By Book Or By Crook #DreamLibrary

This has been on my bucket list since I was a little girl.

My earliest memory of reading is my mom reading out from that fat little abridged version of Tom Sawyer. It was quite beautiful really that boy with the twinkle in his eyes with a torn pair of jumpers, an apple in one hand and a brush in the other standing near a picket fence. I would repeat the lines slowly after mom and that was my first brush with reading, literally.

Then, I remember when I was about eight, my aunt took me to the library in my grandparents neighborhood. It was smelly and musty. But, my oh! my it was paradise. The books were stacked so high in the shelves, I kid you not, however hard I craned my neck, I couldn't see the top! The books I figured later were arranged as per authors. There was no demarcation or signages but the owner Ramesh and his brothers from Ramesh Library knew exactly what was placed where. I picked up my first Enid Blyton that day - The mystery of the disappearing cat. My aunt gave me a little talk introducing me to the world of Fatty and his friends. It sounded so exciting and adventurous.

I was hooked for life after that. Each birthday, when any of my parents friends asked me what I wanted as a gift, I would always ask for the "line" I was reading at that point in time. For.e.g. when I was into Nancy Drew, everybody got me a Nancy Drew. It was like a book gift registry with titles et al. I was always collecting entire ranges of one particular author or a line from the author's end.

I had one issue however, there was no space in the house for my books. So, my mother gave me the attic. As and when I finished a book, it would promptly be placed in the attic. So, I always would then go on a quest for the next one. My biggest issue was not having a space where all of it could be beautifully displayed in a teakwood cupboard author wise, segment wise. My mother's younger sister has a room in her place which is a dedicated library. It has a beautiful reclinable rocking chair with feet rest, a little table to place your coffee mug, a big window that you can look out of, a settee, carpeted wooden flooring, air conditioned, and two big teakwood cupboards plein de books! Super! I would add a little diwan with a few colourful cushions and inspirational quotes and images of my favourite authors on the walls.  A writing table with a laptop and a music system is a must. I would also throw in a big whiteboard with loads of colourful markers to make quick notes. A coffee presse in the room with a cookie jar would complete the little cove.

This will be my woman cave, my den that I would never step out of.

This is how my miniature library looks currently in my apartment in Mumbai:)

I dream of the day when I shall be chiling with an intriguing book in my hand, a steaming cuppa on my colourful diwan surrounded with all the books that I could possibly own! As I look up wistfully, the rain trickles over the french window penning its own thoughts...