The Animal Crossing Obsession
I’ll never forget the period of time my family obsessed over The Sims. I suffered for hours sitting through my siblings painstakingly building and decorating their houses. Their obsession lasted well over a year, and I truly thought I would die of boredom, right along with their characters who were dying of starvation. So, when Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out last month and my sister, Maranda spent every conversation we had discussing how she was building her island, all I thought was, “Great, here we go again.”
It wasn’t until our mom joined the Animal Crossing community and spent the better part of a week begging me to join that I finally relented (I blame quarantine for my actions). The addiction came swiftly, and soon I was staying up way past my bedtime, digging up trees and scouring the beach for sharks. A few days into the vortex, I was able to travel to Maranda’s island, where she enlightened me on how to turn my drab island into a book lover’s paradise. Little did she know that if she led with that, I would have started playing a month ago.
Building Your Dream Library
If you long for floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that cover every inch of the wall but live in a tiny apartment with just enough room for a trusty crate of books, dig out your blueprints and build yourself that at-home library that you’ve always dreamed of on your island. With a few DIY recipes, you can build bookshelves. Once you have your walls covered with the latest best-sellers, spend some of your hard-earned bells on a comfy reading chair. Your virtual at-home library might not be real, but you will feel just as excited when it finally comes together (well, almost).
Personalize Your Space
Once you build your amazing library, you will need to add a little flair. This website lets you upload any photo you’d like. It then generates a QR code to scan using The Nintendo Switch Online app. Maranda’s library was filled with prints of jacket covers like, Le Petit Prince, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and The Name of the Wind. It was awesome! Just be careful if you have a list of favorite books as long as ours, you might forget to sleep that day.
Dress the Part
If you fancy yourself a designer, you can use the Custom Designs app on your Nook phone to channel your inner Tim Gunn and create ready-to-wear outfits. From Harry Potter’s cloak to Gandalf the Grey’s hat, the only limitation to what you can design is your imagination. Don’t have a creative bone in your body? Don’t sweat it. There are plenty of custom designs in the kiosk at Able Sister’s clothing store. Players all over the world can upload their designs into the database, which are free to obtain. To use the custom design portal, you need a Nintendo online subscription, but the subscription allows you to access plenty of content that it’s worth the price. I also recommend searching Reddit and other online communities to find custom design clothing.
Spreading the Love of Reading
A Little Free Library
Okay, so it’s not actually functional, and truly just there for the aesthetic, but who could resist? Despite the inability to grab a book from your island’s Little Free Library yourself, you can pretend your neighbors are totally using it when you aren’t looking. If they aren’t, you can just swat at them with your bug net to make them move away. If you don’t like books, you can get off the island, buddy!
Libby to the Rescue
And speaking of books, have you heard of Libby? ABC Home & Renovation is a big supporter of this amazing app that connects readers to their local library’s digital collection. With Libby, you can check out ebooks and audiobooks straight from your phone or tablet. It’s a game-changer for book lovers who are constantly on the go. Plus, it’s free to use with your library card. So, while you might not be able to physically add books to your island’s Little Free Library, you can still share the love of reading with your neighbors (even if they are just a bunch of adorable anthropomorphic animals).
In the end, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has proven to be the ultimate escape for book lovers like myself. With a little creativity and determination, I’ve transformed my humble island into a cozy oasis filled with literary treasures. From custom-designed bookshelves to virtual author costumes, the possibilities are truly endless. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to start building your dream home library!
