I’m always amazed at people’s book collections. I’ve been to homes where people have books that have been passed down from generation to generation – some even have books that go back to the 19th century. These books are sometimes stored in regular, modern bookshelves, but the ones that are in old, woody rooms with tall, built-in shelves impress me the most (these are usually in friends’ childhood homes, not their own). It is such a privilege to be able to say that you (or your family) own a first or second edition of a book one reads for literature classes in school. I don’t have that privilege. Even if I *DID*, the books would all be in Chinese (and probably at a reading level that I could *NEVER* achieve as I was educated in Canada). However, this doesn’t mean that I can’t start my own collection right now. But what should this library have?
An elementary school teacher I had once said that all homes should have a dictionary and a Bible (before you get upset at the whole religion-in-schools thing, keep in mind that I went to a Catholic school from Grade 1 to Grade 5 and then an Anglican school from Grade 8 until I finished high school). So yes, I have both, though my Bible is in a bookshelf at my parents’ place. It’s a hardcover New Standard Revised Version I used for Religious Knowledge (aka RK) classes in Grade 8 and 9. Of course, disregard this if you’re not religious. Other books people should have:
An etiquette book of some sort: Emily Post’s Etiquette is the first to come to mind for most North Americans and is a wonderful source of not only dos and don’ts, but also how to address people, gifting and dress code decoding. Recent editions include etiquette for new technology. I also own a book from the 1940s called Etiquette in Canada by Gertrude Pringle which is more Canadian-specific “rules” (e.g. Orders of Precedence of Canadian officials, how to address government officials, etc…). Etiquette in Canada is more for collection than an actual guide, since it’s very dated.
Recipe Book: It doesn’t have to be Julia Child, but if you ever want to throw a good dinner party, cookbooks are great guides to help you prepare meals for your guests (and a great companion for with the etiquette book).
“Canon” Books: Pretty much books you read in literature, classics or philosophy classes while in high school or university. You should have at at least five or six of them, preferably in hardcover and by several different authors. It doesn’t have to be centuries old. In fact, 20th century books are recommended. Highly suggested 20th century classics include The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye and The Little Prince.
Childhood Favourites: Classical favourites like Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, Little House series, Anne books and even Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl.
Am I missing anything? Should I have included an Atlas and thesaurus on the list? What are your must-haves?
© Koray ISIK/istockphoto
