Book Crazy?

When I see photos like the ones above in catalogs for places like Crate and Barrel, IKEA, or Pottery Barn, I don't look at the furniture. I look at the books. I've been known to strain my eyes and stare at a photo for longer than I care to admit while trying to make out the titles of the books on the shelves. In some photos the titles are easier to read than in others. I am delighted if I see a book I recognize or perhaps even own. Is this a little weird? Probably. The latest Crate and Barrel ad I got in the mail has a plethora of media centers with books all over them. On one page, the books were all arranged by color. There was a long row of orange books, nearly all of them were that Penguin Classics brand that is known for their bright orange binding. I saw a few I recognized, including the Mitford series (Which I didn't like, by the way. Go ahead, hate me.)

I used to dislike the look of random books on a shelf. I thought the mix of colors and sizes was unsettling, disorganized, unattractive. But I have grown to love that mixed-up look and even display it proudly on my own shelves. And since I see it in popular ads also, I must be trendy. Ahhhh, it feels good to a book nerd to be trendy every once and a while.