I recently watched a show where an author and her husband engaged the services of a well known TV real-estate duo, to find them a new home. They were looking to relocate from Sydney to the historic suburb of Battery Point in Tasmania.
In 1818 a battery of guns was established on the Point as part of Hobart's defences, and it's from this that Battery Point gets its name. It's now a fashionable suburb in which to live, but it also contains some of the oldest, still standing houses in Tasmania.
I heard the words author and historic homes... and settled into my favourite wing back chair to see how the episode would play out.
The couple included a list of 'must haves' - essentials in the hunt for their dream home. My ears pricked up when I heard the wife needed 'adequate storage' for her 5000 books. 5000 books!
Yes... and each one was necessary to her writing.
The camera made a quick zoom past the necessary overflow ... and I'm still not sure they captured it in all its fullness. I had a mental flash of my own book stash upstairs, miserly in comparison even though most days I believe I'm stumbling over more than any sane person should keep underfoot.
The moving process served as another way to document their wealth of literary resources. A wall of boxes labelled books, easily outnumbered any other possession this couple carted southward. Think Imelda Marcos and her shoes. And swap them for books.
After a few near misses, the couple eventually found their ideal nesting place, let the cats and dogs free in the yard... and lined the shelves with the author's treasures. The room she ended up transforming into her writer's den must have been the size of three bedrooms. And in true Cinderella style TV, just perfect for what she needed.
And in true step sister fashion, I succumbed to the folly of comparison and counted my own stash. How did I stack up against a library of 5000? A modest sum... perhaps. I didn't count fiction, as it comes and goes. Many novels find a new home in our church library after I've savoured them. But I have close to 100 Australian history books and 20 craft of writing books. Thanks to thrift shop finds, this number is bound to increase.
Will I need to spill out of my little writing hole someday? Find an historic home to house me and my beloved books?
Not a chance. But I do love to dream about those amazing home libraries ... fitted out with thousands of good friends.
Here's a few more you might like to drool over with me. Which one's your favourite? Could you fill a room like this?
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| Historic Battery Point |
I heard the words author and historic homes... and settled into my favourite wing back chair to see how the episode would play out.
The couple included a list of 'must haves' - essentials in the hunt for their dream home. My ears pricked up when I heard the wife needed 'adequate storage' for her 5000 books. 5000 books!
Yes... and each one was necessary to her writing.
The camera made a quick zoom past the necessary overflow ... and I'm still not sure they captured it in all its fullness. I had a mental flash of my own book stash upstairs, miserly in comparison even though most days I believe I'm stumbling over more than any sane person should keep underfoot.
 |
| Home Library |
The moving process served as another way to document their wealth of literary resources. A wall of boxes labelled books, easily outnumbered any other possession this couple carted southward. Think Imelda Marcos and her shoes. And swap them for books.
After a few near misses, the couple eventually found their ideal nesting place, let the cats and dogs free in the yard... and lined the shelves with the author's treasures. The room she ended up transforming into her writer's den must have been the size of three bedrooms. And in true Cinderella style TV, just perfect for what she needed.
And in true step sister fashion, I succumbed to the folly of comparison and counted my own stash. How did I stack up against a library of 5000? A modest sum... perhaps. I didn't count fiction, as it comes and goes. Many novels find a new home in our church library after I've savoured them. But I have close to 100 Australian history books and 20 craft of writing books. Thanks to thrift shop finds, this number is bound to increase.
Will I need to spill out of my little writing hole someday? Find an historic home to house me and my beloved books?
Not a chance. But I do love to dream about those amazing home libraries ... fitted out with thousands of good friends.
Here's a few more you might like to drool over with me. Which one's your favourite? Could you fill a room like this?
 |
| Home Library |
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| Home Library |
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| Home Library |
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| Home Library |
I hope you get to raid the shelves this weekend.
Happy reading,
