An AirBnB with a Bookshelf
This was the first and only AirBnB I’ve stayed in that had, as part of its displays, a slim bookshelf filled with books. It was in the corner between a squashy couch and a small rocking chair, which had a seat of woven plant material over an antique wooden frame. There were favorite picture book series the Berenstain Bears, popular chapter book series The Magic Treehouse (a *huge* selection). Some Great Illustrated Classics. Art books. A boxed set of 5 books by Madeleine L’Engle. (I did not know it was a 5 book series! Even though I read a lot as a kid, I somehow missed or didn’t get into ‘A Wrinkle in Time’.) I decided to start with Book 2, ‘A Wind in the Door’, and it was an unexpectedly emotional reading experience. There was also a thick hardcover art book that looked like it would weigh 25 pounds. I sat in the small rocking chair with it on my lap. ‘World Famous Paintings’, edited by Rockwell Kent (1939). It was the last book I picked to look through. I didn’t think I would like it. However, the descriptions were interesting, and the introduction was really honest … and actually quite kind. A note was jotted on an inner page, angled in the upper left corner, which had piqued my curiosity. This huge, old, boring looking but also intriguing book was a gift from a grandma to someone named Kyra. “This is such a treasure of great artists, you’ll be inspired. Love, Grammy B.”
