Bookshelf Wealth and Midwestern is the New Middle Class
Plus, American Nightmare, my favorite tomato soup, the Gathering of the Ghosts, and the rest of my Weekly What.
Last week, the Abominable Algorithm™ served me up a NYT Books + Style post featuring an article entitled, “Do You Have ‘Bookshelf Wealth’?” Ok, now, a trending style article is not typically my particular brand of clickbait, but the accompanying photo with its muted tones, inviting lounger complete with a cozy pillow and blanket, hint of plant greenery, and backdrop of an artfully stocked bookshelf called to me like a siren’s song.
Reader, I clicked the link.
What greeted me on the other end was one of those terribly sad “articles” (I use this term loosely) that’s mostly just cobbled together posts from a social media platform (the “news” is so sad today in so many ways.) Here the “bookshelf wealth” aesthetic is defined as, “warm and welcoming. Polished, but not stuffy. A bronze lamp here. A vintage vase there (with fresh-cut flowers, of course). Perhaps there is a cozy seating area near the floor-to-ceiling display, with an overstuffed couch topped with tasteful throw pillows.”
Yes, yes, yes. I actually love this, but mostly because it describes something akin to my own ideal style. Sifting through comments on the original Instagram post, it seems the issue raising most commenters hackles was the idea of collecting books for style purposes (though this is decidedly nothing new) instead of reading purposes, but the article/viral video the article is written about specifically explains these aren’t merely display books, they’re books which have been read and the original source further proports to believe really achieving this look requires one to be an avid reader; this is far from performance, authenticity is required.
I’m certainly in on a lifestyle that promotes reading, the thing I take issue with (well, aside from allowing TikTok to dictate what’s trendy - this is a whole other post) is I don’t think one need be an avid reader to cultivate the aesthetic of being an avid reader, these are two different things. (In fact, I sort of married one of these, but that’s also a story for another time.)
One does not need be a reader in order to have “bookshelf wealth”, nor do readers have “bookshelf wealth” by default; one must buy their way into this trending, very intentional, aesthetically pleasing lifestyle just like any other. And therein lies the problem for me: consumerism. The single most important key one must actually possess in order to cultivate “bookshelf wealth” is actual wealth. Behind every trend is a marketing push to encourage people to buy. consume. need. want. desire. covet. And above all: spend. And spend. And spend some more. And once you do the trend will be over and the feed will be pushing something else at you to chase.
We have stopped living our lives and allowing our selves and spaces to naturally reflect who we are and have instead chosen to perform our lifestyles and identities through the things we surround ourselves with, the purchases me make, the accessories we own, the spaces we cultivate, but that’s not living.
So, by all means, surround yourself with books, but may they be books you love, books you borrow, books you dogear and write in and pile messily in stacks on your bedside table or the floor near your favorite cozy, second hand reading chair. And when you finish reading, shelve said books because they’re beloved and you want them always in your company, or pass them to a friend to share the magic, but whatever you do don’t choose books based solely on what they will communicate to others from their perch on your shelf.
What I’m…
Reading:
Penance by Eliza Clark; metafiction about a murder committed by a group of teen girls.
Witness by Jamel Brinkley a short story collection read for the Aspen Words longlist book club. I’m not a huge fan of short stories though I quite enjoyed this collection.
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison; I flew thorough this backlist book. Exactly the type of apocalyptic fiction that’s always a hit with me.
In Memoriam by Alice Winn; I saw this on many year end best of lists and I don’t know how it missed my radar til now. Currently reading and absolutely loving.
Listening:
Offline with Jon Favreau: “Were Trump’s Opponents too Online? Plus, R.F. Kuang on Her Twitter Era Novel,” R.F. Kuang in conversation with Jon Favreau (once Obama’s chief speechwriter) talking Yellowface, cultural appropriation, internet culture, internet’s impact on culture, and more. A really insightful conversation, Kuang’s interview is the back half of the episode.
More: A Memoir of Open Marriage by Molly Roden Winter; I am forever interested in and totally turned off by alternative lifestyles. More is an incredibly honest and salacious listen read by the author, and I just kept thinking: this sounds exhausting, why does anyone want to do this?! But to each their own, of course!
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa by Stephen Buoro for the Aspen Words longlist book club.
Watching:
American Nightmare on Netflix. This is a 3 part true crime mini-series doc, each episode is around 45 minutes. Super riveting; must watch.
Just started the 3rd and final season of The Great.
The Bachelor is making Mondays great again, well, Monday nights anyway. And more like ok-er, but still.
Eating & Drinking:
We had a snow day last Friday and I felt called to make these Butterscotch, Toffee, Chocolate Chip Cookies; it was the right call.
Creamy Dijon Pasta with Kielbasa, which I didn’t care for so I’m not going to recommend.
The best Creamy Tomato Soup + grilled cheese = perfect chilly, rainy night eating. I’ve been making this recipe for years and years, it’s a family favorite and not much more difficult or time consuming than opening a can or carton. I do a teaspoon each of dried basil and parsley, just a splash of sherry (though it’s not necessary), and puree smooth at the end with a stick blender.
Texas Roadhouse per my newly 11-year-old’s birthday request. Those rolls never disappoint!
I’ve been digging half freshly ground French roast coffee + half hazelnut grounds in my morning brew lately. (Sort of a tastes like Splenda, gets you drunk like scotch situation? Name that reference!) I like freshly ground dark roast coffee, but I also like hazelnut and that only comes pre-ground and light. This combo is the best of both worlds!
Links + Loves
It's Amazing How Many People Think They Live in the Midwest When They Don't. I always love digging into geographical perception and culture. My current working theory: identifying as midwestern is the new middle class.
I added quite a few books to my TBR thanks to this list of The 35 Best (and Most Anticipated) Fiction Books of 2024, So Far
Loved reading
’s guest post about how romance made her a better literary fiction reader in the .Ghostwriters Emerge From the Shadows and apparently into a conference called the Gathering of the Ghosts, which this article talks about. I find ghostwriters so interesting and so worthy of praise. This immediately calls to mind Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Business or Pleasure which featured a ghostwriter MC; I appreciated the peek offered into the industry.
Perusing the 2024 Youth Media Awards books.
And the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Awards Finalists.
ICYMI
This week’s blog posts:
And now I’m off to finish up some Taylor Swift Eras Tour inspired cupcakes for my 11-year-olds birthday celebration at an indoor play space - pray for me!
That’s it for this week’s Weekly What! If you enjoyed this week’s rambles please consider subscribing, sharing, or recommending to a friend. Until next time!