Reading.

"Reading gives us someplace to go

when we have to stay where we are."

~ Mason Cooley

I'm a lifeline lover of the written word. I recall being fascinated by letters and word well before I could read. I couldn't wait to learn and was super disappointed when I found out in Kindergarten that I would be introduced to the alphabet and finger plays but I wouldn't actually learn to read the books I had in my room and playroom and at the library. What?? I was told by the teacher I had to wait until Grade 1. I recall pouting all the way home that day! Grade 1 couldn't come fast enough. And then when I did get there, I still had to wait. We all had to learn to read together and that meant starting at the beginning with the alphabet again. I was sooooo frustrated. But by that Christmas, I was a full reader and couldn't put books down. When I look back now, it wasn't just the stories that captured me but it was also at times, an escape from the struggles of every day, of growing up with 2 very young parents, too young to parent then and who fought a lot but I will say managed to figure life out and they were married for 40 solid years before my dad died. Reading was a way to block out the shouting and the slamming of doors. It helped me disappear to another time and it helped me to dream of what I wanted for life and for my kids in time. Didn't make me a perfect person or an amazing parent but it did give me hope, vast amounts of hope that anything I would be faced with, I would survive and thrive. I loved stories of despair with triumph. Hope!

Books have always been my favorite gift, not just to receive but to give. Thankfully, I live in a family with a dh who adores reading as much as I do and kids that always asked if we could go to the bookstore or library as they were growing up! The only thing we hoard in our house? Books!! I haven't even unpacked all of them as we're still figuring out where they could all go. We have 2 built in bookcases on either side of our fireplace in the great room that almost go to the ceiling. It's not filled with books as we did use a few shelves for some special items. I may have to change that. 

We also have the shelves above our built in desk and with rearranging, we could place many more books there too ....

At the end of our kitchen island, we also have this sweet little spot for our cookbooks and again, cherished items ....

I'll add another post later to show the other spots in our home where we store books. So far, we have 4 spots on the main floor. There are 2 more to show and then up in the upper level, the art studio and even in our walk in closet. Plenty of spaces that we could use for book storage. Next house, maybe we'll create one room that is lined with bookcases and call it "The Library!" That would be a dream ....

Do you love reading? Do you collect books?

If you do collect books, where do you keep them? 

~ Chy