Todays Fun Monday theme comes from the beautiful and lovely Mariposa at Mariposa’s Tales.
Her task for today is COLLECTIONS
She says,
‘We all have them …and if you don’t, you do….you just may not realize it. For some reason or another we all collect something and we collect it for reasons that will definitely make for good reading. So I want to see your collection, and why you started to collect it.’
Wow, at first I had no idea what to do here. I used to collect stuff when I was a kid. I had a huge collection of soaps which I used when I did my Brownie Collectors Badge, and I also collected Kinder Surprise, erm, surprises, and NKOTB stuff, and cuddly toys, but right now, I don’t consciously collect anything.
Or I didn’t think I did.
But Mariposa is so right.
I do have a penchant for a certain thing.
I get excited if I buy one.
I love the smell of them, the feel , the weight of them in my hands, a perfect parcel full of promise, pleasure and possibility.
I can pick them up anywhere, they call to me, “Jo, Jo, you know you want us. You know you can’t resist running your fingers down our spines, exploring us, taking us in, becoming one with us.”
They honestly say that, I promise it isn’t in my head.
So have you guessed what I delight in getting my mucky little paws on?
Sighhhh.
Books.
This bookcase is to the right of my fireplace in my dining room.
This one is to the left.
This dresser is also in my dining room.
See how tidy I am…
This pile is on my bedside table.
This pile is on an up-turned basket beside my bedside table. My bedside table is just not big enough for all the books, tsk.
And this little sweetie is at the end of our bed and is my new ebay addition. It only cost me £10.
I just have to fill it now, which won’t be any problem if I keep getting bargains like these..
So yes, I collect little pieces of escapism. I love words, I love to read, I love to write, I love books.
Now click on the link above and check out all the other Fun Monday collections. This could be an interesting one. 
Sighhhh, the precious.
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May 19th, 2008 at 12:14 am
a fabulous thing to collect. i love love love books as well!
May 19th, 2008 at 12:39 am
That’s one thing I forgot to add on my Fun Monday post, my collection of cookbooks! *sigh*
That’s a great collection Jo!!
This will be a very fun Fun Monday!
May 19th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Yep, mine was books too!
May 19th, 2008 at 2:38 am
I have to force myself not to by any books, because I have no room for them. It is to the library I must turn, but I really want to own them all. It’s a kind of greediness I have, but what a healthy one, don’t you think?
May 19th, 2008 at 3:52 am
Uh-oh. You won’t sue me for plagarism, will you? Because I may have stolen your post before I even read it….
May 19th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Yes, I have some books too even though we weed some out. They seem to always publish more. Thanks for the look at your books.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Books…amen.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:01 am
My Precious. My PRECIOUS!!
I love books to but I tend to recycle them out if they are paperbacks. I buy a bunch at the thrift store, then I turn them back into the thrift store after I read them. Since so many of the stores are supporters of charities, I feel like I am doing my part but with benefits.
Cause let’s face it, I don’t have anymore room left for books!
May 19th, 2008 at 6:12 am
I love books too!! but my daughter’s collection is bigger than mine
May 19th, 2008 at 6:40 am
You and I are destined to be married.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:23 am
You can’t go wrong with books. Although I get most of mine from the library any more as I simply don’t have the room to keep all that I read. I guess it’s a good vice.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:04 am
We love books and have a massive collection, although I didn’t feature them today.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Well, if you came to my house you would clearly see that I collect clutter. Does that count?
May 19th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Oooo…you and me both hun! I just found another box of books in the unpacking process and winced hugely – no idea where to put them!
I luuurve your bookshelves! We’ve still got crummy assemble yourself ones from ye ole office supply store. Those ones next to your fireplace are lovely!
May 19th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Books are my thing, too. That’s why I work in a bookstore.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Books are a popular collectible!
May 19th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Books Books Books Books – I’m not to be able to pass by a book store, being functional dyslectic you would think this would this trouble, but yet I still collect them.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Oh, I’m with you on the books! Our new home doesn’t have much wall space, so my books are in boxes in a closet…not that I have time to read, but I share your love of books!
May 19th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Whoa! You have a nice collection of books on your hands. I read books than give than away and keep special ones that I only want to read again. I am looking at doing eBooks nowadays with one of those new eBook readers from Amazon.
Nice collection!
May 19th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I love that you have a book at hand no matter where you’re at in your home. Lovely, just lovely.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Your house looks like ours – full of books!
May 19th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I love to surround myself with books too! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to read a book online. I need to hold it and see the pages, and turn the pages. Enjoy your books! Oh and in answer to your question on my blog. I have not been to Hill Top Farm. I really want to go someday though. I was even in the Lake District in 2006 but it didn’t work for us to take that side trip *sigh*
have a wonderful week.
May 19th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I am right with you Jo…I love, love, love books also!!! I almost added them to my post!!
May 19th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Thanks for leaving a comment on my site. If I had posted about myself and not my kids collections, books would be my collection too. I just started blogging a few weeks ago, and I love it. So many books, so little time!!
May 19th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
They call to me too. Thanks for posting on my site. If I hadn’t written about my kids collecting, I would have written about books. Great photos.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
totally awesome that gollum was able to show us how much you love books! Snort!
I would have my books piled up like that, too. However, the hubby is very efficient at moving them along for me.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I also have a ton of books. Also I have wrist watches and jewelry in general but mostly earrings and rings. I also have an old box made of carved marble that is filled with foreign coins–many of which are not even minted anymore. I have had the foreign coins collection since I was a kid and got a 2 cent piece from New Zealand in lieu of a penny in my change back from the cafeteria cashier at school lunch.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
If you wrote one, I’d have it on my bookshelf.
SERIOUSLY.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
yep. I know that collection well. MM and MG love books too. Moving with all our books is going to be well, painful, for the ones picking up the boxes
May 19th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I’m a book lover too. I try to use the library so I don’t further clutter my house and increase my need for storage, but I often find I can’t resist buying a book when I walk by one!
May 19th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I used to have a lot of books also but started giving them away because I ran out of room!
May 19th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I’ve got books too, but current passion is the shells, so that’s all I posted. My fave books these days are non-fiction and pertaining to religions of all pursuasions. Thank you for stopping by my place today; I love having visitors
Tink *~*~*
My Mobile Adventures *~*~*
May 19th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I’m trying to winnow my book collection down to those I really, really want to keep. I’m down to about 200 not counting the collection of Betty Neels romance novels I keep in my bedroom closet and don’t admit to owning.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Do you ever visit someone for the first time and try to sneak about and see what’s on their bookshelves? Or worse yet–there are no books. Hard to understand. And could we ever be true friends with someone who doesn’t read?
May 19th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
So many books… so few bifocals…. there were lots of people listing books as collections. Maybe I need to start collecting just to fit in.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:00 am
I never thought my books were a collection, lol because then I really would have a big one, even bigger than my 400 cats ! BTW I paint cats too, you can see them on my painting blog.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:42 am
this is something i loved about your house. house of books!!! your house? pretty much a half-library. seriously, you should get a card-system. YOU COULD DEVELOP the jobeaufoix-decimal system for books. who needs dewey?
May 20th, 2008 at 3:46 am
When did you sneak into my home? *chuckle*
Just kidding,
BUT it could have been mine.
Thanks to David that I was able to admire your collection!
May 20th, 2008 at 6:38 am
I have books all over the place too! reminded me of home. Enjoyed this post.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I collect dust bunnies.
May 20th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I didn’t know you were such a bookworm, Jo. It’s quite healthy, you know. Good for your brain, and that…
Mya x
May 20th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I collect blogs to read. LOL
I love books as well, but these days…I’m not reading and it is making me sad. I just have too many things….and I am spreading myself toooooo thin. ugh.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I love books too. But I would have had to unpack boxes to show mine. You have quite a collection.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
*sigh* I used to read too, before I had Squidge!
May 20th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
So precious indeed! Books is one of my many weaknesses!
Thanks for playing…
May 21st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I always get so confused when I have to go back to the top of the entry to leave a comment. *banging head* So if you see a comment on a wrong entry it’s because I’ve clicked the comment at the bottom, like the dork I am.
So, books, oh yes, you guys have reminded me of all my poor baby books sitting in boxes.