Bookshelf

Today's August Break prompt is bookshelf.

I've got one or two of those myself,

being a bibliophile.

Some are like this one. . . 

combining books and little treasures.

(And looking at this photo from years ago,

I see the shelf holds many books 

that have gone on to the library

for the book sale fundraisers).

In addition, there are stacks of books

strategically placed throughout my abode,

just in case I have a reading emergency.

Some, like these, which were once on bookshelves

were loaned to friends. . . 

never to be returned.

(Trying to remember the plots of these books).

I suspect that my love of books

was born among bookshelves in the university library

where my mom worked while my father got his Master's Degree.

Sometimes, I got to go to work with her

(probably when child care arrangements fell through)

and she'd park me on the floor in small children's books section.

I could amuse myself for hours, looking a pictures 

and pretending to read as a preschooler.

Of course, she read to me a lot,too.

I remember being very sick at 5 or 6

and being confined to bed

and her reading books aloud to me like

Charlotte's Web and Black Beauty. 

When I was in elementary school,

she worked in the main branch of our city's library.

I'd worked my way through the children's section by age 10

so I was allowed the privilege of checking out "adult" books.

The one that sticks in my mind

was an historical novel called "Desiree"

by Annemarie Selinko.

It's about Napoleon's first love.

I've not read it since then,

but I loved it then.

So I just looked it up,

to make sure it wasn't a figment of my imagination

and that I'd be embarrassing myself

to admit I loved it as a pre-teen.

What do you know?

Goodreads gives it 4 stars.