Friday, July 17, 2009

Every Home Needs Books!



A home without books is, in my opinion, an incomplete home. So every Friday, I’m going to recommend a book that you can check out of the library, buy at the bookstore, or put on your to-read list. Books need homes and homes need books. It’s that simple.

My husband built this bookcase in a weekend. It was one of the first things he did when we moved to where we live now. At one point, we’d moved so often, our books remained unpacked in boxes and stacked in various basements. After awhile, I started to feel as if we’d left our beloved pets locked up and abandoned in dark cages.

So when we got to Brookline, my husband spent the afternoon laying down the frame on the floor and when it was in one piece, he raised it up like a Shaker house building. This bookcase is in my office and takes up an entire wall. It is one of my happiest pleasures. It gives me joy everyday. It’s a little messy. It still needs paint but I love it. It was truly made with care and love. Thanks, hubby.



Now you need to check out this book:
The Big House A Century in the life of an American Summer Home by George Howe Colt (Scribner, 2003). A beloved house is a launching pad for Colt’s story about a blueblood Boston family and lifestyle over many generations. With growing expenses, will the family be able to keep the house? Can a house cause nervous breakdowns and family rifts? Read it and find out.

6 comments:

  1. Jennifer JeffersonJuly 17, 2009 at 12:47 PM

    I read The Big House last summer when I was on Cape Cod, and loved it. Well written, with a strong sense of place and family, it's a lovely book.
    Jennifer

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  2. Jennifer,

    Yes! All those things. I couldn't put it down!

    Jessica

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  3. Ooh, I am going to pick this up today! Thanks, Jessica!

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  4. You're welcome, Tish. Let me know what you think of it.

    Jessica

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  5. "Books need homes and homes need books."
    I totally agree. Now if I could only get my husband to build me a wall sized bookcase...;-)

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  6. Shari,
    I know. But you have a bookshelf somewhere, right? Thanks for stopping by!

    Jessica

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