Sarah's Books - Used & Rare

I keep a little notebook of ideas for this blog, and looking at it I see several things I always meant to talk about and didn't, so I'll cover a few of those this week. First one: I've always had big dreams, my whole life long. Some are attainable, people do actually do these things, they are do-able, they do exist in the physical world: to stand alone on the deck of the Victory, to buy books at Powell's, to climb the slopes of Vesuvius, to buy books at Maggs, to learn Latin and Greek, to speak French in France, to buy books at Quaritch, to see the Southern Cross from the deck of a ship, to see my own books on the shelves in a new bookstore, to stand on the slopes of Parnassus above Delphi, to plant huge beds of flowers in my own garden, for no other purpose than beauty. Some dreams are more intangible, and more private. Shall I ever do these things, or is it enough just to know these are what I would do, if I could? I'm not sure. I do tend to read about the things I want to do, rather than do the things themselves. Often this is indeed enough. But not all the time. I guess I've got some living to do - and time's a'wastin'. This is not to say that I haven't realized many of my dreams - opening my bookshop being one. I've also gazed at Catherine the Great's carriages and dresses at the museum in the Kremlin in Moscow, corresponded with one of my literary heroes, created a significant body of work, and found a life partner who supports my endeavours, not just tolerates them (which considering all the damn books, is saying a lot). Hey, you know, life is pretty good.

Meanwhile, a few more books from home. Kim asked about miniature books, and while this field is hotly collected, I don't have much myself. I do love to see dealers at antiquarian bookfairs who specialize in miniatures, though, because the books are usually lovely and almost unbelievable in their tiny perfection. And they display very well - a tiny doll's cupboard or piece of antique child's furniture is just right on a table with miniature books. John Carter's fine book (incidentally, one of the books that precipitated me headlong into the book business - and in retrospect it was a seduction, plain and simple) ABC for Book Collectors says miniatures usually measure under two inches by an inch and a half. So the books I show below aren't technically minis, but I like them anyway. Here's the first: