Are Books Here to Stay?

As I've mentioned, I'm a big fan of real books, and it seems independent bookstores, along with book sales, have seen a recent revival. This NPR story, "The Technology Of Books Has Changed, But Bookstores Are Hanging On," discusses the resurgence, crediting the benefits of printed books over digital. I agreed with so many points made in this story, especially how it really feels you can absorb more when reading a printed book. I also loved another comment, that they "just look better." It's true. Overall, it seems really positive that booksellers are starting to embrace what they describe as a book's "bookiness." Bookiness is good.

The one thing that made me really sad when I listened to this was how frequently I buy books from Amazon. Shame.

Thanks for passing this on, Allison!

Photo by Natalia Romay

My Recent 'Aha' Moment

Just as I sometimes doubt other projects, I've questioned why I've started this blog about my love for reading and writing. The vision hasn't been completely clear as I've worked through these first months of posts. Then I had an 'aha' moment which clarified the reason I've been marching forward. In the prologue of her memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, accomplished writer, Anna Quindlen, writes:

"That's what's so wonderful about reading, that books and poetry and essays make us feel as though we're connected, as though the thoughts and feelings we believe are singular and sometimes nutty are shared by others, that we are all more alike than different. It's the wonderful thing about writing, too. Sometimes I would think I was the only person alive concerned about some crazy cul-de-sac of human behavior. Then I would get letters from readers and realize that was not the case, that we were not alone, any of us."

Connection. Reading and writing connects us to ourselves, each other and our surroundings. By nurturing these pastimes even in the face of the more convenient activities constantly starting us in the face, we can more actively think about our dreams, our history or struggles.

It's easier than we sometimes think to bring reading and writing into the fold when we've got work, soccer practice, dishes, and the millions of other things that pull at our time. I hope to share those ideas and more right here.

Procrastinating the Writing Day Away

Lately I've been a world-class procrastinator whenever I sit down to write. I've gone through phases like this before, but this is a particularly bad one. It might be because summer is so close or maybe I've just been working on similar stuff for the past five years and need something fresh. Regardless, I hope it ends soon because I need to meet some serious deadlines!

Until I find a way to motivate, today's all ThursdayStyles....

...and Pinterest...

...and when all else fails, staring into space works.

Wish me luck. Any tips to stop a major procrastination phase?

Bookshelf Love

Once upon a time there was a pair of very sad and neglected bookshelves. As my friend Allison would say, they were very off brand.

After a long and painful home renovation, some new ones were built. They were happy, but still needed some love.

With some help from Fringe, I found some beautiful gray and white leopard Thibaut wallpaper to cover the backs of the bookshelves. And now: very Sara, very on brand. Still tweaking some accessories but it's looking good! I'm trying to stack my books by color, a big decor trend these days.

I love my wallpaper, but I just heard about a new line of removable wallpaper from Chasing Paper. Such a great idea for a project like this because you don't have to commit and can really have fun with color and pattern with no worries! I have a small bookshelf project in my front hall and I'm thinking about trying it out.

Bookshelves are a book and decor lover's dream, right?