![]() ![]() In the pre-Internet days, many American homes used to have an encyclopedia set in residence. A rhyming dictionary for the poets among us is a treat. Ottchen, indispensable for raising spirits: “Peevish baggage!”, “Thy mother’s name is ominous to children”, “They have marvelous foul linen”, etc. Next to my Bartlett’s are some compilations of literary quotations and anecdotes, as well as a copy of Shakespeare’s Insults, by Wayne F. Bartlett’s is the gold standard of quotation anthologies and fun to dip into every once in awhile. Students and writers must have a thesaurus, a good handbook of style as well as a book of quotations. A globe or wall map will enhance the home library as well. A book of historical maps is also handy if you enjoy history and historical fiction or are frequently stumped by the old-fashioned names for various countries. The voracious armchair traveler will need to see where different mountain ranges, rivers and countries lie. Other foreign language dictionaries are helpful if you read a lot of world literature.Ī current atlas is a great resource to have on hand. Mens sana in corpore sano and all that (a Latin-English dictionary is good too). You never want to run out of paper in the bathroom. I have several dictionaries: my workhorse the 1976 New World Dictionary I’ve had since high school the Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in three volumes of microscopic print and accompanying magnifying glass I splurged on (wonderful for noting when English words first originated in print and how they have morphed through the centuries) a three-volume set of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary which I used extensively in study for two rounds of a charity spelling bee my trusty Scrabble dictionary and a sentimental favorite, my bibliophilic grandma’s doorstop dictionary that resided on her nightstand throughout years of midnight consultations.Ī paperback dictionary is handy to keep in the bathroom for tub soaks and other functions. To lower those eyebrows and provide a buffer in the event of such biblio-emergencies as power outages and insomnia, I offer the following suggestions for a good home reference library.Ī reference section needs at least one dictionary, thesaurus, book of quotations and atlas. We’ve all been in homes of otherwise smart and interesting folks whose shelves contain little more than some obsolete school books, photo albums and a yearbook or two, and thought unflattering things. It is always interesting to see what books people own and frightful to see how few books are often in residence. One can infer a great deal about someone from their book shelves. ![]() Truly a great value from a wonderful thoughtful supportive company with years of expert development! - Anita O.The quick searches you can do on the internet are handy, but can't often compete with the experience of delving into tomes like these! But even if you only have 100 books (or comics or music), I highly recommend CollectorZ. It is so fun to have the info available right at my fingertips on my cellphone! And to know it is safely stored on the cloud. Would you believe that my personal library is over 4,500 books? I would be overwhelmed without the Bookcollector products. While reading a book, I can add personal notes for future reference and to make the book more searchable for me later ( like a note as to who recommended the book to me)ĪND whenever I am having a conversation and want to tell someone about a book that is relevant, I quickly do a search of my collection ( on the app), even if I can’t remember the exact title or author, usually a key word is enough to find it. I LOVE being able to scroll through my book library by viewing the covers! I never fall behind in keeping my new book purchases entered because with the phone app I can do it in 30 seconds or less! I have been a very satisfied customer for many years. It is wonderful to be able to scan in new boioks and and notes, edit, wherever I am! I am happy to support! You guys are SO AWSOME!! I LOVE both the app and online, though I am using the app most of the time now. ![]()
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