A few of my favorite things books...

Now that I've broken down and succumbed to a sudden attack of shelving, I can't help but think about books as objects.  There are books I love for their contents, and then there are books I just love having in the house, for whatever reason...

• Lord Brougham, Albert Lunel (1872): The only book I've acquired that is still in the original cardboard covers.
• [John Anderson], Patrick Welwood (1839): Because there's something amusing about acquiring a nearly-vanished book (the National Library of Scotland has a couple of copies, but that's it) for $5.
• J. S. Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard, Doughty Library ed. (rpt. 1968): After about eight years of looking for this novel, I stumble over it at a bookshop run by a local charity.  For $3, no less.
• Sydney Owenson, Lady Morgan, Florence Macarthy (1845): I still don't know if Benjamin Disraeli owned it himself, but it definitely came from his abode...
• Charles Reade, The Works of Charles Reade, 19 vols., AMS rpt.: Back when I was an LGS, as opposed to an LP, I picked up this complete set at the Powell's in the South Loop.  And then I carried the entire set several blocks to the nearest bus stop, then several blocks more from the bus stop back to my apartment.  Good for the upper-body strength, that.  I've never again expended quite that much physical effort on acquiring books...
• Antoine Thomas, Essai sur Le Caractere, Les Moeurs, et L'Esprit des Femmes...: Not exactly in marvelous shape, but it's the oldest book in the house (early 1770s). 
• The Rolliad, in Two Parts..., 22nd ed. (1812): When I was working on my doctoral dissertation, I used to amuse myself (between sentimental biography collections, that is) by reading satirical attacks on William Pitt the Younger.  (Er...what's that you say? My definition of "amusement" is a little odd?)  In any event, I picked up a copy of The Rolliad to celebrate finishing the Ph.D.