untouched since the advent of email and if you are of a queasy nature, don't look at the black container on the upper right side of the top shelf. It holds, er...my last dog, if you will.


This shelf holds a lot of my favorite children's books that I can't part with and a lot of my journals. You might be appalled at the fact that I leave something so private out on these shelves. Truth be told, no one here is interested in me. I could place one of these journals right on top of The Husbands morning newspaper and he would just swat it away and continue to search for the sports page. So no need to worry about anyone reading how much weight I have gained or how I fantasize explicitly about Harrison Ford. Nope, my secrets are safe!



And lastly in the den, a little row of books I don't want, but need to fill in this shelf. I do like the painting below. I bought it from an antique store. It has some French script I can't read, of course, and it shows women in tight corsets dancing with men in wigs wearing ruffled shirts. I was positive The Husband would somehow spot Napoleon (or even Larrey, if he wasn't tied up caring for the wounded soldiers), so I hastily hung it here before he could snatch it for his office.




Here we have a shelf in the family room. It is filled with books that I have read and would be willing to loan out because I didn't like them very much. The rest of my books are treasures, reference if you will. When family members come over and start to peruse my shelves for a book to borrow, I gently nudge them over here...





And finally we have the Boy's Shelf. These books are all about sports. I have been threatened severely to never throw away or so much as touch these books (and you will note I haven't due to the haphazard way they are arranged). Again; reference. Why can't a man just read a big old fictional novel? The guys in my house equate reading a book from beginning to end as a blow to their manhood. Men like facts. They like to read facts (as in the scores on the sports page). Have you ever noticed that when we argue with our husbands, they have that great capability of sticking to the facts, while we women just ramble on and on? I personally think they miss a lot of good stuff not reading like we do, but then again, I could use some help in the rambling department. Note to self: Look for self help book along the lines of Stop Rambling and Start Making Sense: A Woman's Guide to Understanding and Using Facts in Everyday Life.
I wish you all a great day!!
xoxo
Jane






41 comments:

Paula@SweetPea said...

Books make a house a home. We used to have shelves and tore them out when we had our floors redone with the intention of building nice built-ins. I should get on that because most of our books are in the attic now. It would be nice to have them out where we could enjoy them.

Stacey said...

I like all your little shelves! You are right, cookbooks are almost a lesson in different cultures and areas of the country. I look back at some of them we have and remember phases we went through...you know, how to make real authentic mexican food...crock pot cooking. Hmmm. Can't let them go but I never even look at them. Then there's the Grind Your Own Meat phase that my husband went through. It was really a one time thing. I was so disgusted by the whole thing I thought I would never eat meat again!

My husband's bookshelves consist of hunting in Africa books...he's never been and again..yuck!

Our bookshelves just prove how different we all are.

April said...

I say you can never have too many books. I have plenty of them in my house! Some I've read...others have yet to be read. Some I loved...others I didn't care too much for. I love how you've displayed your journals on a shelf. Mine are tucked safely away in my hope chest. Of course, as with you, no one would even notice them if they were out in the open. :)

The Quintessential Magpie said...

You really do have a lot of books, Janie! I love to read, too, and like you, I love to read cookbooks. Do I actually cook? Er, uh...

XO,

Sheila :-)

Bdubba said...

Thanks for joining the party! I plan to put some shelves in my girls' room for their trinkets but then adding a dowel rod to the bottom some how to hang my oldest's gymnastics medals for display. This reminded me I need to get going with that before meet season begins. :)

Lori E said...

Cook books are food porn that is why we like them. Yup. Sexy pictures that make our hearts race and our pulse quicken. Oooh ya there is the money shot right there, just look at that butter melting. Sorry.
At the bottom of my blog I have a list of most of my books. It is a neat little mosaic of all the book covers and you can click there to go and create your own list. You rate the books as you go and it is very quick.

xinex said...

You are so funny, Janie. I like that you have shelves all over the house so whereever you are, you can just grab a book....Christine

Puna said...

Oh my gosh, you have a lot of books! I never know what to do with mine so this is great!

The Summer Kitchen Girls said...

We are laughing - and glad you and our mother aren't roommates!! We thought she was the queen of cookbooks....mmmmmmmm....we might need to take a count!!

Shauna said...

I love your shelves. I have a lot of cookbooks, too. I've even held onto some from the 70's. I can't bare to part with them!

Thanks for stopping by and for the nice compliment on my photos!

Anonymous said...

You show dust, I show price tags..well we are just real aren't we? You are so funny. I recently arranged my books by topic..talk about anal. I love cookbooks too. I am always discovering a long forgotten book "hey I didn't know I had that"..I think I once met Larrey at a party. A bit of a cad. I do believe he was wearing garters and fishnets now that I think of it. Great post.

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

I love reading cookbooks, too, and I don't even like to cook that much! I always drool over the recipes and wish I could get someone else to make them for me. Ha.

So glad you could join my party today. Have a wonderful weekend! :-)

Julie said...

Loved your post about books.
I think there's just something sentimental about a house with lots of books sitting around. When my kids were little I used to read them a book about a gal that had books filling up her ENTIRE house so that she had little paths she walked through. Got to find that storybook! It says the people still engage in something stimulating to the mind...I guess. Not electronics!! {:-o
Thanks for the neat post, and I laughed hard about your comment on my post (scared to wash your comforter because it might fall apart....so TRUE!!!!!!!) Thanks for the laugh.

Nancy said...

Someone who knew what they were doing must have put up your shelves and anchored them into the studs! That looks to be a lot of weight on them. I tend to have whole shelf units that I fill completely. Did you ever think that books are like those wire coat hangers that seemed to reproduce? I swear I didn't buy all those book on my shelves!

The Summer Kitchen Girls said...

Hey Jane...the flower is a rose scented geranium - more of an herb. (not the color!) You can use any sort of herb in place of the scented geranium...lavender, basil, or anything that sounds good enough to eat!

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Hee! Funny girl! We have sooo many books in this house that I think the master plan is for them to own the home! I am planning to turn one room into a room of built in bookcases...By gum!

Thanks for visiting..I had fun here!

Kat said...

I love this post Janie. The books are definitely taking over our house. The only rooms without a bookcase are the kitchen and our bedroom. I didn't say there aren't books there, they just don't have bookcases lol. I shop cookbooks the way you do, now I'm replacing them because the majority got killed in the great kitchen flood debacle of 2008 - hey that sounds like a good book title! But the line that cracked me up is the Jewish Holiday Cookbook - I almost spit coffee out of my nose. Thanks for the fun post and a great start to my day. Hugs, Kathy

Martha said...

I love all your books -- we have books in almost every room at Linderhof as well -- I couldn't think of a house without books!

Your shelves are great -- "dust and all"! (BIG GRIN)

bj said...

Oh, my...you should have done a Mr. Linky about shelves....seems everyone has them somewhere in their homes to store books. We all love books, I think.
Thanks for the shelf tour...and everything looks nice and neat to me!!
hugs, bj

Neabear said...

I like how you use the decorative shelves for your books. It spreads them out that way and makes them part of your decor. A homey feel to it. I have these big bookcases and frankly I am tired of them. I am trying to downsize so I don't need the big bookcases. So your bookshelf idea is something I may have to look into.

Anonymous said...

I love books too. I had to quite buying cookbooks because I like to read them more than actually COOK anything out of them! :-) Cute blog.

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

I love all the books. Isn't it funny how we can never get rid of any of them. Great to have so many wonderful shelves to put them on. Love it. Hugs, Marty

Ms. Tee said...

Hey Janie :)
Finally, someone who has as many books as I do! lol I love that you have all the little shelves in every room - it looks cozy and not as boring as just having wall after wall of bookcases (like we do!) Hope you have a good weekend~ xoxo

Brenda Pruitt said...

Hey, this is my first visit. I too love books. Not particularly cook books, as I don't cook much. (I know, shameful for a blogger in this genre!) I've never understood men much period. Good I had girls, that are now grown and on their own. Kindle will never take the place of my books. Nope, I gotta look over there and see the spines lined up on the shelf. Thanks for sharing your love of books!
Brenda

Unknown said...

Love all your book shelves.

Neither my dh or I are very good at DIY so we have never attempted attaching shelves to the wall. All our books are on bookcases, firmly resting on the floor!

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

Hi Janie,
Wow! to all the wonderful bookshelves and books! How nice, to always have them near by. I would love to come to Chicago and see you!! It's on my list and since it's not that far, I might be able to swing it! Hugs, Cindy

Sonia said...

I love that you have books in every room, books are a wonderful accessory to any room, especially if you collect books you love. I love gardening and decorating books and can sit for hours reading and studying the way a garden or room is put together. I love that you didn't tidy up or stage your rooms! Wonderful, true and comfortable! I love the shelves ! Thanks for the wonderful comments and visit to my blog. I enjoy your posts!

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Hi Jane!

Books say so much about a person. Content. I like that! Great post! Hope you are doing good, friend!

Linda said...

You certainly are a girl after my own heart...I'm also a lover of books and bookshelves. I've got them all over the house too!

Your doggy sits on the shelf. I find that sweet!

Barb said...

Hi Jane, I love all your bookshelves. They are so wonderful and make a house a home, don't they? I have books in every room of my home and had my husband to build floor to ceiling bookshelves in my little sitting room.

Oh, I love cookbooks too....they are a passion for me!

All of yours are just wonderful.

Hugs, Barb

Anonymous said...

Jane,
You have lots of books....Each ones has a perfect place for it...great photos...Love your Outdoor Wednesday...Looks like ya'll had a great time...Did some catching up on your blog...You have a wonderful week..Katherinellen

Decor To Adore said...

I too have more books than bookshelves to hold them. :)

Lori E said...

No Jane, they were not flying monkeys. Now I can see why you might think they were but I am pretty sure they are owls.
It is okay Jane, you are not in Oz and there are no flying monkeys coming to get you.

Life on the Edge said...

This reminds me so much of my parents house when I was growing up. We had books everywhere. In fact, one of our friends came over for the first time and was just amazed as he said, "there are books in every room, even the bathroom!" Thanks for bringing back the memory.

So glad you liked my latest post! It was something that had been on my heart to share for some time.

Sorry I haven't been making too many blog visits lately. I am still dealing with a persnickety computer.

Kady

Rhondi said...

Hi Jane
Thanks for showing us your books. Books say so much about a person and I think a home doesn't looked lived in if there aren't some books sitting on shelves in some sort of disarray. Every so often I go though our books and give some away but inevitably the shelves get filled with more. When I can get hardcover books for $1 at yard sales it's hard to resist!
Hope you enjoy your day.
Rhondi xo

Anonymous said...

Oh, Jane! This was a fun post! I love all your book shelves! You have loads of books! I'm kinda like you on the cookbooks! I have so many and read them like reading a novel and don't necessarily cook from them! But I have a hard time letting go! :)
Thanks for the visit and I know, we're all very thankful and grateful for our homes!
Be a sweetie,
shelia :0

Suzy's Vintage Attic said...

Hello Jane
Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such lovely comments. I'm glad of your visit as it has enabled me to discover your blog which I love! Books are something which I have so many of but very little space for. We have just cleared a whole area in our lounge to have a bookcase built up to the ceiling. I am hoping this will resolve the issue..
Take care
Isabelle x

2 Dogs said...

I haven't read this post yet but you're got a lot of bookshelves girlfriend. We had sooooooooo many books at our house and John finally got rid of some of them. That's why I have may scrapbook room. Yeah! And that's why I haven't been around to visit much. I've been organizing everything! I've kept everything since we moved in that house 10+ years ago. Every piece of paper, every receipt. I've been throwing it all out except what we really need. Also working on the outside of the house. Don't know if you've seen any of those pics. John did most the hard work but of course I supervised. Not done with the flower garden but it's too hot to get outside.

I decided last night to start getting on blogger during my lunch hour since I pack my lunch each day and don't have to go out. Maybe I'll have more time to visit friends.

Hope you are doing well. Big hugs!!

Tanya said...

A fellow book lover! How wonderful. I have a lot of cookbooks also and being a homeschooling family, we seem to be overrun with books most of the time! Your blog is just beautiful.

bj said...

Hello...just me again. I read what you said on Note Songs and agree with you. Our cottage is also olden..not the pretty kind of OLD...1950's, ugly, track house old. I still love it dearly. So small, so out of date, so comfy, so loved because I raised our kids here...nope..not gonna move in the near future and...I so need to update my countertops...not in the near future, tho..
This is all bringing on another post about my olden kitchen, I can tell!!
xo bj

Laura @ the shorehouse. said...

Hahahahahaha..."no need to worry about anyone reading how much weight I have gained or how I fantasize explicitly about Harrison Ford. ..." Well, now the secret's out. ;-)