Does anyone else sit watching the television fascinated by the bookshelves in the background of the people on screen. Because of the coronavirus lockdown it is now a regular thing for programmes to come from folks homes.
Wouldn’t it be good if they did little videos of their book collections.
I’m quite disappointed when a tv personality or presenter appears with a blank wall as a backdrop or they are just obviously sat in a little home office or bedroom.
You can tell that some have used a bit of imagination by placing plants, adjusting lighting, furniture or creating a focal point.
I know we can’t all be a Kelly Hoppen and have a designer interior but i think a bit of effort should be made so us nosey Brit’s can ooh and aah over their houses.
Richard and Judy’s bookclub which ran a few weeks ago from their home was a great programme and should be brought back along with Grayson Perry’s Artclub which was filmed in his and wife Phillipa’s studio.
I’ve just finished reading my first book by Kayte Nunn.
Set in both the 21st and the 19th centuries it’s a tale of a fathers wish for his daughter to continue his life’s work as an adventurer and plant-hunter and for her to cross the world to find a rare and dangerous flower that could also be an antidote to many illnesses.
Meanwhile in the present day while renovating her late grandmothers house and garden Anna discovers a box containing watercolours of exotic plants, an old diary and a handful of seeds. A centuries old mystery begins to unravel, one that takes her across the world from Australia to Kew Gardens and Cornwall in search of the truth.
Did I enjoy it ? Yes, I did and yes I will read another of her books.
Notes about the author
Kayte Nunn grew up in England and the US, and then lived in Sydney, Australia for more than 20 years, working as a book, magazine and web editor and writer. ... I have also written three works of historical fiction, The Botanist's Daughter, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant, and The Silk House and I am working on a sixth.
As recommended by Sue Dove, textile artist based in St. Ives and co-writer of Doing What We Can.
Next on my list
As recommended by Sue Dove, textile artist based in St. Ives and co-writer of Doing What We Can.
A book about a group of women artists and their stories of how they all came individually to live and work in St. Ives.
Links
I love looking at other people's bookshelves, whether it's at people's homes, in magazines or on the telly. Yes, I've been known to enlarge photos in people's blog posts to try and make out the titles on the spines! They say never judge a book by its cover, but what about judging people by their bookshelves ;-) ? xxx
ReplyDeleteHeehee I love that Ann. I’m impressed if people have bookshelves no matter what’s on them. My books have been a lifeline during these troubled times.
DeleteI think I’m a pretend librarian xxx
Your comments about the tv bookshelves made my chuckle. I too have taken an interest in the backdrops behind the television people. I think it would be fun for them to tell us a little something about what they are reading. We have books in just about every room of our house... even the bathrooms have reading material!
ReplyDeleteOurs is a book house too. I’d be lost without them and music
DeleteI wonder how many of those politicians curate their bookshelves before they go on the Tv to make them look more intelligent. One of the tory MPs the other day had a huge hardback Hilter book right behind him, not a great choice.
ReplyDeleteThere seemed to be a spate of books entitled "The *******'s Daughter" didn't there? I think I enjoyed all of the ones I read although I started to wish the authours would be a bit more imaginative with the titles as I was starting to lose track of which one's I'd read when I was browsing the chazza shop shelves! xxx
I love looking at other people’s bookshelves as you can tell a lot about a person. My mum sends me loads as we can only get a small selection and they can be very expensive, but I do love Japanese books especially interiors as they are so well presented. We have a range of second hand book shops called book off and they are amazing and cheap and sell a small amount of English books. I am learning kanji and this were I get them from. But my mum only pays 10p a book !!! and she has loads for me. So she sends a parcel a week for me.
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