Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Books, place to read them ingredients for happiness for returning writer
When we ask readers to tell us about their favorite things, we know the answers will be as different as the people we ask — and always just as fascinating! There’s a real insight that comes with that peek into someone’s home life.
This week, we’re virtually stopping by to reintroduce you to April Wallace, an old friend of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette who has just rejoined the Features staff as Profiles writer/editor/coordinator as well as writing for What’s Up! and Our Town. She says her favorite space in her house is the new bedroom she shares with husband Sam, and her favorite part of that room — a custom-made bookshelf — houses her primary collection.
“For the entire 8.5 years I’ve known my husband, he’s always had hopes to expand our bedroom, and we finally made it happen in 2020,” she says. “It took the better part of the year for our home renovation, but it all paid off. I love everything about it — the colors, how restful it is, our glass wall and my reading bench that looks out onto the new deck and back yard.
“My custom built-in bookcases are my ultimate favorite” in the space, she adds.
“My husband drew plans, set the measurements and sent it to my father, a self-taught wood craftsman. My dad then built these at his home in Rose Bud over the course of a few months, transported them here (a four hour drive) and installed them over the course of a day. They ended up being a couple inches too big for the space due to the fluctuating work of the renovation, so my dad made all the adjustments on the spot. He worked so fast that he seriously injured a finger in the process, but nothing would deter him from finishing this project — not even a trip to urgent care, which he refused. These shelves are very dear to me.”
However, the object in the space to which she has the strongest emotional tie to is the art
hanging above the bed.
“It’s a piece we picked up in Venice, which was the first of four stops of our honeymoon in Italy. In it, the gondolas float down the center and actually rise up from the pages of a book. It was a trip we’ll never forget and this was the perfect memento to bring back with us.”
Wallace goes on to talk about her collection in this “My Favorite Things” Q&A:
What I collect: Books. Mostly fiction, biographies/ memoir and writing guides.
How/when/why the collection began: Technically I’ve collected books my whole life, but I became more intentional about it once I graduated college and began to settle down. Knowing I wouldn’t have to move them so frequently gave me confidence to grow it more.
What appeals to you about these items? Books are a timeless sort of magic. When I look at these books, I remember who gave them to me and often the conversations we had about them, and how reading them made me feel at the time. I remember the places I sat for hours absorbing the new world inside. I remember how they changed me, and the joy I got when I was able to share those special ones with close friends and family.
I love that books increase our empathy by transporting us to places and situations we’ve never experienced before. They improve our memory and keep our minds engaged. Studies show it reduces stress — some even think that readers live longer. Mostly I turn to them for entertainment, for escapism and for information. But at various times in my life they have been my education and even the company I kept. I know a book is good if I later wonder about a character as if they were a friend — how are they? What are they doing now?
Where do you find most of the items in your collection? I find my books almost exclusively at independent bookstores. That’s always my first stop in any city we visit. My favorite locals are Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Two Friends Bookstore in Bentonville and the Dickson Street Bookshop. I miss Nightbird Books dearly, too.
What’s the most meaningful piece in your collection, and why does it pack more of an emotional wallop? So many of my books have an emotional impact on me, that’s really a big part of why I keep them. But “The Art of Audrey Niffenegger: Awake in the Dream World” is at the top of those. Niffenegger is not only an incredible author, her art is eerie, whimsical and thought provoking. I’ve never seen anything quite like the images she creates. Each one is so unique, and while many may call the subject matter dark, I see plenty of humor in it. This collection was gifted to me by my husband (then-boyfriend) when he met my family for the first time at Christmas several years ago. At the time I was so surprised he had remembered this obscure author I’d casually mentioned and went out of his way to find a lesser known volume of her work. It made me feel special and loved.
Will you ever run out of room for your collection and, if so, do you have a plan in that event? At the rate I’m going, it seems like it. I suppose I’ll have to commission my father’s work once again.