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A classic from Better Book Titles:
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I walk into a bookstore and my eyes pop open at all of the new release tables. Titles scream out at me, “Do you remember what so-and-so said about me? Buy Me!” or “Didn’t you just read that review saying I was the next best book of the century? Buy Me!” And often I cave. I buy them, I bring them home – full of anticipation and excited to be in a front seat on the bandwagon. I take a few minutes to try to figure out which books to kick out of the bedroom to make space for my new friends. In doing so, I start to re-read back covers or look up old reviews to see what friends thought. Soon, I am grabbing this pile (the one of books I was going to kick out of my room to make space for the new ones) and hauling them out to the couch, where I promptly make an afternoon of looking through old books (that used to be new) and deciding which ones I am going to read. Because really, I know so much more about these books; they’re the ones that have been out long enough that the hype has worn off and I have a better grasp about whether it will be something that I like. So what happens to those books I bought at the bookstore? They’re put by the bed, where the other pile used to be (seeing that I’ve relocated the older ones I haven’t chosen to read), and the process starts all over again the next time I come home with a pile of newly released hardcovers.
via Pinterest
I can’t quite decide what I think about paid book subscriptions. What I mean by paid book subscriptions are the groups that you join for which you pay (or donate) a fixed amount and they send you a book of their choice each month (or every other month). I’ve done two of them, both of which sent me a mix of books–some that I was incredibly excited about and others which I gave away without even reading a page.
I have an abnormal attraction to books that explore things that are unfamiliar to me. The Amish books that lined my shelves in my early twenties caused my friends a good laugh, but hey – if anyone ever had a question about the Amish, I was the girl to call. Next came Hasidic Jews, and, after moving to LA and learning (and by learning I mean hearing about but not learning one damn thing) about a religion called Scientology, I went out and bought their bestseller. This latter book caused members of my family to actually sit me down to make sure I wasn’t planning on hopping over to the Celebrity Centre to become besties with Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
After recently moving into a house and taking the time to deliberately decide where my books will go, I’ve realized the possibilities are endless (and time consuming). I needed some inspiration, so I took to the Internet. It was a mouth-watering experience, and I thought it only fair to share with fellow book lovers. Most of these are not possible for me unless I want to do some serious (yet awesome) construction – but a girl can dream, right?
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I like to pretend that these ladder-stairs lead to a loft library. Soft cozy reading corners, just enough light to read properly, a tea caddy that can be pulled up from the kitchen… you with me?
Steampunk: a genre which came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s and incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction. It involves a setting where steam power is widely used—whether in an alternate history such as Victorian era Britain or “wild west”-era United States, or in a post-apocalyptic time —that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology, or futuristic innovations as Victorians might have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, and art. This technology includes such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or the contemporary authors Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfeld and China Mieville. (from Wikipedia)