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18th out of 199 books
—
97 voters
At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries
At Home with Books is a visual delight, a helpful resource, and an inspiration for every bibliophile with a growing home library. Includes professional advice on editing and categorizing your library; caring for your books; preserving, restoring, and storing rare books; finding out-of-print books; and choosing furniture, lighting, and shelving. Full-color photographs.
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
October 31st 1995
by Potter Style
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This is a wonderful book which introduces the reader to many home libraries owned by individuals some of whom are famous in the arts or literature or business or the book world. What all these people have in common is a love of books dating from childhood.
While my apartment's book shelves certainly cannot compare to anything on view in these pages, I was struck by the apparent similarities of attitude I saw while reading and browsing through the pictures. The stacked books, many with bookmarks,...more
While my apartment's book shelves certainly cannot compare to anything on view in these pages, I was struck by the apparent similarities of attitude I saw while reading and browsing through the pictures. The stacked books, many with bookmarks,...more
5 likes · like · see review
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At Home With Books: How Book Lovers Live and Care for Their Libraries, is a book about books, and book lovers --forty of them. Featured in this book are the diverse libraries created for the passion they all share. This book includes interviews with these bibliophiles. A common trait reveals that the majority of book lovers had an early love of books, that grew as they got older.
This book features beautiful illustrations of many many personal libraries (some far too rich for my taste), but simpl...more
This book features beautiful illustrations of many many personal libraries (some far too rich for my taste), but simpl...more
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I have curbed my willy-nilly library borrowing to focus instead on reading books from my wishlist. I have started with my oldest wishlist books first. Many of these early ones I no longer remember why I wanted to read them in the first place. At Home with Books by Estelle Ellis and Caroline Seebohm is an exception to that rule.
In fact I remember perfectly where I learned about the book; Bookcrossing. I was a fairly new member and read about it in the Book Talk forum. The book sounded fascinating...more
In fact I remember perfectly where I learned about the book; Bookcrossing. I was a fairly new member and read about it in the Book Talk forum. The book sounded fascinating...more
3 likes · like · see review
This is an exquisitely illustrated collection depicting photographs and accompanying interviews of some of the most beautiful personal libraries in America (and a few in England). It was published in 1995, and reading the continued references to books' superiority in terms that are no longer relevant (i.e. "you can't take a floppy disk to bed") were fascinating. Nonetheless, where contemporary book collectors might compare their books' significance with technology in different terms, there are m...more
It was kind of amazing to see all these homes full of bookshelves. At the same time, it was also somewhat... same, I suppose? I grew up surrounded by books, and a number of the book collections didn't seem any different from the home library I grew up with. (My childhood home had bookshelves everywhere--above the bed, under the desk (many a bruise I gained from accidentally kicking my own bookshelves while stretching), boxes under the bed, behind doors, spilling into the kitchen, along all the w...more
A personal warning: This book will incite envy and jealousy!
Again, this book will incite envy and jealousy towards people who are blessed with the ability to acquire so many books and so much space such that they can immerse themselves in the sea of books in a personal, elegant (and often luxurious) way: a personal library.
This book tells me that I am not alone in this lonesome craze for book reading and collecting. There are other people who are more insanely absorbed with this passion. Compar...more
Again, this book will incite envy and jealousy towards people who are blessed with the ability to acquire so many books and so much space such that they can immerse themselves in the sea of books in a personal, elegant (and often luxurious) way: a personal library.
This book tells me that I am not alone in this lonesome craze for book reading and collecting. There are other people who are more insanely absorbed with this passion. Compar...more
3 likes · like · see review
Fun book to look at and dream about! Shows many homes of devoted bibliophiles and how they arrange their book collections throughout their sumptuous abodes. Great for a cozy winter afternoon's perusing...
2 likes · like · see review
This is a gorgeous book. I would have liked to see more average homes of book collectors. I know they are out there.
Love this book!
A) It shows libraries of peole adicted to books. Not tidy Better Homes and Gardens bookshelves with a few pretty volumes arranged by color. These people have bookshelves to the ceiling and still have piles on the floor, the tables, the sofas, the chairs... This book understands what it is to be overcome with wonderful books!
B) GREAT book quotes by people that "get it"
C) Pages and pages of resources to build a library. Some are gone since the 1995 copyright, but many still exist....more
A) It shows libraries of peole adicted to books. Not tidy Better Homes and Gardens bookshelves with a few pretty volumes arranged by color. These people have bookshelves to the ceiling and still have piles on the floor, the tables, the sofas, the chairs... This book understands what it is to be overcome with wonderful books!
B) GREAT book quotes by people that "get it"
C) Pages and pages of resources to build a library. Some are gone since the 1995 copyright, but many still exist....more
At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries
By: Estelle Ellis, Caroline Seebohm, and Christopher Simon Sykes
Published By: Carol Southern Books
At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries
This is basically a coffee table book filled with great photography, featuring outstanding home libraries. Most of the libraries featured are of the rich and famous.
The book contains how-to chapters on organizing your library, collecting, design, bookbind...more
By: Estelle Ellis, Caroline Seebohm, and Christopher Simon Sykes
Published By: Carol Southern Books
At Home with Books: How Booklovers Live with and Care for Their Libraries
This is basically a coffee table book filled with great photography, featuring outstanding home libraries. Most of the libraries featured are of the rich and famous.
The book contains how-to chapters on organizing your library, collecting, design, bookbind...more
1 like · like · see review
All about book collections and their owners. Some were simply amazing to see, others not so much. But overall, the book is a delightful way to spend an hour or so. And it highlights just how many different types of collectors and readers there are. I especially liked Paul Getty's castle library and the English Country House libraries.
The "Bibliomania" excerpt from Roger Rosenblatt's play was very humorous. Reminds me of the bookstore passage from "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler".
The "Bibliomania" excerpt from Roger Rosenblatt's play was very humorous. Reminds me of the bookstore passage from "If On A Winter's Night A Traveler".
Jun 20, 2010
Steffi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-bibliomanes-libraries
Ein Bildband, der verschiedene Sammler vorstellt mit ihren prunkvollen, schönen, aber manchmal mehr prestigeträchtigen als geliebten Bibliotheken. Interessant aber die Vorstellung des Sammlers Seymour Durst, der Bücher über New York sammelt und die Beschreibung des englischen Bücherdorfes Haye-on Wye. Vervollständigt durch Hinweise zur Buchpflege, ausgewählten Antiquariaten und Bezugsadressen zu Büchermöbeln und mehr...
I am still reading this book (or maybe better said, wandering in its meadows and grazing lazily), but I decided to rate it anyway since I already know how I feel about it. I'm sure I'll keep renewing it from the library until the limit hits.
This is a very personal preference, I'm sure, but I'm in heaven when I read a book about books and book lovers who have created shrine libraries for their books. No, I'm kidding, they don't literally worship the books, but I covet, covet, covet the libraries...more
This is a very personal preference, I'm sure, but I'm in heaven when I read a book about books and book lovers who have created shrine libraries for their books. No, I'm kidding, they don't literally worship the books, but I covet, covet, covet the libraries...more
What a visually stunning book! This oversized book was a bit of a yawner to read, but in all honesty and fairness, that was not why I picked up the book at the library. I absolutely love seeing books on shelves in public libraries and even more so home collections. The book is separated into 6 chapters and each chapter profiles a handfull of book lovers/collectors. At the end of each chapter is a section(s) of specialized knowledge such as organizing your library and the enemies of books. I reco...more
Definitely more of a coffee table book, it does have some interesting information on starting a collection, bookbinding and conservation, lighting and great libraries. My OCD does not permit jealousy of the books in these collections but certainly in the featured libraries' storage capacity and aesthetics. What I could do with spaces like these!!!!
From 1995, before the internet. I only mention that because in the back, it says books may become obsolete because information will be available in the future on CD-Rom. tra la la la ha ha!
A look at many lesser known libraries and personal in-home libraries.
Stunning, and jealousy inducing.
A look at many lesser known libraries and personal in-home libraries.
Stunning, and jealousy inducing.
Mar 08, 2011
Jack Coleman
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone
One of my dreams if won the lottery would be to visit the Great libraries of the world.
or to own a library like the ones depicted in this wonderful coffee table book.
"Dispensary To The Soul" Library inscription in Trajan's Rome.
or to own a library like the ones depicted in this wonderful coffee table book.
"Dispensary To The Soul" Library inscription in Trajan's Rome.
An oversized book with lovely pictures of quite hoity-toity home libraries. I enjoyed reading about the owners of these books, but wished there were more "normal" collections included. I found the short chapters on book organizing quite useful.
Mar 25, 2010
Nisah Haron
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all book lovers
Shelves:
books-on-books,
non-fiction
A wonderfully illustrated book on how books and bookshelves can be a form of interior decoration for book lovers. Who says you need only flowers and wallpaper to deco your walls? One of my prized possessions. Glad I bought it from Amazon.
I was disappointed, I have to admit. The blurb promised "a visual delight, a helpful resource, and an inspiration for every bibliophile with a growing home library." I'd give it the visual delight, maybe the inspiration, but definitely not the resource.
The blurb also claims: "Includes professional advice on editing and categorizing your library; caring for your books; preserving, restoring, and storing rare books; finding out-of-print books; and choosing furniture, lighting, and shelving." This...more
The blurb also claims: "Includes professional advice on editing and categorizing your library; caring for your books; preserving, restoring, and storing rare books; finding out-of-print books; and choosing furniture, lighting, and shelving." This...more
O, that Biedermeier daybed with the stacks of books within fingers' reach, Niall, you're my kind of guy!
What I learned . . . Book lovers and their architects often fail to plan for EXPANSION. That's why I do thin the herd occasionally. . .
What I learned . . . Book lovers and their architects often fail to plan for EXPANSION. That's why I do thin the herd occasionally. . .
A fabulous look at some extraordinary home libraries. Beautiful, luscious, drool-worthy color photographs, quotes from owners, and general tips about acquiring and maintaining a home library.
This was fantastic. I loved seeing the photographs of other people's libraries, but the included text was also very interesting and complimentary to them as well.
I checked At Home With Books: How Booklovers Live With and Care for Their Libraries out from the library .. and all it did was make me jealous :^) -- lots of gorgeous pictures of beautiful home libraries, both in the US & UK - but IMHO, rather NYC-centric.
There are some recommendations for building and organizing your library, as well as book care, but it's mostly a home interiors-type coffee table book. I found it interesting that Keith Richards was included - not someone I would character...more
There are some recommendations for building and organizing your library, as well as book care, but it's mostly a home interiors-type coffee table book. I found it interesting that Keith Richards was included - not someone I would character...more
Interesting photos and some ideas about library organization. Not many ideas implementable by someone on a low-budget, however! Still, a beautiful book.
For a more detailed review, please visit my blog -
Debra's Book Cafe
Thank you
Debs
Debra's Book Cafe
Thank you
Debs
A delightful coffee table picture book of beautiful home libraries - all of them much more amazing than my own.
This book is a must-have for all booklovers. The photographs of personal libraries are amazing and are supplemented with brief bios of the owners. It’s a great compilation of collectors and designers. But most useful were the chapters on creating and maintaining a book collection. And the book is concluded with a great comprehensive resource guide (although I wish they had included website addresses with the contact information). Like other reviewers, I found myself scanning the shelves in the p...more
I didn't so much as read as looked at all the pictures. I have some great ideas now!
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