Best Celebrity Home Libraries!
Jeremy Bates, author of White Lies, has stopped by to share with us a guest post on the best celebrity home libraries.
Here’s Jeremy:
When you think of celebrities, some of the first images that likely pop into your head are villas in remote corners of Europe, garages filled with luxury cars, and closets filled with expensive clothes. But what about libraries? Shelves filled with very ordinary books? Well, yeah, celebrities read too (I assume—and I’m not talking about Kim K or Paris H here or anyone else with an IQ on par with a piece of driftwood!). So if everything else in a celebrity’s life is plated with gold, how about their libraries? Check out the top ten celebrity libraries below! (Credit to Judy Berman at Flavorwire for the photos).
#1: William Randolph Hearst
Who better to have a sprawling library than a newspaper magnate and leading newspaper publisher of a chain that numbered nearly 30 papers in major American cities. Concerning his library, the picture says it all! It looks like something out of Harry Potter. This was taken in his castle—and if it wasn’t enough, he has a second, private library to boot!
#2: Karl Lagerfeld
This guy puts so much effort into making himself stylish, it’s not a surprise that he would put similar effort into his house—including his library! The photo was taken in his Paris apartment. The collection comprises over 60,000 volumes, making it one of the largest private libraries in the world. I’m guessing a lot of the books are about fashion??
#3: Michael Jackson
MJ! Why not? Again, no surprise. What didn’t this guy do in excess? An self-described bibliophile, he collected over 10,000 books during his lifetime, many of which were on display in his Neverland Ranch estate (I bet he had a few copies of Peter Pan lying around!). Wonder what his music den looked like??
# 4: Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, wrote what is often called “the Great American Novel,” so, yeah, sorta makes sense that he had a pretty nice library (besides, what else did you do back in the late 19th century besides read?) The library was designed by Tiffany (his white suits weren’t), and includes hand-stenciled paneling, imported fireplaces, and carved wood decoration. I’m fixing to visit!
#5: Keith Richards
Okay, so you might not think a guy who snorts his father’s ashes and falls out of a palm tree while trying to snag some coconuts would not have a grand, Victorian libray like others on this list—and he doesn’t. His is just downright cool. He confessed in his recent autobiography that he’s always wanted to be a librarian (seriously!). Trade in the guitar for a pair of horn-rimmed glasses? Go for it, Keith!
Bio:
Jeremy Bates has spent the last ten years traveling the world, visiting more than thirty countries. He has lived in Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. Bates is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with a degree in English literature and philosophy.
Links:
Website: http://www.jeremybatesbooks.com/
Blog: http://jeremybatesbooks.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jemacba/
Book Jacket:
Trouble Down South and Other Stories 