Three of my Favorite Libraries… thus far.

People who visit my house notice first the twelve-foot table, made from the white oak that nearly killed me when it fell. (Some label this revenge.) Then, they head over to the barrister bookcases and lift the glass to peruse further.

Auction-meets-antique furniture, artwork, and books and books and books fill my space. So, when I must travel from the farm, libraries are a go-to.

Here are three of my favorites, with a bonus one for good measure.

Here’s three of my favorites with a bonus one for good measure.

 The Biltmore House’s Library - I’ve visited this historical ‘home’ many times, delighting in the atrium, the rooftops and the gardens. By far, the library wins top-of-the list with its circular stairs leading to the second-floor bookcases. Visiting at Christmas in candlelight is goose-bumping.

I always dreamed of spending an overnighter at this library and staying up far later than possible, dabbling in randomly selected tomes, wondering if GW Vanderbilt had touched these pages. (Someone else had a similar dream, capturing theirs in a tv movie, A Biltmore Christmas.)

 The Library of Congress - The Library of Congress was loftier and more awe-inspiring than I imagined. Don’t let the crowds dissuade you. Go further up and further in, to paraphrase CS Lewis.

Find one of the upstairs’ alcoves. Join the people gathered there and wait. (Your loved ones will endure this.) Finally, the crowd trinkles out. You are alone. Step to the forefront, and from your elevated level, watch the readers below flip through pages and pages of leather-bound delights. Look across the way to another alcove. See the bookcases lining the walls shining in light. Smile at the abundant stacks on the floor. Keep drool to a minimum.

Go the extra mile and sign-up to get your library card here (https://www.loc.gov/research-centers/use-the-library/research-at-the-library/get-your-library-card/). Good for a whopping two years.

One of my favorite writers, Roseanna M. White, has released The Island Bookshop on Kindle. Pre-order a paperback for the July 1 release. It includes a behind-the-scenes of this library and rare book info, and one unique bookstore in a North Carolina beach town. Vacay in a book.

 The Emma Hotel’s Library - Located in San Antonio, Texas, the Emma Hotel comes with quite the entrepreneurial—and twisted—history. Visitors can see this library through the windows. Or,

skip a year’s worth of lattes and fund a night in the hotel to gain access inside. Besides the architecture, highlighting its original state as a brewery, the Emma Library affords the hotel guest with cozy out-of-the-way seating and plenty of Texas leather. Great coffee, too.

A donated personal collection, the library is a hefty one, from magazines to books on an array of topics. Nice to nose around someone else’s interests.

Check out the Emma and the book, To Love a Beast from Karen Witemeyer (have read). Can’t beat a story about Texas, love and a fairytale library.

 BONUS LIBRARY: The Library of my Dreams

This library will be outside where if it rains, the drops will conveniently avoid the exquisitely crafted books, cozied up in creative bookcases. The surrounding grass will feature handwoven rugs, couches, chairs and reading tables with the best-tasting coffee and teas ever.

People from around the world will delight in one book or research a project requiring twenty. Birds will flit about (and never ever do their digested-berry business upon any of the furniture). Butterflies of never-seen-before colors will land on pages being read aloud to enthralled children. Book clubs will discuss the merits of their favorite book. Friends will reunite. All will be well, our hearts full of joy.

Welcome to the endless story of heaven.