My relationship with books has always been rich and intense, and now the question arises how to take it to the next level.
A book is a heart that only beats in the chest of another.
—Rebecca Solnit
I was always reading extensively since early age. Books were my friends. My reading might have been interrupted when I took time out to co-write own life-story and romance (HIGHLY recommended). That’s when the internet took over and I barely spared a moment to look at a story of another in book format.
But when my life was put in swift motion with an occasional earthquake, it was time again to listen to what others have to say, be it bloggers or book authors. I love that I’ve been reading again, be it firm-bodied or invisible books, your posts or articles on a variety of subjects that interest me.
I wish to draw your attention to my Booklist which is compiled by your favourite book titles. It means the most to me when somebody trusts me with their favourite title(s). All you need to do is click on the link and see if your favourite is on the list already, and if it isn’t drop it in a comment. Just beware that when I get around to reading it, I’ll know more about you than your bartender/hairdresser/shaman/analyst. 😀
And when I figure out what, how and for whom to write so that my book would not remain sitting in the storage, or linger unread on the web, or reach a handful of kind folks like my blog pieces do and then be swept away by always new, new, new, so much of it, on an hourly basis, in the matter of minutes like earthquakes when there are 20 in an hour (I’m not exaggerating, here is live feed) – or even if I don’t: the time is ripe to make my heartbeat heard.
In the meantime, here is my storybook with pictures. (I recommend clicking on the first.)
Let me finish with a poem from mom’s book, first in original and then as translated by me. It was a bit tricky because the poem describes the behaviour of letters by using the letter in question throughout. I decided to use the letter in every word (in the case of “r” in the second line only.)

WHAT LETTERS CAN DO
by Meta Maksimovič, translated by Manja Maksimovič
A – STANDS APART AND TRAVELS FAR.
E – WHEELS HER FEET OVER THE STREET.
I – HIGHLY LIFTS HIS TINY FIST.
O – HOLLOW HOLE SLOWLY ROLLS.
U – RUDELY LAUGHS BUT BUYS YOU STUFF.
JUST R CAN DO NOTHING MORE
THAN MURMUR, PURR AND SNORE.
Photo: a © signature mmm production
I have some serious library envy 😱😍
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Hehe, Sara, just wait till you’re my age. 😉
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How fun! I love to read but don’t want to store any books in my home. So it’s only Kindle for me. Our 12 year old son is quite different. He has tried to read ebooks but isn’t into them and would rather have a library like yours!
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Yeah, great news about your son, that he loves books! Maybe you can make him similar shelves 🙂
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I love that you’ve given me more ideas for book shelves 🙂
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Oh, I’m glad to do so, Dan! Especially since I know how handy you are and they will most likely not remain only ideas. 🙂
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That’s quite an assortment! Very impressive.
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Thank you, Jan. Still there are many that remained in Slovenia.
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I love looking at other people’s bookshelves. This is great! I remember crying when reading Prayer for Owen Meany though I’m not sure it would have the same impact now….
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Oh yes, Nick, me too, that’s why I don’t mind sharing. Irving has a style that climbs under one’s skin. I remember a ZOO keeper from Setting Free the Bears who staged mock fights between the animals he was supposed to keep, for own amusement. I have not encountered such a sad evil person anywhere else.
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I’ve not read that one – I’ll look it up! Many thanks.
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a wonderful photographic tribute to your books (and was just reading some Winterson last night…she’s an awesome writer)
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Yeahh, great to hear!! Which one were you reading? One off my special shelf? 🙂
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Gut Symmetries 🙂
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This one is still waiting. 🙂
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Lovely collection! Fabulous use of space! I have mine arranged by ‘genre’ – well, loosely. The fiction is arranged by color 🙂
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Thanks, Joey! I enjoyed arranging the first set by colour, but then new ones and new shelves started to come in and it was not feasible any more. I should remove all and start over but I’m not quite as diligent. 😀 Greetings to your red and black fiction section!
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Ah, I see you found a nice balance between paper books and their electronic variety! This is a controversial topic among Jules and I: she’s a hardcore fan of paper books (and will only pick up her Kindle as a last resort), while I, faithful to my geeky nature, went 100% electronic years ago 🙂 – Verne
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Hehe, Verne, controversial indeed! Glad to see you come over. I’m a change hater by nature, so I had held my nose in disdain above electronic books for the longest time. But when my booklist started to come together with favourites of friends, I got desperate when I couldn’t find a single recommended title in (limited) Roma’s English used bookstores. Online it was so much easier. I hope you stop by my booklist and give me a couple of titles as well! Here it is:
https://manjameximovie.wordpress.com/booklist/
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Of course I come over! Granted, not in the most organized fashion, as I have a pet peeve with that WordPress Reader thing. I think I’ll add you to my Feedly: this way, amidst articles about new photography lenses and the latest doping scandal, I’ll find more edifying content 🙂 In the meantime, I’ll continue looking at your booklist: from what I’ve seen so far you’re way over my league, but maybe I can suggest some sci-fi stuff!
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Ohh, but these are not my picks, they are from all over the world. You just give your faves, no matter how quirky, don’t worry about pleasing anybody. 🙂 But it pleases me to be added to your Feedly (no matter how it’s the first time I hear of it).
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But the ones with an asterisk are your personal favourites, right?
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Oh, right, they are, I thought you supposed I’ve read all of them! 😀 I laughed so much when a while ago somebody told me that this list was too long. Said no man ever!
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