Shelf Space

I have a problem.  The first step towards solving the problem is recognizing and acknowledging it right?  So I say again, I have a problem.  I went to have a quick tidy of my room this morning—tidying my room is a favorite activity when I have looming essay deadlines—and I realized I have a few books to integrate onto my shelves.  By “a few” I mean a stack taller than I am (at 5’3” it’s not all that hard to have a stack of books taller than I am).  Up until yesterday the stack was of a reasonable height of just under 5 feet tall, but then I went to the Central Library where they have the Friends of the Library store, which had some books I’ve been wanting for a very long time (real long time as in years, not fake long time as in days) and supporting the library is good thing right?  So this morning I looked at all the books that need to get on the shelves and all the shelf space I have left and realized things just can’t go on like this.  I might not get everything on the shelves this time: I HAVE A PROBLEM.  And to make matters more complicated another book just arrive; a proof from Simon & Schuster that was a total surprise.  I didn’t request it on Goodreads as far as I know, unless I’ve started entering free book giveaways in my sleep.

Now, the obvious solution (I hear you say) is to have someone give me the library from Beauty and the Beast because it’s not really possible to build more shelves in my tiny room that already has wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.  I can’t exactly expand out into common areas either, what if someone borrowed a book without telling me and then put it back in the wrong place?  It could mess up the whole system and be lost for weeks.  Sadly, I don’t think anyone is planning to buy me the Beauty and Beast library any time soon (though I do have a birthday coming up!) and a personal library of that scale is not really practical for city living, so I think the most reasonable solution here is stacks.  Wouldn’t it be great to install a trapdoor in the bottom of my closet leading to an underground labyrinth of stacks?  The only foreseeable problem with that plan is, naturally, finding a minotaur.

Acting Out (of Character)

We had a few inches of dry powdery snow this past weekend and while most of the country wouldn’t be snowed in, here in the PNW we know that powdery snow is going to compact into a solid couple inches of ice once the freezing rain hits, so we all pretty much sheltered in place and had a nice long panic.  I did, however, with my parents brave the weather to walk to my grandmother’s house for tea.  All was fine and dandy until someone brought up Sherlock Holmes.  This is always a topic that makes grandmama sigh deeply, clasp her hands, and shake her head.  It is not, as one might think, because she dislikes Sherlock but rather because she likes him so much in his original form that she believes he should be “allowed to die” rather than be re-imagined by and for modern audiences.  While this wasn’t some big new revelation it was the most Scrooge like proclamation I’ve heard in regards to the great SH, and the first death wish.  It always bothers me when she (or anyone) gets so upset about re-imagining characters like Sherlock Homes.  I mean, in most modern adaptations he’s still a smart, socially awkward drug addict; what’s the problem?

Most of the time I don’t have a problem with reworkings stories.  Admittedly my favorite film adaptations of books often have at least some input from the author (Princess Bride, Stardust) but I don’t necessarily think author input is a requirement of a good movie adaptation.  I really love retellings/reworking of fairy tales because it is interesting to see how different people take the same story and re-imagine it for a new setting or different audience, it’s great and exciting, and keeps old stories new and fresh.  In fact I think there has only ever been one I’ve really taken issue with: the incredibly stupid movie “version” of Howl’s Moving Castle.  I think it’s because so much was changed in the stupid movie version it was barely recognizable as the same story.  Also, it was a stupid movie.