This afternoon I felt compelled to start clearing away in preparation for all the family stuff eventually coming up from Lago di Carlo. All my cheap pine bookcases are going away! In the midst of moving all the books into the study, I allowed myself to meditate on the various categories of books I have in my library:
Biography
Courtesans (including Eva Peron and Lord Nelson, because he was Lady Hamilton’s lover)
Old Hollywood
Homosexuals of the Mid-Century
Adventurers (including Sir Richard Burton and Krakauer’s Into Thin Air)
Presidents, First Ladies, and Other Prominent Americans
Europeans, Mostly But Not All Royalty
Great Britain
Russia (now including Stalin!)
Visual Arts
Great big old art books
Great big old photography books
Male photography
Art History
A small subset of books on specific works of art (the Portland Vase, Madame X), Victoria Findlay’s books Colour and Jewels, and other books about color like Mauve and The Perfect Red.
Performing Arts
Ballets Russes (mostly biographies, beginning with my beloved Misia Sert)
Theatre
Music History
History
France
Venice
War (includes Vienna and Lincoln’s assassination)
Civil War
Elegant Disasters (Titanic, Lusitania, Hindenburg, Cocoanut Grove)
Etiquette (no kidding!)
Literature
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Short Stories
Murder and Mystery (Fiction and Non-Fiction)
Louisiana (mostly Harnett Kane books from Gramma’s house)
Religion (mercy, I think I have four Bibles)
Devotional/inspirational literature
Nudism
Humor
Bathroom books: the books I rotate in and out of the bathroom such as Sex: The Most Fun You Can Have Without Laughing, Let’s Bring Back, Encyclopedia of the Exquisite, and Schott’s Original Miscellany.
Genealogy (includes two copies of Scrivelsby, Home of the Champions)
Poetry
Gardening
Cookbooks
Bar books and cocktail recipes
Reference
Science
Words and Word Origins
Throughout all these categories the books themselves fall into other categories:
Gifts
Books by Authors I Actually Know
Books I Have Not Yet Read
Family books
Books purchased at certain bookstores:
Brattle Books
Avenue Victor Hugo
Strand Bookstore
Trident Bookstore
Tim’s Used Books
Still shelved
I grew up in a household with a lot of books and I continue to place a value on having - and reading! - a lot of books. Once the transition of old bookcases to new is made, though, I fear I’ll have somewhat less shelving than now, leading to some difficult choices. A bibliophile’s constant lament! :-)