I enjoyed this 2006 reprint of a 1996 coffee table book, but I can’t say that it did much more than show pictures that prove that if you have loads of books you’d probably be better off putting them on shelves (strange but true). And shelves can be attached to walls or above walkways and up and down stairs. (No shit, Sherlock?) Books are nifty in that they are design statements and can even be read (who knew?) and can be in every room of the house. Even the bathroom. Though that looked a bit impractical and slightly pointless to me. Of the book-sniffer genre but not as snobby as the last weighty tome I read about this sort of thing, Living with Books is a reminder that books are nice objects, but take up a lot of room. Wonder if you can get it on Kindle?
No. 45 of 100 books I intend to read and review in 2019.
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Patrick Sherriff publishes a monthly newsletter highlighting good fiction about Japan and featuring an original painting or sketch. He lives in Abiko, Japan, with his wife and two daughters.
Patrick Sherriff 