Storytime

My name is Vicki and I have books. We have books. Lots of books. Books in bookshelves, books on top of bookshelves, beside bedside tables, on top of bedside tables. Books on desks, on shelves...books in cupboards. Books in the kitchen, in every bedroom, in the lounge room, the dining room. In fact if I go to your house and discover no books, I don't know if I can trust you. I mean, really...not one book...what sort of person are you? However the tidiest selection of books are in daughter's bedroom...or the visitor's bedroom. Everyone from my sister, nieces, nephews, friends and their kids, but mostly grand daughter...this is where they stay- hence the collection of picture books. (won't mention the two bags of books under the bed in this room.....I've just started delving into these and therefore no room..as yet...for them) The books in cupboards are in a mess, but because they are in cupboards I really don't care. Unless I REALLY need that book....

This was the question asked by one of my writing friends recently. Initially I wondered what she meant. But the more I thought about the question, the more I saw in it. I don't tend to read fiction during the day. It feels like an extravagance. I know I could so easily lose the day by reading (and have done on so many occasions in the past) so I allow myself to dip into magazines and non-fiction. I save the fiction for reading at night. Most of the time I have a pile of books by the bed and admit to getting a bit tetchy when I'm down to my last two. What happens if one is a dud? What happens if they both are? I'd be reduced to re-reading one of the old faithfuls kept in one of the many bookcases. Which would be good but it's not the same as diving into the unknown of fresh words. I also have a kindle (Christmas present) which I have used, and tend to take away when I'm travelling. It's light, portable, and can house so many stories. Which is great when you ...

Have you noticed that books are the new black? Open any home decorating magazine and there they are. A few artfully arranged tomes (usually on architecture or interior design) on a coffee table, or more dramatically, a tower of books acting as side table, perhaps with a lamp or orchid (white naturally) arranged on top. Some designers even place books in a bookcase- perhaps arranged by size or colour, or better yet, three books then a bowl on one shelf. Two object d-art and two books on the next.  Even flower arrangers are getting in on the act...as seen at last weekend's Melbourne Flower and Garden Show. But if like me, books are part of your life, there is nothing artistic about their arrangement. It's finding space for them all. We have books in the bookcase in my writing nook, books in the bookcase in the lounge room, books in the cupboard in the dining room, books in the computer cupboard, books on the top shelf of the linen cupboard, books in daughter's room and k...