I stole this quote from the signature line of a fellow writer's post on Absolute Write.
"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."
Anna Quindlen
I thought it was a fabulous concept! And very true in my life. When we were looking for houses last year one of the things we really liked about the house we now live in is that in the front room there is a fireplace in the middle of the wall and on either side are two sets of built in bookshelves.:) We were totally stoked. More bookshelves just waiting for more books!!!
That, of course, on top of the three bookshelves we already had.
Now we have lots of bookshelves!! (And my husband is doing his best to fill them with law books. Really, they have so many textbooks in law school!)
I have always loved reading. My parents passed this love on to me when I was very young. I can't remember a time when I wasn't seeking out books. It's been a life-long love affair. On the flip side, I am working hard to pass that same love down to my children. I read to them often and generally when I am done, they are NOT ready to be done and it's all I can do to limit my reading aloud enough that I won't get hoarse! I take my kids to the library every week (though admittedly, they get more excited about the movies they can check out and the stamps on their hands, but hey, it's a start.:)) and try to make sure they get a new book at least every couple of months.
I personally believe that loving to read is an important part of any child's future life. Even if they go on to be an accountant (a number-smith rather than a word-smith) the amount of intelligence that is built through constant reading as a child will be invaluable. In my not-so-humble-opinion, a child who loves to read will be more successful in life because of it. There's no quantitative way to measure that, but I am 164% convince that it is true.
One of our future dreams--yanno, when we get out of our little student house and into the real world--is to have a house in which we can reserve a whole room to be a library. Can you imagine! A whole room full of books and comfortable seats to read them! Of course, we also want to design a house with secret passages in it, so maybe we're just crazy.:)
Ciao!
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the Wings Series
- Aprilynne Pike
- I am a #1 New York Times Best-Selling author of young adult fiction. My husband and I have four children and live in Glendale, Arizona. Further information, including a calendar of events, is available at my official website.
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10 comments:
Secret passages and a library...sounds fun!!
KC
I once went into a house with secret passages. It was an old Victorian that built the passages so servants could have quick access to all the points of the house. It's way cool.
I'm with ya on the books deal. It's a personal goal to have a tiny library in my house. I've always felt like a house without lots of books to read is something of a waste.
Where I used to live, the library had a limit of 100 books per person. I was ten years old, if that, when I maxed out that limit -- plus two. The librarians knew me, so they let it slide. :)
My first real memory of reading is on a road trip/business trip through the USA. I taught myself to read with booktapes (along with the books themselves) of Little Bear and Amelia Bedelia.
I have the same dream of someday having an entire room devoted to books. It's a "must" on my future list of house shopping necessities.
Oops. That was me. *points at the long anonymous comment*
Aprilynne, we recently moved, too, and the first thing my husband did was line one wall of my intended office with floor-to-ceiling bookcases -- that in addition to the ones in the living room and each bedroom. Now that's what I call love.
Amy
Amen, Aprilynne! I dream of a library in my house. When I was a kid, my parents had one, but it was always off limits to us. That would not be the case in my house.
My kids are 10 and 6, and they LOVE books. My 10-year-old is currently reading 3 different books, as well as the two that my husband and I are reading to him at bedtime. And my daughter...well, with picture books there is no end. She is enjoy the Little House series at bedtime, now.
I am envious of your bookshelves and when I write that best seller, or my husband does, our next house will have room for horse and tons of books!
Mary Ann
Oh, I'm so glad to find someone else with the same dreams as me!!!
Our living room is dominated by an oak book shelf. Twenty feet across. Love it!!! If I ever get my giant farmhouse it's getting its own room and I will plant myself in there for hours...in the name of research.
There's also a bookshelf in my study. And in my husband's office. And the bedroom, one in each kid's room...
(also the library will have a view of the barn!)
Oh man...
I can't WAIT until my library is finished.
A library, one of the dreams of my life.
Secret passages, Ill have to build a new house. Well, after I am rich and famous of course.
I've always dreamed of having an entire room full of bookshelves loaded with books. Or better yet, bookshelves built into the walls! I had a professor in college who had bookshelves on every wall of her office. Love it!
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