I must confess that this post was inspired by the ' 2 Sue's ' 😀 Both are book lovers and will happily confess to that; Sue from A Smaller and Simpler Life and Sue from My Quiet life in Suffolk.
Like you I love my books although I had to sell or donate a very high proportion of them when we moved last time. Now that we have the bungalow, I still have my new acquisitions guarded by my book dragon in the bedroom. I'm about to begin the Milly Johnson one very soon.....
But there is now room for a display cabinet in the sitting room which just happens to look much nicer with a few colourful books on the shelves 😂....
Whilst unpacking my few remaining books I re-discovered my Bible which my Sister and her (now) husband bought me for my 6th birthday......
....as well as my well used school Hymn book. It's a bit battered but it's 60 years old after all....
Inside is the not very neatly written school hymn. Talk about blots on my copy book!
How long have you had your oldest book?
Stay safe everyone, wherever in the world you happen to be x
I am a book lover too, and have given away hundreds of books in the past few years, since the death of my dear hubby, Will. He was a book lover too. I have had some books for more than 60 years, and some by Emerson and Thoreau and "Life, Letters and Journal" by Louisa M. Alcott I have were published in the 1800s. Old books are treasures, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteThey certainly are Terra. Just holding my prayer book takes me right back to being 12 years old.
DeleteI have a copy of The House at Pooh Corner given to me on my 5th birthday by my mother -she died 3 months later aged 32 so I treasure it - I am now 60.
ReplyDeleteOh Julia, that book must be so precious to you. It's a wonderful book for a child.
DeleteI sold and gave away lots of books before my move too but also kept several dozen. So far I've not missed any that went and I'm now feeling less guilt about acquiring second-hand books but being stricter with moving on others (well that's supposed to be the plan!)
ReplyDeleteJust looked at my bible and it's a prize from Sunday School Scripture exam 1968. First Class with Distinction - Think I was better at scripture exams than I was at O levels!
Flippin 'eck Sue that's a good result. Maybe you should have entered the church as a profession!
DeleteI have a Bible that belonged to my grandmother and has dates in it from 1901 and I also have a cookery book that is 100 yrs old. I am 70 so haven't had them all the time.
ReplyDeleteOoh I love old bibles with dates inside the cover. It makes me wonder what their lives were like at that moment in time when everything was recorded. Both are precious books, aren't they Pat.
DeleteI do have my Sunday school prizes and the first Bible I was given. I also have a book my mother had as a Sunday school prize dated 1927.
ReplyDeleteFantastic, Chris, I do so wish I had kept my prizes as they were mainly Ladybird books which I love even now.
DeleteMy oldest books are my Bible my parents gave me when I started Sunday School, and my Nancy Drew books that I would get every Christmas and birthday growing up.
ReplyDeleteThe oldest book I have is my Great Great Uncle's book of Common Prayer. It has now reached the grand old age of 111.
God bless.
Wow! 111 years old and I bet it's in better condition than my prayer book. I never did read Nancy Drew books, I was more into Enid Blyton and the Famous Five or Secret Seven.
DeleteYep, my name is Sue and I am a Bookaholic ;-)
ReplyDeleteYour collection is starting to grow again and I spy space on those shelves just crying out to be filled. My oldest book was a copy of Hovel in the Hills by Elizabeth West bought in the early 80s and then secondhand from the library's 10p shelf. I read it so many times it fell apart so it was replaced with another secondhand copy from Amazon. So no great age with me for any of my books but they are older than I have had them if you know what I mean.
I threw away my Sunday School prize prayer book not long after winning it, when I got expelled for pulling my friends chair away as she went to sit down. The Sunday School never forgave me, luckily she did.
Oh dear what a shame Sue. My younger brother was always doing that to me. He used to get a clip around the ear off my mum but it didn't stop him, the little devil. I love him now though ;)
DeleteAnd, yes, there is room for some more books but I will have to do it slowly so as not to draw attention to the growing collection :)
A guide to Cornwall that must have been my grandmother's when they moved from London to escape daylight bombing. Coming to me via my mother.
ReplyDelete