A Library for the Apocalypse – Why I’m Rebuilding My Bookshelf | Take the Back Roads

A Library for the Apocalypse - Why I'm Rebuilding My Bookshelf

by a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads – Art & Other Odd Adventures

Dear Henry,

I was an early adopter of the Kindle. I love my Kindle. I love having an entire library with me wherever I go, and I love the assurance that I’ll never be bored while waiting in line. Truly, I adore it.

But lately, I’ve drifted back toward wanting a physical library.

When COVID arrived, it sparked some unsettling “end of the world” thoughts. According to every movie apocalypse, electricity is always missing in the aftermath, and suddenly, my Kindle had a fatal flaw.

When I was little, I dreamed of having a grand library filled with comfy chairs, a rolling ladder, and leather-bound tomes. But we moved too often for such luxuries to be practical. Now, settled in what I hope is our forever home, I’ve begun collecting in earnest, because if the lights ever go out, I want my stories to survive.

My first purchase was a leatherbound edition of Shakespeare’s complete works (I already had my Bible). Then came the Finding God in Gomorrah series, my favorite childhood tales like Mother Goose and Aesop’s Fables, and titles from my Bucket List Book Adventure. Recently, I added James Islington’s The Will of the Many, a book I enjoyed enough to deem “end-of-the-world worthy.”

This collection isn’t just for reading; it’s my version of cultural preservation, a record of the words that have shaped me.

You can see the growing list here: The Library for the Apocalypse.

I suppose if the world ends, Henry, at least I’ll still have good company, Shakespeare, Aesop, and a few stubborn philosophers who refused to stay quiet.
You can never be too prepared for an apocalypse of ideas.

xoxo a.d. elliott 

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

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