I’ve always felt that a wall of books was the most beautiful decoration a room could have. It’s not just the aesthetic appeal that moves me, but more so the memories that emanate from so many of those books.

Our bookshelves provide a mirror into our interests over the years. We have books on everything from woodworking and gardening to needlework and candle making. College and grad school are well represented, as are the the years of my immersion into teaching middle school. Teaching Theory and The Middle School Concept and Theories of Adolescence sit side by side with my favorite title from that era, Get Out of My Life, but first could you drive me and Cheryl to the mall?

Then there are the Women’s Studies years, highlighted by Issues in Feminism, Our Bodies Ourselves, and the slightly more current, Our Bodies Growing Older. There are books on Newfoundlands and Labs and even one called The Dog’s Mind. Books on hiking trails in the White Mountains and guide books to waterfalls and tips on canoeing round out the Bretton Woods years. And I haven’t even mentioned the cookbooks that line every available shelf in my office and the shelves in the kitchen.

I like my iPad. Reading a book on this handy little device has definite points in its favor. Primarily the ability to make the print slightly larger with the tap of a finger! But it will never replace the pleasure of a book in my hands on on my shelf.