Lost in the Stacks Home Edition: Tiina

I've been following Tiina's blog almost since she began it.  What I love about blogging and the virtual reading community is getting to know other readers from all over the world.  Time zones my separate us, we may speak different languages but books and our love for reading brings us all together.  I always think it's so amazing that however huge the world is, it seems a little bit smaller when we get together to talk about books.  Tiina kindly shared a few things about herself (and you can read a bit more here).

I'm a librarian from Helsinki, Finland. I work as the chief librarian in our main library. I'm also a dancer. I compete in dance competitions in standard dances (=waltz, tango, Wiennese waltz, foxtrot and quickstep). I've been dancing with the same partner for over 20 years (that IS a long time!! :)). Just last weekend we danced in the Finnish Standard Championships and finished 3rd in the senior 1 age group (both parthers have to be 35 or older). I first came to blogging in 2008 through food blogging. In 2009 I started my book blog A Book Blog of One's Own, named after Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. For a while I tried to manage two blogs, but then decided to give up food blogging and to concentrate on blogging mostly about books and reading. In addition to books and dancing I also like tennis, writing, making bead jewellery and travelling. This far I've only travelled in Europe, but one of my dreams is to some day visit Australia and New Zealand.

1. Describe your library/bookshelves. Are the books randomly placed or do you have them organized in a special way?

I have four smallish bookshelves spread around the apartment. My books are not organized in any particular way, though I do try to keep books by the same writer together. For example I have a whole shelf of books by Elizabeth Peters and also all my books by Virginia Woolf are together on one shelf. And in all my bookshelves the front row of books hides another row behind it. :) Strangely enough most of my books are in English (my mother tongue is Finnish) as I get all the Finnish books I read from the library and also books in English are cheaper. I own lots of fiction and books about history, especially women's history, as that was my speciality at the university. When I first started working in the library I organized my books alphabetically, but that did not last long. :) I much prefer my books to be in no particular order.

2. Do you like to weed and recycle as you read or do you prefer to hold on to all your books?

I used to keep all my books, but that just became unpractical. Nowadays I do a fair amount of weeding. If I know that I'm not going to reread the book or it did not make any special impression on me I will recycle it. In our library we have a special shelf for recycling books and I use it quite often..

3. Are your books confined to one area or are they spread out over your house?

My books have pretty much invaded every room in my apartment. No books in the bathroom, though. :) I have two bookselves full of books in the living room, plus a third one which contains my dvd-collection. I have one bookself in the bedroom and my cook books are in the kitchen.

4. How long has your oldest unread book sat on your shelves.

That's a tough question. I honestly don't know! I probably have a book or two I bought in the early 90s or even late 80s that are still unread.

5. What is your most treasured book?

My most treasured books are signed copies by some of my favorite authors:
Purge by Sofi Oksanen, The Hours by Michael Cunningham and The Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.

I also treasure my battered, second-hand copy of Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf and my equally well-used collection of Sylvia Plath's poetry. And why? Mrs Dalloway is my favorite novel and I especially love the idea that my copy has been read and -hopefully- enjoyed by others before me. Sylvia Plath is my favorite poet and over the years I have enjoyed reading her Collected Poems many, many times.

6.  If you could pick one "lost in the stacks/on your bookshelves" book to rediscover and share with other readers, which would it be?

This one might be difficult to find, but I would like to recommend Letters from Finland by Rosalind Travers. Travers spent about eight months in Finland in 1908-1909. Her book about her time here is a fascinating read.

Many thanks to Tiina for sharing photos of his bookshelves and piles with us.  Check back next Friday for a peek into another reader's library.

Comments

[Stefanie]

Those are some wonderful jam-packed shelves! The cookbook photos is especially inviting. I'd love some tea from that tin while I browse through all the shelves :)

[catharina]

So interesting to see Tiina has again another personal style in shelving her books. I wonder:is any Finnish poetry hidden on these shelves?

[Caroline]

I love to see the many different ways of organizing and the suggestions of favourite books.
I have seen quite a few books I own as well. :)
I'll see if I can find those letters.
I still have to read Purge, I'm sure it is very good.

[Tiina]

Thanks, Stephanie! Offering you a virtual cup of tea! :)

[Tiina]

Catharima, there is the collected poems of Edith Södergran hidden in one of the pictures. :) I read a fair amount of Finnish poetry, but mostly borrow poetry books from the library.

[Tiina]

Caroline, Purge is so good! Oksanen has this amazing talent to write beautifully about very ugly things.

[Tiina]

Danielle, thanks for including me in your Lost in the Stacks Home Edition -series. It was fun answering your questions.

[catharina]

Oh I hadn't found it on your shelves, I did read a Dutch translation/selection of her poetry just last month, I do remember one poem: 'Stars'.

[Danielle]

I also want to read Purge--I added it to my wishlist when it first came out (last year? or the year before?), but I have yet to get to it!

[Danielle]

Thanks so much Tiina for sharing your books and answering my questions! You have such inviting shelves--even the books in your kitchen look warm and cozy--and I love your cookie jar and canisters! :)

[Kathy]

I very much enjoyed the tour of your books/bookshelves. That kitchen corner with your cookbooks and other little odds and end is utterly charming and inviting! It certainly looks like you have much of interest on all those shelves.

And congratulations on your dance competition!

[Danielle]

It's all very inviting--I agree! I know Tiina had a food blog at one time and wonder if she still does a lot of cooking. I know at one time she posted a video of her dancing, but I wasn't able to find it again--such cool hobbies to have!

[vicki (bibliolathas/skiourophile)]

I love the idea of being totally cool about books invading every space. The bathroom may be next...! Another lovely bookish post.

[litlove]

I do love this series! It's amazing how the organisation of books reflects the character of their reader. Everyone's shelves have looked so very, very different! Absolutely fascinating.

[Danielle]

If I had a proper, nice tub I think I might just keep a little stack of books in my bath--but I have an entirely uncomfortable bath so only take showers--totally precluding the option to read while bathing! :)

[Danielle]

I know--You would think there are only so many ways to organize your books, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all--every person has a different way of doing things--very cool really.