The rise in home videoconferencing lets us browse more people's bookshelves

When I was young, the first thing I'd do when visiting someone's apartment for the first time was to browse their bookshelf and record (or tape or CD) collection. That was a great way to find connection with others and spark conversation. These days, most people's musical tastes aren't reflected in any tangible way. Same mostly holds true for books but I do think many avid readers still like having some printed matter around. These days, lots of celebrities are streaming appearances from their homes where a full bookshelf makes a nice backdrop. So what are we seeing in their home libraries? In the New York Times, Gal Beckerman looks at the books in the background at the homes of Cate Blanchett, Stacey Abrams, Prince Charles, Anna Wintour, Jane Goodall, and others. From the New York Times:

Jane Goodall
On PBS NewsHour," April 22

1. The Hidden Target," by Helen MacInnes: This 1980 spy novel tells the story of an American college student on a world tour who becomes entangled with secret agents looking to stop a terrorist plot.

2. The End of Food," by Thomas F. Pawlick: Danger abounds at the grocery store in this 2006 expose of our current method of food production. Pawlick reveals that the vitamin, mineral and nutritional content of food is in shocking decline.

[...]Paul Rudd
On Saturday Night Live," April 25

1. Code of Conduct," by Brad Thor: The 15th installment in Thor's thriller series has counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath uncovering the inner workings of a secretive committee of elites running the world.

2. Jude the Obscure," by Thomas Hardy: The classic 1895 novel of a young, working-class man who yearns to become a scholar but is thwarted by society and love.

3. Slave Day," by Rob Thomas: From the creator of Veronica Mars," this Texas high school drama has a disturbing plot involving teens auctioning off one another. Clueless" this is not.