Friday 25 February 2011

Bookshelves

Stumbled onto this site when looking for something completely different:

The Fireside Post



The book shelves were custom built by me. Measurements were taken and shelves spaced accordingly – with the intention of maximizing space. By strategically aligning the shelves I was able to put about fifty more books on each four foot by six foot cabinet. What I did not realize at the time was that I was designing a wall of clutter. There is very little wasted space – but in hindsight it is quickly obvious that the book shelves look like a wall of clutter. About twenty of the books are in the category of self help. Two of those are about avoiding clutter.

I see myself here!!

Monday 21 February 2011

Bookshelf Porn

A website that must have been designed with me in mind

Bookshelf Porn

Oh. and it's not Porn in that sense!

Monday 7 February 2011

Books

Haven't been updating my book acquisitions here.

A varied assortment can turn up in the charity shops of the quiet Cornish backwater where I live.

Last Saturday's acquisitions were:

The Pianist. Wladyslaw Szpilman

Big Chief Elizabeth. Giles Milton

Last week, on the same day:

The Painter of Modern Life and other essays. Baudelaire

Coming to You Live. Dennis Norden et. al.
Smashing anecdotes on the early days of TV.

Biting the Wax Tadpole. Elizabeth Little
A short humorous book on linguistics. The Wax Tadpole is a literal translation of Coca Cola.

Last Month, various days:

Americans in Paris. Charles Glass
Not a charity shop item but from The Works cheap bookshop in town. An account of the lives of the American nationals living in Paris who decided to stay on through the German occupation. Bought for the account of Sylvia Beach's life in the original Shakespeare and company.

Paris Peasant. Aragon
Surrealist literature

Terror by Night, Classic Ghost and Horror Stories. Ambrose Bierce
by the author of The Devil's Dictionary

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Hunter S Thompson
With Ralph Steadman's illustrations.

Charles Lamb and Elia. Charles Lamb

Library. Matthew Battles.

The Essential Alan Coren. Ed Giles and Victoria Coren

Echo of the Big Bang. Lemonick

Elizabeth 1. Anne Somerset

Diary of a Cotswold Parson. Ed. David Verey
I am going to some of the places mentioned in this book. About 200 years after the diarist.

Minima Moralia. Adorno

The Battle. Richard Overy

Most about £1, some two for 99p

All I need is expanding shelf space! The joke used to be that I would buy the empty house next door and turn it into a library!

But I always bear in mind the fact that books are one of the few pleasures in life that the government don't tax. I bet e-books are taxed. Quick Google reveals they are.

Also because I buy in charity shops everybody benefits.