A full home library of books, and more books

I love books!I know what you're thinking, who doesn't, right?Robert and I have this running joke about who has the more books in which home library, but, even though I do ;) we both love books and keep adding to our collections.Today Clover and I stopped by my favourite used bookstore, Booklovers, where the owner, Dalyce, had an amazing book for me. I resolved to buy it immediately, but still had a good look around.Oh, we could spend hours here.I could also spend hours here.This is my family room, where Robbie helped me build a fantastic library that run half way around the room (and only stops because there had to be a door and somebody insisted on a TV. I know these are only Ikea Billy bookshelves, but for now they're perfect and eventually I plan to do one of those Ikea hacks where the bookshelves are disguised so they look like built-ins.But for now these are great. There's plenty of room for my collections. There's one whole cabinet dedicated to gardening books, a shelf holds the Pratchetts, another holds my beloved Agatha Christies, another goes half and half with Ian Fleming and P.G. Wodehouse, and so it goes.I don't mind adding to my collection at all, and it's so much fun hanging out at Booklovers, because it's a wonderful discovery. You never know what Dalyce will get in!The book I got today is so beautiful. It's a book of bird called Birds of Western North America, with amazing illustrations by Kenneth Carlson.I can't stop looking at the illustrations. Such an imagination. How in the world did this painter ever manage to pose the birds in his mind to be able to paint them in these poses? I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in his studio. Also, I wish there was more information about artists and illustrators in the books themselves. I mean, I wish someone had the foresight to write, "illustrations by Kenneth Carlson, oil on velum." or something along those lines.Oh well, I'll try to put the book down long enough to google the painter and see what I can find out.Do you ever buy books just for the pictures? I do all the time. :D