Bookcases up, but not done

Mike says this post is way overdue, and he's right. He finished the last two bookcases a week ago, but with Sherri and Carmen kidding, I sort of forgot about the bookcases. Actually, I wanted to get the whole library cleaned up and looking pristine before taking pictures, but at this point, I'm not sure when that will be, since my to-do list is way too long. I can't say the library is done, because it still lacks trim on the bookcases and windows, as well as baseboard. But having the bookcases up means we are a couple steps closer to being organized. We will also be -- Mike will also be putting a built-in desk between these two sets of bookcases. He is hoping to get back to staining trim in February after we're done using the barn office for kid watching.

These are obviously corner bookcases. In the above picture, the bookcase on the right is the one Mike finished in December, and the one on the left is the one he finished a couple weeks ago.

The last two bookcases are only six inches deep. In this picture, the newest bookcase is on the right. The six-inch shelves are made to hold paperback novels, and yes, one of the bookcases is filled mostly with romance novels. My son referred to it as the "trashy section" of our library. And I suppose his Calvin and Hobbes books are high literature? Uh, no. When I was in grad school, I had to read a romance novel one semester for my critical theory class, and I realized that reading romance novels actually helped me keep my sanity. I will also point out that about 90% of these novels are not mine. I'm only saying that because I know someone will ask how I have time to read that much -- and I don't have time to read that much. However, the owner of those novels can finish one in about three to four hours.

This last picture shows all four of the bookcases that Mike has finished in the last month, and the built-in desk will go in front of the window, so I'll be able to blog and watch my goats and other critters at the same time.

These last two bookcases bring the total to nine, and when we're done unpacking all the boxes of books, I hope we still have a few shelves left, because I'm sure we are not done buying books.