Literary Table
- sarahwilk24
- Feb 27
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 19
Sarah grew up as an avid reader, but Hunter... not so much. It's not that he doesn't love a good book, but that he's far more likely to play a video game or scroll on Reddit than to pick up a book. Hunter will drop everything, though, when Sarah offers to read to him. She has read three and a half books aloud to him so far in genres including historical fantasy, economics, dystopian literary fiction, and historical comedy. They've also listened to a nonfiction audiobook together about The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The thing Sarah looks forward to most in post-wedding married life with Hunter is the time to read together again, something they haven't had time to do since they decided to create their Lego Museum. Ironically, this may be the table display with the least reading to do, as the sets chosen here mainly represent what they could find to purchase and not necessarily their literary preferences (meaning they don't have stories to tell for each set). They hope you enjoy exploring all the details between the pages of this display's sets!
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
919 pieces | GOTIMON: GT007
Assembled by Hunter Williams, October 2024
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
The Adventures of Amina al-Sarafi is a swashbuckling tale about a middle-aged, retired female pirate who is given the opportunity of one final adventure. The story is set along the trade routes and coastal towns of the Indian Ocean in the 12th century. The book was a gift from Sarah's friend, Nena, in an attempt to introduce Sarah to stories outside her typical (depressing) genre of nonfiction about the state of the world. The couple decided to read this one aloud together, even though it was over 500 pages! Sarah did most of the reading, passing the book to Hunter on occasion when her voice was tired (an arrangement Hunter preferred). It's a story that features fantastical creatures, numerous sword fights, and well-researched commentary on the gender politics of that time and place. The book is the first in a trilogy, and they look forward to the rest of the books coming out!
If the Shoe Fits
600 pieces | Wekki: 506171
Assembled by Sarah Wilkinson, May 2025
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
The couple has not read or watched Cinderella together (though Sarah would gladly trick Hunter into watching Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella with Brandy any time). Still, their love story does intersect with shoes. Not a glass slipper, but the most horrendous, ugly work boots you can imagine. Those are the shoes Hunter wore on their first date to a bowling alley, and they were almost a non-starter, threatening to end their relationship before they began. However, Sarah is not one to walk out on a date because his shoes are ugly, so she took note of them and they continued with their pleasant date. She can't quite explain what she found so offensive about them, just that they were not shapely or a good color, and they smelled bad. As soon as they'd been dating a little while, Sarah found her moment to tell him that his boots were ugly, and he beelined for a shoe store to get some more attractive boots. She later gifted him a nice pair of Timberland boots for his birthday, and he has never worn ugly boots again. And they lived happily ever after.
Beauty and the Beast
602 pieces | Wekki: 506181
Assembled by Mike Alfare, February 2025
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
As a child, Sarah was in awe of Belle's library in the Beast's castle. Ever since, every dream home she has ever imagined has featured a two-story library with balconies and ladders, stacks of books stretching from floor to ceiling, along with huge windows to let in the light. The couple's home may not have a two-story library, but Hunter has always been impressed by the extent of her book collection (and the color-coordinated way in which she displays them). Many of their books have had to hang out in their storage unit while brick sets took over all the shelf space in their home, but after the wedding, the books will slowly return. Sarah still won't have a two-story library, but she has something better: a loving partner who enjoys surprising her with new books.
We're All Mad Here
494 pieces | Wekki: 506195
Assembled by Mike Alfare, March 2025
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
Hunter and Sarah have had several connections to Alice in Wonderland throughout their relationship. For Hunter's thirtieth birthday, Sarah threw him a "We're All Mad Here" themed party that involved funny hats and lots of tea. For their third anniversary of dating, they went down the rabbit hole with a themed show at a theater put on by a local aerialist troupe in Richmond. They have even watched the 1951 Alice in Wonderland movie together, remembering just how trippy and wonderfully strange it is.
Go. Live Your Dream.
557 pieces | Wekki: 506192
Assembled by Mike Alfare, March 2025
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
Disney's 2010 re-telling of Rapunzel, Tangled, is a fun (if trope-filled) adventure. The couple's strongest connection to the story is the character, Flynn Ryder. Sarah's dog, who later became Hunter's dog, was named Ryder after Flynn Ryder. When he first joined the family, Tangled had recently come out and was popular with Sarah's younger sister, Emma. The couple joked that Ryder's personality as a dog better fit the character Flynn Ryder's birth name, which was Eugene. Ryder passed away in January 2025, having shared about two and a half years with Hunter and over a decade with Sarah's family.
Shelf Life Books
396 pieces | Balody: 21199
Assembled by Mike Alfare, February 2025
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
When the couple visits shopping areas, especially in new towns, they always find the bookstore and spend some time browsing through what each store chooses to stock on its shelves. They've been to dozens of bookstores together across several states. A favorite of theirs is Shelf Life Books in Carytown, a shopping district in Richmond. What's so wonderful about the bookstore, beyond the new and used books they choose to stock, is that there are two cats who "work" in the shop, Page and Mylar. Almost every time they visit, one of the cats is sleeping on the checkout counter, in the front window, or on a cozy pillow laid out on the floor where no one will trip on it. The hope of seeing the cats keeps them coming back to the bookstore whenever they get the chance.
Old Books and Polished Leather
1,015 pieces | HOGO KIDS: HG3106
Assembled by Vanessa Reyes, March 2025
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
The couple hasn't been to a library or bookstore quite like this one, but if you know where they can find one, you better believe they'll be making a magical trip. The set is supposed to light up, but the fragile wiring broke during the construction process. To light up all the magical details piled into this book nook, use a flashlight!
Jane Austen's Books
361 pieces | LEGO: 40766 (retired)
Assembled by Sarah Wilkinson, July 2025
Interaction Rating: 4 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged, but use extra care)
When LEGO released this limited-edition tribute to Jane Austen, Sarah knew she had to acquire it and include it in their literary table display. Hunter has never read a Jane Austen novel (something that may be rectified in the future if Sarah has anything to do about it), but Sarah has done more than just read Jane Austen; she has visited Jane Austen's house in the village of Chawton, Hampshire, England, while studying abroad in college with other literary and feminist-minded travel companions. Something unexpected (and yet, not surprising) about Austen's house: the many colorful cats that were lounging around the garden and meandering around the grounds. It was utterly charming.
Balrog's Book Nook
1,201 pieces | LEGO: 10367
Assembled by Hunter Williams, July 2025
Interaction Rating: 4 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged, but use extra care)
You may notice that this book nook has a very different tone from the rest of the sets that are part of the literary display. This set depicts a scene from the first Lord of the Rings book and movie, The Fellowship of the Ring. Balrog is a Maiar who inhabited the lower levels of Khazad-dum after the dwarves had awoken it when they "delved too greedily and too deep." This forced the dwarves to abandon the city. The set depicts the moment when the fellowship was attempting to escape Khazad-dum, which they had entered while trying to cross the Misty Mountains due to a snowstorm. Gandalf the Grey prevented Balrog from following them as they stopped upon the Bridge of Durin. He shouted, "You shall not pass!" before destroying the bridge. Sarah surprised Hunter with this set when it came out, late into their wedding planning process, as a promise that she would one day watch all the movies with him (without falling asleep).
Magic Carpet Ride
729 pieces | JIE STAR: JJ9054
Assembled by Mike Alfare, March 2025
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
While they were assembling brick sets and creating the website for their Lego Museum, the couple ended up watching nearly all of the catalog of animated Disney movies available on Disney+. Aladdin is an interesting movie to rewatch as an adult because of its gender and class commentary (plus, you get to relive the comedic style of the late Robin Williams). The book-shaped brick set is a good homage to the story, filled with details like the magic lamp, the palace balcony upon which many scenes take place, and in the book's spine, a box of gold treasure and Jasmine's dressing table.
Under the Sea
732 pieces | JIE STAR: JJ9055
Assembled by Mike Alfare, June 2025
Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)
The Little Mermaid (along with the lesser-known The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea) also ended up playing in the background during the couple's work to build their Lego Museum. Though not as disturbing as the original Brother's Grimm version of the story, Disney's take has its own disturbing elements (like the fact that Ariel marries Prince Eric when she's only 16, or that the movie is premised on silencing Ariel through the literal removal of her vocal chords). Howvever, you have to appreciate characters like Scuttle the Seagull, who calls forks "dinglehoppers." The book-shaped brick set recreates an entire underwater world, including Ariel's room of human treasures.