BiblioStil: Vom Leben mit Büchern:

by Nina Freudenberger

»Ein Raum ohne Bücher ist wie ein Körper ohne Seele.«

Wann wird ein Haus zu einem Zuhause? Wenn man es mit Dingen füllt, die einem am Herzen liegen. BiblioStil zeigt Wohnräume weltweit, in denen Bücher die Hauptrolle spielen und für Atmosphäre sorgen: in Form von wandfüllenden Regalen voller Raritäten, akribisch geordneten Bibliotheken, kunstvoll präsentierten Arrangements oder Stapeln über Stapeln von Lieblingsbüchern. Inspirierende Interior-Fotografien geben einzigartige Einblicke in die privaten Räume und Rückzugsorte von Schriftstellern, Buchhändlern, Sammlern, Künstlern und sonstigen Büchernarren - darunter Karl Ove Knausgård, Jonathan Safran Foer und Art Spiegelman. Sie zeigen, wie die Bücher, mit denen wir uns umgeben, unseren Stil ausdrücken ebenso wie unsere Interessen, Leidenschaften und Werte. Von der persönlichen Bedeutung von Büchern für uns Menschen erzählen auch die begleitenden Texte: Die Liebe zum Buch und zum Leben umgeben von Büchern verbindet die junge Buchhändlerin in Paris, den puristischen Designer in New York und das Galeristen-Pärchen in Berlin.


So leben Schriftsteller, Buchhändler, Künstler und Sammler mit Büchern: Die privaten Bibliotheken von Karl Ove Knausgård, Jonathan Safran Foer, Art Spiegelman uvm.
Erstklassige Interior-Fotografie gepaart mit inspirierenden Texten über die Liebe zum Buch
Einmalige Einblicke in die Wohnräume von Büchermenschen weltweit: von Berlin bis Brooklyn, London bis Lissabon

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Art, Design, Photography, Coffee Table Books, Interior Design

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 22, 2019

About the author

Interior designer and founder of Haus Interior, Nina Freudenberger is the author of the bestselling design book Surf Shack: Laid-Back Living by the Water, which was featured in Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, O: The Oprah Magazine, Vogue, and Martha Stewart Living. She lives with her husband and two young boys in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to 2020, we spent the day reorganizing bookshelves and the house is now a disaster.

Nina Freudenberger's coffee-table drooler about the ways the Brooklyn gay intelligentsia store their books is - well, is it an inspiration? Why are this person's books all leany?


seasick bookshelves

Does she not have bookends? Does she have a thing against bookends? Do I like her shelves? All that leaning conveys movement, right? Is that the idea? Or what if I put a taxidermied flamingo in my office, what would that convey?


A truly original object is interesting

There are all kinds of homes featured in this book - it's not all gay Brooklyn intelligentsia, although they are heavily represented - but there's also a recognizable shabby maximalist aesthetic. Someone's going to great lengths to make these bookshelves look casual. Look, it's one thing if you have books stuffed in sideways on top of other books, you're fine, but these people knew they had a professional photographer coming over. That's an affectation.


Someone was like hey the photographer is here, do you want to fix those sideways books or at least kick that U-Haul box into a corner? and Larry McMurtry was like NOPE this is all on purpose

Basically my shelves have mostly books, broken up by the occasional knicknack. Just like everybody else. I like how this guy's shelves look:


A balsa wood banana is interesting?

Anyway, thank you to my sister, who bought this book for herself and then liked it so much she bought it for me too. It's extremely fun to look through, and who knows? Maybe I'll experiment with fewer bookends for a while, see how it feels. Or do you have a flamingo I can borrow? I'm going to kill it.



Down in the comments section, I posted some pics of my own shelves:
Living room main shelves
Office, now with more leaning!

You know what I'd really like, is to see your bookshelves. Post 'em! It'll be fun! I better not see U-Haul boxes.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book book lovers will likely want to own to peruse at leisure. My favorite quote: "Whatever I read is a reminder of places I have been, or of where I'd like to go. Adventures - even tame ones" ~ Carolina Irving.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”
― Cicero

Even though I will never be as wealthy as the folks featured here, I enjoyed getting a glimpse of their homes and browsing their bookshelves.

All of the bibliophiles here have different systems of organization and different types of books. Some have collected books since childhood while others routinely purge, some love giving and lending books while others are more fanatical about condition. Many are creative types with passions other than books.

Each section is divided by little glimpses at public libraries and bookshops. I love the international feel and Covid-19 is making me sad that I can’t travel now.

One of my favorite photos is of Michael Boyd’s collection of vintage guitars sharing space with his enormous library. I also love Pedro Reyes and Carlo Fernandez’ concrete house in Mexico City. While the concrete is severe, the two-story library and Mexican art and craftsmanship lends warmth.

I would love to pull up a cozy chair and spend some time reading in any one of the rooms featured here.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

#gifted • “I don’t want to sound pretentious, but I don’t understand people who don’t have books.” - Emmanuel de Bayser
•
That’s just one of the many perfect quotes inside Bibliostyle, released today by @clarksonpotter #partner. It’s one of the most gorgeous home decor books I’ve ever opened - profiles and photos of people who love reading and how they live with their books.
•
The readers range from fashion designers to bookstore owners, comic book writers to musicians. And the shelves reflect the messy, glorious diverse tastes of their owners. Every time I crack open the cover, I end up drooling over these photos, completely absorbed in the stories they tell.
•
Be honest - how do you feel about people who don’t own books? 😉.
•
Thank you @randomhouse #partner for the gifted copy.

[Austra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Šo grāmatu ļoti negaidīti saņēmu dāvanā. Draudzene pirms tam teica: “Man tev ir grāmata, ko tev vajadzētu izlasīt.” “Vajadzētu” ir spēcīgs vārds, un tas reti ir sinonīms vārdam “gribētu”. Pie sevis lūdzos “tikai ne ezotēriku, tikai ne ezotēriku” un mēģināju uzlikt uz sejas pārliecinošu smaidu. Bet tai brīdī, kad ieraudzīju grāmatas vāku, varēju vairs netēlot - viņa man bija sarūpējusi grāmatu par grāmatām! Oumaigād! Tā arī notiek! Cilvēki ņem un uzdāvina tev kaut ko tik burvīgu!

Šī grāmata ir vienlaikus pilnīgi reāla un pilnīgi nereāla. Jā, tie ir 32 stāsti par reāliem cilvēkiem ar plašām bibliotēkām, par to, kāpēc viņi pērk un lasa grāmatas, kā viņi to dara, kā izvēlas savas grāmatas, kā iekārto un kārto savas bibliotēkas. Bet visi šie cilvēki ir virs vidējā pārticības līmeņa, un viņu smalkie dzīvokļi Parīzēs, Ņujorkās un Londonās, protams, ir neaizsniedzami tādiem vidusšķiras mietpilsoņiem kā es. Var izvēlēties skaust vai izvēlēties priecāties. Pēc garastāvokļa.

Stāsti nav gari, bet ikvienā ir pa kādai vērtīgai domai, kur aizķerties. Galvenais uzsvars te ir uz bildēm. To ir daudz, un visās ir grāmatas. Ja esat no tiem, kas fotoattēlos vienmēr mēģina izlasīt fonā redzamo grāmatu muguriņas, tad šī grāmata jums dos nebeidzamu materiālu. Lai gan es tā arī nevienā brīdī nespēju pa īstam iejusties un ticēt, ka šie ir mani cilvēki (lai gan mēs visi mīlam grāmatas), es šo grāmatu arī absolūti izbaudīju. Grūti paskaidrot. Vienu gan es iemācījos - grāmatas nevajag slēpt. Un nevajag kautrēties par kaudzēm, vajag vienkārši tās pārvērst par speciāli kūrētām kaudzēm :) Lai draugi var nākt ciemos un šķirstināt, apjūsmot, aizņemties un lasīt.

“Books are such great gifts, because they don't just say what you think about the book, but about the person you're giving them to.” - Mark Lee

[Sam (Hissing Potatoes) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is less about how "we" live with books and far more about how a bunch of wealthy hoarders exist among books. The book is laid out nicely with a few pages dedicated to each profiled person and some mini sections about various bookstores and libraries.

The introduction claims that "this book is not about unattainable libraries" but about "the power of books to tell stories." However, I started to get annoyed when every person proudly announced they can never get rid of any books, have so many books they don't remember which ones and can't find anything, trip over the books covering every floor and surface, and in one instance spend $200-300 a month on books. O_O There's no power in your collection when it's that overwhelming. The pictures of thousands of books on shelves and lying around their houses made me anxious, not comforted like books usually make me.

I stopped reading at the person whose profile began "I don't want to sound pretentious, but I don't understand people who don't have books" and on the very next page admitted to buying books solely because the spine color fit the aesthetic of their home. Pretty sure my eyeballs dislocated, they rolled so hard.

[Paul Secor · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is ostensibly about books, private libraries, and reading. Instead (with one or two exceptions), it's about $$$$$ Money $$$$$ Money $$$$$ and more $$$$$ Money.
I won't place this on my favorite books about books shelf because it's all about $$$$$ Money.

Books interest and fascinate me. Money bores me, as does this book.

[Emmkay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun. Loads of photos and short write-ups of various luminaries' book-filled homes, interspersed with shorter pieces featuring bookstores and book people (the woman who specializes in 'heritage scent,' speaking knowledgeably about capturing the smell of old books was interesting!).

Some of the more cluttered homes with books truly encroaching on every inch of living space, sloped and multi-layered on shelves, stacked on each surface, and spilling out of boxes - well, they did give me the heebie-jeebies. But many others were lovely and aspirational, and I enjoyed dreaming of plentiful shelves, rolling library ladders, and gorgeous reading chairs with perfect light.

[Beth Bonini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for anyone who believes that ‘Books Do Furnish a Room’ (Anthony Powell). Home libraries all over the world, so beautifully presented. Famous authors (Larry McMurtry, Jonathan Safran Foer) are featured alongside ‘creatives’ and book collectors. It’s both inspirational and envy-producing!

[Tj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Except for a few unique ones, this collection seemed repetitious, appearing to consist of wealthy people building as many shelves as possible (stuffed with books) and then stacking the overflow everywhere else.

[Ylva Sørli · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE

[Prince William Public Libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bibliostyle is the perfect book for Goodreads users and library patrons. I drooled over page after page of photographs of the personal libraries of the many book lovers featured in this gorgeous coffee table book. I was extremely jealous of the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall collections of books and wanted to spend time in these houses perusing the shelves. I examined many of the photos closely, curious to see what titles I recognized. I enjoyed reading the interviews with the collectors, bookshop owners, authors, and other book lovers and hearing them talk about their own relationships with books. Mostly I just imagined building my own dream library—with a rolling ladder, natch.

- John D.

Click here to find the book at the Prince William County Public Library System.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty incredible library porn, but should be titled “How extremely wealthy people live in their extravagant homes with books.”

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is rare that I finish a home decor book that I want to buy, but I really want to buy this one (which I borrowed from the library). Nell Freudenberger travels around the world to share some of the most dazzling and inspirational personal libraries I have ever seen. Vastly inspiring to any bookworm. The interviews are just as charming as the spaces, and there is a lovely diversity of the taste, collection, and habits of great readers on display here. I immediately felt a desperate craving for walls of built-in bookshelves and more books, as if that was something I actually needed. One of my favorite “light” reads of the year thus far; I savored it, only allowing myself to look at 20 pages at a time. Warmly recommended to all readers.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book led me to believe it would be pictures of the way different people organize their books in their home, and maybe I could get some tips for my own collection. Really, this is a book of photos of incredibly wealthy people's book collections. Interesting for what it is, but really disappointing to me considering my expectations.

[Milinda Yount · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love books but this was disappointing to me. I felt most libraries profiled were messy, pretentious, and excessive (border line hoarding). Apparently these libraries are supposed to be attainable but not for most of us (one person featured buys 200-300 books a month). I should just say this one wasn't for me.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lovely, dreamy experience looking through this book. I feel a little woozy now. All the photos were so gorrrgeous. Strangely, it didn't make me too jealous. Some of the rooms are lavish, yes, but I think the basic aesthetic is just tons of books and a comfy chair or couch. Already achieved!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disgruntled pretty much the whole time I paged through this beautifully photographed book, snarling to myself under my breath about how pretentious all the rich book collectors seemed. It was almost certainly pure jealousy over all that shelf space.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking a look at some individual collections - and a few library and bookstore as well - of what else? books.

Personal collections that include thousands to tens of thousands of volumes including one owner of a 4-warehouse used bookstore who samples some of his wares - Booked Up in Archer, Texas.
Collections that can cover every possible nook and cranny with stacks of book to even opening a kitchen cabinet expecting glassware or plates and finding more shelved books.'

Loaded with photographs, each of these peeks into collections are only a few pages long - most are the photos with artwork, textiles, shelving everywhere and maybe a snapshot of the owner(s) themselves too.

If you want to read this title, I would recommend an actual physical copy for the larger and thus, clearer photos which also means it can easily be turned to read some of the spine titles along with the details on some of the more limited edition covers and end pages.

2023-031

[tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

@randomhouse #partner
——
BIBLIO • STYLE: How We Live At Home With Books By Nina Freudenberger, Sadie Stein, & Shade Degees is not to be missed.
——
For us who fantasize about our home libraries, walls lined with shelves of books, stacks on every surface... Nina Fredhdenberger & Shade Degees has delivered the book of our dreams.
——
BiblioStyle is a visual collection of stunning home libraries throughout the world. Venturing into the private homes of famous collectors, writers, & book hoarders— each owner shares their bookish story, of why books mean so much to them, how they choose to display their collection, along with other bits about their lives with books.
——
“So often with books, I feel as though they’re filled with answers to questions: questions about yourself, the world. So I want to be able to find them when I need them.” -Sylvia Beach Whitman, book collector in France.
——
This book will be released on October 22nd. I truly believe every book lover will want to own this beautiful book filled with interesting tidbits & breathtaking photography of book collections.
——
Thank you SO much to @randomhouse for sending me a copy of this book. It has become a favorite of mine. One I will flip through often, for inspiration & for comfort. As book collector, Franco Maria Ricci from Italy says: “Books win in the end.” 📚

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book outlining the houses of artists, authors, and designers filled with books upon books. I loved seeing each individual library, and the small passages dedicated to libraries from Mexico to California to New York. More often than not, these people had books spread across their homes in piles, so no matter where you are you can pick up a book to browse!

Bibliostyle can be pretentious, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to spend my time reading in those houses...

I can’t wait to own a home or an apartment and have a room dedicated to reading!

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just utterly beautiful in ever way - make a great present for any book lover! And, apart from the individual collectors, I loved the snippets about various bookshops. Gorgeously written too! I now want to re-arrange my house and books. And buy more.

[Emily Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely profiles on ridiculously wealthy humans. Irene Silvagni’s story was my favorite. Loved getting to see so many libraries. My kinda emotional travel.

[Ratih Cahaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akhirnya kelar juga baca buku ini.

Baca buku ini tuh kayak ketemu sama senior-senior dalam urusan penimbunan buku in an aesthetic way. Koleksi bukuku nggak ada apa-apanya sama mereka. Say goodbye deh to minimalism or konmarie thing😆.

Kebanyakan dari pemilik buku yang disebutkan di buku ini bekerja di bidang kreatif, seperti penulis, ilustrator, desainer, editor, dan lain-lain. Kalau profesinya pemilik toko buku kayaknya udah nggak aneh ya, punya banyak koleksi buku juga.

Buku ini dibagi ke dalam lima kategori sesuai dengan 'kepribadian' atau cara menyimpan buku oleh si pemilik buku. The Sentimentalist, the Intuitives, the Arrangers, the Professionals, dan the Collectors.

Selain menampilkan kisah-kisah para pemilik buku dan rumah mereka, ada juga selipan tentang toko buku atau perpustakaan unik dari seluruh dunia.

Habis baca Bibliophile, terus baca Bibliostyle, rasanya paket lengkap, deh. Makin banyak buku yang ingin dibaca dan dimiliki, dan makin kepingin punya perpustakaan di rumah.

[Spudpuppy]

A few of these were lovely (entirely the homes owned by authors lmao) a few of these were absolutely eyeroll-worthy (I couldn’t possibly be less interested in some random trust fundie’s books) but overall it was underwhelming… if I wanted to see a bunch of books haphazardly stacked on the floor I’ll just walk around my own house, thanks

[Linden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational and aspirational.

[reading is my hustle · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book though. it is resplendent in its photos & vignettes. different types of passionate bibliophiles are interviewed & their home libraries are photographed in this design book. book stacks, book collections, over-flowing book shelves, floor-to-ceiling book shelves. i wanted to meet these people & talk about their most valued objects: their books.

also, this quote:

I don’t want to sound pretentious, but I don’t understand people who don’t have books. - Emmanuel de Bayser same, emmanuel de bayser, SAME

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-have coffee table book for lovers of books, interiors, and coffee table books about books. One of my faves since its publication and one I routinely dip into for inspiration. Highly recommend.

[Shrike58 · Rating 3 out of 5]

How you respond to this book is going to depend on how ticked-off you're feeling about the 1% on any given day. Still, what does elevate this whole exercise is that most of these collections are working libraries for literary and creative types, so it's not just book porn. It's also a reminder that in my next set of living arrangements I need more book shelves! At the end of the day we all know why we look at exquisitely curated photo collections like this. To answer the question; what if?

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you live among your books or with your books?

I hoard books so it's both. I have closets full of books, books stacked on floors, on tables, by beds. In an attempt to design a library room, I purchased Biblio-Style. Like one of the featured library owners, “I’d like to have the space to let more books into my life” (Athena McAlpine).

The book is beautiful, quirky, and full of bookish wisdom by my people.

Proust volumes are perhaps an unintended thread amongst our tribe--a first edition that will be read before one expires, “Proust is for when I’ve retired,” “intricately figured Prousts" on a shelf. Has anyone actually read Proust?

All of these profiled bibliophiles have organizational systems known only to themselves. It is truly organized chaos at its best.

I had to laugh when a full page photo of Larry McMurtry’s library had the caption “While the library’s range is vast, obviously it contains a deep Western section.” Everything on the wall seemed to be Russian: Nabokov, Solzhenitsyn, Marx, Trotsky, Stravinksy, Lenin. Of course, there is a saddle on the floor in front of these Russian classics.

New stops for me include the following bookstores featured:

Booked Up in Archer City, TX (McMurtry's shop)
Bart’s Books in Ojai, CA
Parnassus, Nashville, TN


We get to see in the libraries of the aforementioned McMurtry, Gay Talese, Ann Patchett and many other eccentric collectors.

Really, this is my new favorite. Now, which stack should I put it in?