Secrets of a Stalker

Apologies if you came here looking for something a little juicier than I have planned. That should have read bookcase stalker.

While I’m not a particularly nosy person (I generally don’t care what is in your medicine cabinet, what you paid for your house or who said what about so and so), I’m definitely a curious person. Recently, I realized I’m particularly curious about what other people read. I’ve long been a fan of Goodreads.com because of that curiosity, but lately I find I want to know exactly how people’s bookshelves look in addition to which books are on their “virtual bookshelves.” It’s an interesting glimpse into someone’s unique personality.

Here. Never one to be shy, I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours (bwaha):

I finally identified this curiosity as a full-fledged affliction recently at my neighbor Robin’s house. We do yoga together at 5:30 in the morning, a time when I’m generally not very pleasant. And yet, I find myself enthusiastically bounding out of bed and down the alley to her house. It could be the perfectly prepared cup of coffee she hands me when I arrive or the pleasant conversation afterwards or how much I truly enjoy our workouts, but I think a good part of it is that I have a huge crush on her bookshelves, which I get to blatantly stare at during some of those interminable stretches. You know, when I’m supposed to pick an object to focus on while standing like a flamingo. See?

I love the huge variety, from politics to parenting and from Nelson Mandela to newspapers and nature. I really just want to curl up for a week on her (very comfy) couch and check out books. I’m also fond of this little bookseller’s table near her kitchen full of foodie books and baking tomes I’m dying to devour. Maybe nwaFoodie and I should take a field trip?

Speaking of Lyndi (nwaFoodie), I’ll be posting a tour of her kitchen soon over on The Food Adventuress. However, my recent visit to her adorable home would not have been complete without a little covert bookshelf stalking…

Talk about a window into a person’s likes, dislikes, interests and hobbies, right?

By the way, full confession: these photos of Lyndi’s cookbook bounty and the upcoming ones featuring her kitchen were all taken by our pal Jenny Marrs of Blessings and Raindrops, whose bookshelves I’ve also been known to stalk. In fact, last time I had a playdate at her house (for our kids. Ahem), I came home with two borrowed books by Dario Castagno, our apparently shared little-known Italian author crush. That’s a story for another post and a large bottle of chianti, though. (Oh no, Jenny… have I spoiled our best-kept secret?!)

Jenny caught the single best shot of all, though. Lyndi is known to have a “problem” with vintage cooking pamphlets. This shot of her with one of her favorites has got to be one of the best ever.

Do you stalk books, bookshelves or other random recesses of the homes you visit? Do tell!

Oh! We should connect on Goodreads.