L is for . . .
L is for Library.
Currently, my library has 2,752 books, of which I've read all but 35.
About 100 of them are in the cases in my bedroom (with the perpetually-unfinished quilt). These tend to be favorite books, favorite authors, or books I've read multiple times and like to keep close by.
There's also a bookcase in my closet (usually hidden behind a quilt rack), filled with childhood favorites like L.M. Montgomery, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Louisa May Alcott, and so on. Also a good place to stash the Harry Potter audio books...
The shelf above holds books on decorating, hair styles, etiquette--random stuff like that.
Of course, I've shown you my Craft library, which has 186 books.
Here's the sci-fi/fantasy section in the closet in our family office. (574 books). Note the boxes piled on the floor and in the corner--they're filled with more books, all mixed fiction.
And the mystery section (249 books). (And I can't tell you how proud I am about those empty spaces. For me, that's a huge accomplishment.)
The writing, essays, and general fiction section. Oh, and the Dog training books which sprawl across the top of both cases.
The non-fiction and mass-market paperback section. This includes history, travel, biography, science, the space program, religion, philosophy, and so on.
Under the table are boxes filled with young-adult books.
I also took over the hallway linen closet years ago, and it's filled with old college textbooks and odds and ends.
Mustn't forget the cookbooks (64), either, the only books I keep downstairs.
Now, as to the contest. There were some good guesses--including a couple I can't believe I hadn't thought of. Lace, for instance, would have been an obvious one but honestly never crossed my mind, even though I already had some excellent pictures for it here, here, and here. Lendrum would have been good. Leash would have been an appropriate one, too. But ultimately, for me, it had to be Library!
I had five correct guesses, and the winner (by random selection) is Carole. Her prize is a skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in lovely blues whose colorway's name I can't remember. Congratulations, Carole! (And, since I had your address, I put your prize in the mail yesterday--exciting, non?)
Lastly, if you're interested (and if the link works!) here's a current list of all my books:
May I please have a library card to The Chappy Public Library?
Posted by: trek | June 04, 2006 at 04:36 PM
I love rooms filled with books. There's nothing more inviting. Except, maybe, a room filled with books, wine and yarn.
Posted by: AmyAmy | June 04, 2006 at 04:37 PM
Ack! You have Plainsong, Mountains Beyond Mountains, and A Slight Trick of the Mind on your shelves and haven't read them yet??? Those are great books! Put down that knitting and start reading. :-)
Posted by: AmyAmy | June 04, 2006 at 04:42 PM
Wow! Only 35 are unread! Amazing!!!
Posted by: Jenny Raye | June 04, 2006 at 05:16 PM
I knew it would be library :) I wonder how many books I have. I tried putting them in a spreadsheet once and then that fell through somewhere along the line. I'm almost afraid to know!
Posted by: Julie | June 04, 2006 at 05:34 PM
Oh, yeah, the librarian wins - it's fixed, I tells ya! ;)
Curses, that's my L, too, for tomorrow. Mine's entirely different, tho.
Posted by: Chris | June 04, 2006 at 05:37 PM
Wow. That's about all I can say. Wow.
That, and I'm totally jealous.
Posted by: Jenn | June 04, 2006 at 05:55 PM
EEP! I spy a Trixie Belden book in your YA bin!
Wow, and I thought I had a lot of books . . . but even at its peak (I've scaled back), I never even came close. I think I've been to used book stores that have a smaller inventory than yours!
Posted by: chris | June 04, 2006 at 06:27 PM
I love that you have a books.xls! So do I. (mine's not current though...)
Posted by: Heather | June 04, 2006 at 07:44 PM
only 64 cookbooks?.....last count of those was around 400+....cause it was part of the job: director of a cooking school.....and glad I saved them as my daughter just borrowed one that was out of print & priced at $50...I paid less than $7!.....
Posted by: Babs | June 04, 2006 at 08:11 PM
I knew it would be library! What else could it be!!! And I won! So cool. Thanks, Deb.
Posted by: Carole | June 04, 2006 at 09:35 PM
Now that's a library! I'm downloading the xls for reading suggestions ;)
Posted by: Risa | June 04, 2006 at 10:18 PM
Wow - your library is incredible! And you've read all but 35!?! Double-incredible!
Posted by: delia | June 05, 2006 at 02:08 PM
Wow, is all I have to say, too. That's an impressive collection!
Posted by: Lorette | June 06, 2006 at 09:24 AM
Veddy impressive :o)
Posted by: JessaLu | June 06, 2006 at 12:09 PM
mwaahahahaha! I see Tolkien! wooooo!!!! ;-) :-D
book hoarders unite!
Our family library isn't too shabby either (I'm estimating a total of around 900).
(I have about 300 books in my room alone. Lord only knows how many I'll have when I'm older...)
Posted by: Sarah Elizabeth | June 06, 2006 at 05:11 PM
Congratulations!
I love so much books and I have a lot of them, too!
They are a great companion and improve and whet the desire to know and to see more and more!
Posted by: Sonia | June 07, 2006 at 02:09 PM
I came to you via http://50books.blogspot.com/ and just in time to drool over your bookshelves.....I have nearly 900 books right now...and I'm constantly buying and I'm seriously so jealous of your Trixie Beldon...I read those as a young child...
Fist visit tonight....I'll be back if ya don't mind. :-)
Posted by: PoeticaL | June 13, 2006 at 11:22 PM