I'm not really a collector. I don't like procuring objects for display on a special shelf. When I decided I wanted to have a 'collection' of tea sets, I stopped at three. Of course, looking around my living room, anyone would quickly point out that my family has a book problem.
I don't consider it a problem. Each book is a wealth of information. My husband has lots of math books he's read and references. I have my novels which feel like old friends. The kids have their picture books with silly rhymes and lots of fun images.
In all, we have three bookcases in the living room (which doesn't include the piles of math books in the media room).
But my love of being surrounded by books goes deeper than my fondness for stories. As a child, I loved visiting my grandparents, and they love books. They have a huge farmhouse, and every room had bookshelves. There were even bookshelves lining the halls and in the bathrooms. My parents also had a wall of bookshelves in their den, and frequently gave away books to make room for more.
I'm glad that my love of having books is paired with a love of reading. I don't need the rare first edition with the author's signature or the UK version with the nice cover. Heck, I don't even need hardcovers. What matters is the text inside and the places those books can take me.
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