i have to DISARGREE STRONGLY with #2. streamline our bookshelves??? who wants to do that? kindle is expensive to buy and only seems financially worth it if you normally buy dozens of books a year!

i like the other color collection by patricia gray better than this one! i like the urban decay colors best. (click her name link to see)

I also disagree about "streamlining bookshelves." People who like to read books still like to read...books.

And that first room pictured is such a disaster it makes my hair stand on end!

I also disagree about #2. They are BOOKshelves! Can that comment be considered an oxymoron?

I think "Pan Am" blue will be big. And I'm hoping "traditional" disappears. I also think French anything has been over done. I hope to see a new mid-century modern on the horizon. After all, this is a new century.

I have to agree with hishouseherhelp as well. Books look cool on the shelf. (if laid out properly) When I go to someone's house and they have an impressive book collection, I get a sense of their personality.

My prediction is that pistachio mint and red-orange will be hot accent colors of 2010. Ok, I'm only saying that because it's what I'm doing in my bedroom.

meh plenty of people are giving up books for kindle...mine you will have to take out of my cold dead hands but I could see small space dwellers doing it more and more as a trend

Roygbiv,

You reminded me of the days of going over to someone's place and checking out their CD collection to get a sense of their personality.

I also have no interest in streamlining my bookshelves.

Been buying bulk food for years. Not only does it save on packaging and cost, I love the way beans, grains, herbs, etc look in pretty glass containers.

We sometimes grab a bite with friends and then bring them back home for dessert and drinks. It keeps the cost down, the home prep is simple, you get to enjoy your friends and your home.

I read (probably) a hundred books a year. I LOVE my bookshelves and really don't want a Kindle. I stare at my 'puter screen all day long and the LAST thing I want is "that glow" when I'm trying to chill out. The physical act of turning pages is is therapy.

Bookshelves are art. They convey the owner's travels through life.

Nothing can replace that.

So...i'm beating a dead horse here, BUT as someone who loves (a) decorating and pretty things and (b) reading and writing, I think the whole move towards kindle, etc, is disturbing. People who really love books really love books...the smell, the sensation of holding a book in your hands and the way the pages feel under your fingertips. So, I say in 2010, buy more bookshelves and fill them with books. They always look good in any space.

I'm still dreaming of having an entire room devoted to books in my home (aka, a home library). So I definitely disagree with that one. I completely agree with the staying in is the new going out concept. I'd rather stay in with a movie, my fiance, our dog, and a home cooked meal any day.

modernguy,

That is funny, I actually thought of that too when I was posting. Remember when we used to display our cds proudly as if it were art? I was in high school then, at least that's my excuse.

I predict in 2020 it will be cool to display cds again. Ok, not really.

People don't buy Kindles and the like to "streamline their bookshelves"...
Downloading a book is less costly for frequent readers and far more convenient than going to the store, plus for individuals who are frequent travelers a Kindle is preferable to a stack of heavy and space consuming books. It's also viewed as being more ecologically sound since Kindles use very little electricity and are used repeatedly than books which are energy consuming to create and ship for the purpose of often being read only once.

"I'm hoping "traditional" disappears..."

Highly unlikely.

Modernism has historically been a response to times of optimism, general peace and economic expansion - such as the 1920's, early 50's and early 60's, the late 80's and 90's thru early 2000's.

In ages of discomfort, war, economic contraction and unsureness such as the 1930's & 40's, the late 1950's, the late 60's thru the early 80's and now - Traditionalism is revived as a comforting and a nostalgic reminder of "better times".

I think something like Kindle is smart for people who travel a lot--very convenient to have something lightweight full of interesting things to read. For me, I like a regular book. And I agree that give visitors a sense of the person who lives in the home. It gives me dates something to look through while I'm running late. =>

One trend I think we'll see more of, and I'd like to see more of, it home entertaining. Or at least pre-dinner drinks or dessert at home with dinner out. It's a good way to save a little extra money and you don't have that rushed feeling that can happy in a busy restaurant.

My new bookshelves need MORE books, not less! A home without books has no soul.

I love books and reading too, but I would also love to have a Kindle or similar. The books I want to keep, I keep, and the rest I give away. Having an e-reader would be convenient for transit, large collected works like Shakespeare's (which I also have in hard copy, but some things are nice to have on you just because), periodicals and newspapers, books I might need to read as a one time thing but can't get hold of at the library (like for a book club). I don't think physical books will ever completely disappear but the integration of technology and print media as combined in a portable, accessible format is pretty exciting.

I do agree with you, bepsf, on the advantages of a kindle...cost of books (believe me, I get that one), and the convenience. Although when I fly, I don't consider the weight of several books to be a problem for me. I also agree on the ecological issues (minus the disposal of a Kindle, which as far as I know hasn't been an issue yet).

As I mentioned in a previous post, I read at least a hundred books a year...I always have one on the go. I do cave in now and then and by new novels at a retail bookseller on impulse, but if I can wait, I have the good fortune to live close to the most amazing used book place! (Starlight Books, Bayview & Mulock, Newmarket, Ontario). They aren't rock bottom prices, but they aren't chewed-up either! It's a pleasure to go and get a bag of new books, knowing that its ecologically sound as well!

Btw...I do tend to save the books I've read. If they're really good, I'll probably read them again (and again!).

"Coffee table", reference books, and collector's items are a whole other issue and I have many shelves of those. For that...there's no replacement!

Kindle is for people like my mom, the typical bestseller paperback reader. She goes through about 2-4 books a week, and even though she gets a majority from the library she still always has bags of books to donate/give away. She has bookshelves for the classics that she has in hardcover, but as far as the rest go, they're disposable. I mean, no one wants to display Marley and Me on a bookshelf.

Isn't trading, lending, and sharing books half the fun? I have several on my shelf given to me by friends. When I've read them, they'll move onto someone else. It's a beautiful thing.

Another thought: Go to a library! Library books are free and they go back to the library, so no pesky shelf space taken up by those evil, troublesome books.

LOL lauren84!!! I do agree!

My mum was the same, but she took bags and bags of them back to the used bookstore where she got them and simply replaced them!

What we do when we go south, is this...everyone's a serious reader. We all have many books we're not keeping. We all take a carry-on (who knows now, though) full of books. We all have access to the "library" while we're there and lounging on the beach. When we go, any that haven't been read are left at the towel shack! You'd be surprised how many people appreciate that! LOL

PrettyKitty, Regarding the trading lending and sharing of books...you have it exactly right!

I've often left good books in airline waiting areas, hoping someone will do the same and I'll find one someday (not so much now, I guess). But I may try again and put my hotmail addy in it to see how far it goes!

My friends and I have book exchange parties every few months to get rid of books you've read and get some new ones. I do like the Kindle, but mostly because I long for the day when all my kids' textbooks will be on one vs the 2-ton backpacks they lug around.

I thought Staying In was the new Going Out last year.

Bookshelves for the books I love, Kindle for travel and guilty pleasures that make long flights feel shorter but don't warrant killing a tree or cluttering my shelves (Dan Brown; I admit it. Kill me now).

I love books as objects and artifacts. So. Nothing would stop me from buying both a book and its Kindle version. I own three copies of Ulysses for their different covers. French and English versions of Derrida's first three books. A whole shelf of Harry Potter. The list goes on.

I strongly disagree with #2 but think #4 is right on the mark.

Fantastic invention, but needs to work out a few kinks. The biggest drawback is that they are very fragile and break if you drop them.

You can download a ton of public domain books on an electronic reader (Kindle, Sony, etc.). If you download them onto your PC first, then you can also share them. They are great for travel.

I read a lot of books from the library, buy many for 50 cents to $1, then trade them. I re-read my books every so often.

I love the library! Do your part to help support them, as libraries are having issues with their budgets (just like everyone else) but in this climate, they are lending out so much more... join your "friends" group or vote for the libraries!

*I'm not a librarian, just a huge fan of libraries!*

I really disagree with several posters. I am an avid reader. I have over 175 linear feet of bookshelves loaded with books. I also bought myself a Kindle for Christmas. So far, I LOVE IT!! I've already read five books on it (between reading "Under the Dome" by Stephen King in hardcover). In fact, I ordered five more books for my Kindle today while I was waiting for an appointment. My husband, on the other hand, is also an avid reader and he'll read an old book before he'll touch the Kindle. Took me a long time to decide to buy one and I'm really glad I did. Now, I can carry my library with me! No more lugging heavy books in my suitcase or carryon bag when I travel. No more dusting! When I'm ready to move to smaller digs, my Kindle will be SO much easier to "pack."
Yes, I LOVE my floor to ceiling book shelves in two rooms and bookshelves in another room. Yes, I LOVE my Kindle. They are NOT exclusive; they ARE compatible. I just think of it as a different form of reading.

PS I've donated over 2000 volumes to various libraries and will continue to do so as shelf space becomes needed. Not all books are available as e-books so I will probably have both from now on.

A bigger bed.
An organized closet.
New carpeting.
New couch.

Obviously, I'm not getting everything I want... I just wish!

Beyond the books debate...

I strongly disagree with #1. In our crazy times, where people are looking for legitimate assets and continuity and saving money, I see more people doing DIY home projects to maintain or improve their things. I see more people hanging onto functional items and seeking items with meaning. Renting party dishes is one thing; renting a couch is, indeed, an indication of "fake status". The idea of "fake status" is what got may people into this mess in the first place. I think (and hope!) this trend will reverse itself in the next year, let alone the next decade.

And I'm glad so many people care about their literature!

Wow, so many traditionalists here. The anti kindle comments sort of remind me of the time ATMS were coming around. "I dont trust em...tellers are the only way".

I just got back from CES in Vegas and there were literally dozens of e readers there. When apple releases its tablet, this will be another way to read. The E readers are here to stay, prices will drop and frankly, you dont even need one if you have a netbook or itouch . Books are indeed beautiful and will always have a place, but e readers will continue to grow. It might even encourage people to read even more.

"Staying in is the new going out."

Huh. That's nothing new. It's been like that for most of the last decade for so many people I know. Perhaps it's my age group (Gen X) that have families, though I don't.

Also, (tragic) events at the beginning of the decade made people rethink how important family and friends are over going out to expensive restaurants or buying watered down drinks at 10 times what you'd spend to do the same at home in an intimate setting.

I'll take my library card over a Kindle any day. Go libraries!!

Would LOVE to be able to buy household/kitchen items without packaging. I was in Argentina some 15 years ago and they sold just about everything 'bring-your-own-container' style: cleaning products, condiments, you name it, as well as refills of many, many items in heavy plastic bags: things like jam, marmalade etc. It's a save both for the consumer (why they were doing it) and the environment.

It won't happen unless we DEMAND it though. No way do manufacturers want to give up their 'sexy' packaging—unless they see that they will lose out if they don't.