Torn Between Lincoln & Jefferson

"Of all humankind's diverse tools, undoubtedly the most astonishing are its books. If books were to disappear, history would disappear. So would humans."-Jorge Luis Borges

I received a gift card to Barnes & Nobles for Christmas this year. Last weekend, I finally redeemed it. Walking into Barnes & Noble is always a "Kid in a Candy Store" type experience for me. I wish I was one of those people who went to the library. I like the idea of walking out of a library with an armful of books, but it's just not me. Maybe it's that I like to sit down with a colored pencil and mark up my books with feverish abandon. Maybe it's that I like being able to pick up a book on a whim and peruse its pages. Or that I like the luxury of taking a year to read a book, picking it up and putting it down for months at a time. 

These are all valid reasons for me not entering libraries, but the truth of the matter is that I just love to own books. I love to see them sitting on my shelves, pages and pages of knowledge within my grasp just waiting to be devoured. I love the smell of new books. I love the smell of old books. I love to stumble across the familiar stains on the pages of my books, stains that remind me of the delicious salad or eclair that I was eating while I was reading that book. This is also why you may never see me snuggled up with a Kindle. I'd rather pull the book off my shelf and leaf through its pages. We all have that thing that we seem to have no problem throwing money at...books is that thing for me.

This is one of my favorite pictures. Angie has my same love for books. This photo was taken at one of the largest book stores in the country. We threw caution to the wind and took a last minute trip to Portland to enjoy the Food Festival, and we had to stop at Powell's Bookstore. Books were our only souvenirs from that trip.

I walked into Barnes & Noble and was surprised at how quickly I had my selection narrowed down to two books. The first: Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. I've wanted to read more about Jefferson ever since learning about him in David McCullough's John Adams. I admit that I feel a certain bond to him after seeing a small portion of his library at the Library of Congress. I felt like quite a simpleton after seeing the mere 2,000 books from his original collection of over 20,000 books. The range of subjects he studied was rather intimidating.

The second choice: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I've had my eyes on this gem after seeing the movie Lincoln and learning that the movie was based off this book. I was fascinated by Lincoln's politics in the movie and would love to learn more.

Hmmm. Decisions. Both books are Pulitzer Prize Winners. My $25.00 gift card just wasn't sufficient to cover both, and yet I couldn't put either one down without my heart hurting a little bit.

In the end, I caved, and bought them both. They both came home with me, and my heart felt very good about that decision. Now whether I want to read about the man who abolished slavery or the man who owned hundreds of slaves, I have the option to read about them at my leisure. But first, I have a date with Mr. Hugo. He and I have been carrying on this relationship for far too long. I must finish his 1200 page beast, so lovingly referred to as Les Miserables, before I crack open another book.

Until then, I must find a home for my two new favorite finds. Perhaps one would be comfortable next to Mrs. Lincoln, and the other might enjoy a spot perched between Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton. Yes, I think that will do nicely.