It’s Saturday, so we can take a break from deep thinking. For those of you who have been to our house, you probably recognize the bookcase wall in our dining room:

I decided to pick a shelf and show some of the books sitting on that shelf. So here goes:

This is a one volume edition of Johnson’s Dictionary, published in Philadelphia in 1805, which is apparently the first single volume edition of this important book published in the United States.

This is the first full life biography of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Holland, published in 1866.

I don’t know the provenance of this handwritten book called The Story of Jane and Hilda, written for their father’s December 7 birthday. I have no idea who these people were, but the young writer had good penmanship and knew how to spell. It is special. I wish I knew more about them.

A one volume compilation of the works of Laurence Sterne, including autobiographical notes by him. Published in Philadelphia in 1867, 100 years after Sterne’s death.

I have a fair number of old American Bibles. This one was published in New York in 1823.

1866 book of aphorisms and quotations. My guess is that a lot of what is quoted in this book has been long forgotten today.

I could go on (obviously), but it’s time tovstart your weekend activities. On your mark. Get set. Go!