Sorely Needed

The livability of my bedroom takes another lurching leap forward with the introduction of a bookcase. It's not new by any means. It's rather worn, and comes to me free of charge from friends who want for space more than furniture. In any case, I'm glad to have it. Previously, I had been storing my books in a variety of at best unconventional ways, and now I have them accessible and arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way for the first time in years.

Just before this, I had the books I meant to read piled up on an end table. You may recall, if I remember my own writing correctly, that I was very pleased with that development. This is because prior to that, all my books were boxed up and in the closet. The closet being as it is, they may as well have been on the moon for how quickly I could get to one that I wanted. It's not as if I had an inventory to consult in advance, either. It was less than ideal.

Imperfect also was my use of a mini fridge as a depository for the same books. It had the unfortunate effect of sealing in the musty smell produced by the books. I tried to let them breathe when I could, but it was not a good arrangement. The books suffered for their incarceration, as they have every step along the way, and I have the nerve to call myself a book lover! It's true, I suppose, that we hurt the ones we love the most. Well, that's done with.

Of course, I'd like to have a more stylish bookcase, but then that would clash with everything else I have. It would be a cascade of new, stylish furniture: a welcome development, but one which I cannot manage to effect any time soon. For the time being, I'll settle for furniture that is designed for the way I use it, and which does not fail catastrophically due to ramshackle condition. The bookcase seems able to live up to those minimal requirements, and so I love it.