900!

today, my book collection officially turned 900 {plus!}.
well, i guess the official moment was sometime on friday evening when i tried to buy the whole book store.
well, i have been looking for this book for ages, so i have to get this one.
and this one is only fifty cents...oh look, there's the sequel to howl's moving castle, i've been meaning to pick that one up, and next time i go prowling through my collection looking for a comfort read, i'll know exactly where to go...
etc.
etc.
but, the thing that really pushed me over the edge was the stack of books i brought home from my grandfather's collection. some old mark twain, rudyard kipling, a lovely copy of little lord fauntleroy advertising the book sarah crewe which we all know and love as the little princess. this particular copy is from 1889 and is one of the few that does not document the date it came into my grandfather's collection with little penciled in numbers on the opening page.....and it's just now at this very second occuring to me that perhaps this is a copy that he grew up with.
wow.
that would be lovely.
but anyway, after carting off 40 books or so rather dutifully, though happily as well {my aunt charged me the night before with carrying out at least a suitcase full of items in an effort to start clearing out my grandmother's house so when she moves it's easier on everyone}.
i also picked up several photography monographs from the likes of weston, stieglitz, strand, etc.
and even after my four bags full of booty, you can't even tell one book was removed. there are so many, oh so many.




which makes me think just a little bit about my compulsive book buying tendencies.




and then i see how much i have enjoyed acquiring even 40 books from his collection, so i must do my duty and collect enough so all my progeny can have equal joy themselves in 60 something odd years.


that justifies me for a few thousand more book purchases and in the meantime, happy birthday book collection!