“If you only read the books
that everyone else is reading,
you can only think
what everyone else is thinking.”
― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood
`
Which brings up a very good question: What’s on YOUR shelves?
I was paying a long-overdue visit to my Pinterest account tonight and ran across this pin and quote. When our son moved out of his bedroom a few years ago, we turned that small room into a little “morning room/library/office.” When the quote caught my attention, I started trying to visualize what sections I had set up on my bookshelves and wondering how diverse a reader I really am. Here they are…
Adventure
Borrowed
Celtic
Celtic Reference
Classics
Faith
Fantasy
Favorites
General Fiction
Gothic Mysteries
Non-Fiction
Poetry
Science Fiction (2 shelves)
To Be Read (2 shelves)
Tolkien
WWII
Writing
Writing Reference
Now I’m sitting here looking at the list and wondering what categories, if any, I could add to make it a more well-rounded library. Any suggestions? (I do have a few biographies, but they’re stuck in Non-Fiction as there aren’t enough of them to earn their own shelf yet. Biographies aren’t my favorites. Except Sidney Poitier’s which I loved.)
And I wondered if out of all those books I could pick a favorite and a least favorite. Absolutely! My favorite book of all time is Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird (though it’s really battling it out with Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief for first place). The worst book I ever read? How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines by Thomas C. Foster. NOT!!! OML!!! Now THERE’S a book that will take the joy right out of your reading! Oh, here’s one! How about the book that gave me the most nightmares? Easy. Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (I no longer have it…). One that never fails to make me cry? Got a tie here, too. A Certain Small Shepherd by Rebecca Caudill and The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I could go on and on talking about books.
It’s fun to stand back and look at all my friends. They need a good dusting right now, and one of these days I’m going to have to alphabetize them in their sections. These books are the best of the best for me. They’re the ones I would read again and again. And I’ve done just that to quite a few of them, like Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I’ve probably read that one eight or nine times. There’s the advantage, you see, to getting older. If you let a book sit for a couple years, that baby will read just like new again! You likely won’t remember a thing about the plot! 😀
So now, what about you? What’s on YOUR shelf?
Impromptu Promptlings 
I started to answer this before I went to the dentist, but I also wanted to get the pic of part of our library. Here it is, in all its unorganized glory.
[IMG]http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k246/raduzhok/Southeast%20corner%20of%20the%20library_zpsmh3exdnc.jpg[/IMG]
I found it interesting that, unlike my music, I could name my favorite book. “The Stand” by Stephen King. And I think that those which I can still remember, are obviously on a list of books I loved, and have actually kept, to read again.
To name just a few: “Knock on Any Door,” by Willard Motley. Its impact on me was huge. This was not the first book I ever read. Actually that was “Catcher In The Rye,” by J.D. Salinger, though what it was about did not stick with me.
Shortly after I decided to get into reading – I hated reading in school. The books they assigned were boring, so I just wrote stories during class, for myself – I followed authors for a very long time. I read Dennis Wheatley, and William Golding, and William Goldman, and obviously at some point Stephen King came into my realm. If I were to point to one, at least, semi-classic writer, it would be Daphne du Maurier, and the book was “House on the Strand.” I remember reading almost every book that Jean M. Auel wrote from the “Clan of the Cave Bear” series. Eventually I found my way over to Kathy Reichs’ books, and Jeffery Deaver, Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, Robin Cook, John Sanford, Tony Hillerman…
A couple of years ago I bought a kindle, and am hooked, and LOVE that I can carry my 1000 books in on single device. 😀
The one book I’ve read over and over is “The Stand.” I think I’ve read it a half dozen times, since 1980s.
There are a few non-fiction I read, over, often: two by Pema Chrodron in particular.
The library is mainly Mr. Quantum’s domain. My books will eventually be moved up into my own personal library in my meditation room.
Wow! that was a fun journey. Thanks for bringing us to the place which nourishes us so much!
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Well I loved The Stand and The House on the Strand. I like du Maurier a lot. I don’t read horror and crime books, but I didn’t find The Stand scary in that way. I don’t remember very much of The House on the Strand except that I liked it. You have a lot more room in your library than I do. I’m jealous!!! You have MORE shelves in there??? 😮
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I meant to say I DID read The Satanist by Dennis Wheatley long ago. I never read anything of his again!
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I too have got a significant ‘to read’ shelf, and about three books lying around that I’m reading. I think one of (if not the) scariest books I’ve read was ‘The Woman in Black’ (which is also the scariest play I have seen), I think with horror and scary stories there is a ‘I want to know how scary it is’ aspect, but also a part that once you start reading you want to reach a conclusion..
Best, Matt
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Yeah, I usually have a book laying in every room. What I read depends on where I plant my butt. I’ll have to look up “The Woman in Black.” I don’t have that wanna know thing about horror or scary stories. I don’t even watch the news at night before I go to bed anymore!
As to conclusions, I’m one of those dysfunctional people who once I’ve started reading a book — even if I HATE it — I will read it to the bitter end (I can’t put it on Shelfari otherwise!). There have been times I’ve had do read ten pages a day to get through it, but I’ve never been able to shake that habit! 😀 Can you finish reading a book you don’t like or that hasn’t drawn you in?
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I try and finish books I don’t like (I remember one that I had a strong dislike for a while ago), I just think that I should at least try and judge the whole book rather than the bit that I read.
Best, Matt
P.S. ‘The Woman in Black’ is by Susan Hill I think
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I’ll look the book up. I just keep reading ’cause I hope the bloomin’ things will get better! 😉
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Hi @ calensariel,
I have my own library, but unfortunately, all books are about learning and teaching as I am a teacher and a PhD researcher. To be frank, I started to got bored of it. All what I dream to have in one of my bookshelves one day is some fiction short stories written by me. I know it is not an easy job, but I will try.
Thanks for your amazing post!
I love it so much. I followed you to learn from.
All the best 🙂
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Thanks so much for stopping by. Being a teacher and a PhD researcher sound like jobs that could easily burn you out. I taught kindergarten for a few years. I know that was even stressful. Perhaps writing short stories would be a good counter balance to all the heavy work you do? I do hope you’ll share some links in the future. I’d love to read some. Heck, we’re all learning from each other. That’s why I LOVE Word Press so much. Hope you’re having a great day.
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Thanks so much for your comment, my dear. Two years ago, I started a new blog to track my progress in an online course of writing. It is simple, but it helped to overcome my writing’s block. I know it is a small start, but I hope to do more in the future. Here is a link to my blog: https://ejournal4writing.wordpress.com/
Wish you a happy day!
🙂
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Looks like it’s been a while since you’ve blogged on there. I will go back and read some tonight. Thanks for sharing it with me. Are you going to try to do more on there or stick with your other blog?
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Thanks so much for your interest. Each blog has its goal. I will keep them both! The one I shared with you is for writing, but this #blogging101 course’s blog is for sharing what I learn.
Thanks again 🙂
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When we were getting set to move two years ago, one thing I was going to make sure of was having room for a library — and I got it, too! 2 walls of bookshelves and still there’s an overflow. I have a slew of Westerns and mid-century mysteries that I love re-reading. Also a few shelves of classics, the bound PEANUTS comic strips, and a shelf full of Irish literature. Historicals sprinkled throughout. Most of my recent buys are mysteries — JD Robb, Iris Johannsen (thought the last 2 bored me), David Balducci, & Michael Connelly. I’ve also got several vintage encyclopaedias and dictionaries that go back to the 1920s — there are so many wonderful words we don’t use any more! Oh, and NatGeos from 1975 to 2008 — I cancelled my subscription when they started advertising fracking.
Thanks for this — it’s really fun to see what other people are interested in.
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I know the feeling of the overflow shelves… Our family room also has a whole wall of bookshelves and they’re two deep on it. A lot of them are Lord Drollery’s though. Westerns… Hm… Now there’s a genre I haven’t read much in. I might have to tackle them someday. I DOTE on old western movies like The Unforgiven with Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. And you are so right about words they don’t use these days. I like Dictionary.com because they have them on there regularly. I used to do NG, but recently we switched to Smithsonian. I’m so glad you stopped by. I love talking about this stuff, too!
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The stories we ingest are profoundly powerful in terms of how we look at the world.
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Hm… What does that say about those of us who ingest a lot of science fiction? HARD CORE science fiction, not fantasy.
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I would think the themes and how the characters resolve their conflicts are more important than the genre. Jesus ET and the Terminator all came from another place gave their life said I’ll be back. 🙂
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LMBO! 😀 Only YOU could come up with that line. But you’re right about the characters and their conflicts. I wasn’t even thinking about that. ❤
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I think this was meant for someone else! 🙂
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Yep, it was. I fixed it. Thanks for letting me know! I don’t do well without coffee in the morning. 😀
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Hello! As Elle mentioned, she referred me to this post. I love that you have a little library set up in your home – that’s my dream! My bookshelf has a lot of anthologies like the complete Sherlock Holmes and the Grimms’ Fairytales, and poetry books (my favorites are Robert Frost). I also have a section devoted to JK Rowling. Next on my list of things to read is “2 States” by Chetan Bhagat. Also, a suggestion for a biography that’s quick and actually enjoyable – “Swimming Across” by Andy Grove.
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Yes, I had that answer on the wrong comment! I’m only typing with one eye open. Haven’t had coffee yet! I will have to check out the books you mentioned. I LOVE going on the hunt for new books. And thank you so much for suggesting Anthologies. I do have a half dozen or so. Now that’s a really good suggestion. Sort of like a smorgasbord of someone’s writings. I’m going to have to make that my next project. Thank you so much! I’ll be stopping by both you and Elle’s blogs after breakfast. Have a great day!
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Haha I know how those early mornings feel! Thanks, hope you have a great one too!
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Interesting genre list 🙂
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Way different than yours? Tell me! I’m interested. 😀
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Lots of history books, language books, wide variety of dictionaries, Biographies, True crimes, Classic world literature, Old Magazines, Coffee table books, craft books and hobby books, Novels, Fables, easy reads, that about covers it.
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Wow, your genres ARE quite different than mine. I like knowing what other people read AND what music they listen to. I think you can really know quite a lot about a person from observing those two things. What kind of novels do you like? I LOVE coffee table books. I have a few of them but they’re not in my library. My friend and I always dreamed of traveling all around the US (not the world since we’re not rich each) and taking pictures of interesting benches. We wanted to do a coffee table book simply called Benches. Sounds kind of lame after all these years. LOL 😀
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I like interesting novels. Every book gets a chance up to page 50, if it couldn’t captivate me by then..well to bad. I still read book in other languages, so a lot of them are older novels, because it was so hard to get new original book here.
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I’m one of those choice-challenged people that feels if I start a book I HAVE to finish it. 😦 I can’t even begin to count how many sluggish books I’ve gotten through by reading a chapter or even just ten pages a day till it was done. Crazy. I know. But I usually am reading 2 or 3 at a time anyway. I admire you’re being able to read in other languages. That’s got to be really interesting.
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I think I have almost the same categories of books that you have, except Adventure, only a few Gothic mysteries. My favorite book is Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver (though To Kill A Mockingbird definitely makes the top 5). When someone asks me the worst book I’ve ever read Twilight pops into my head although it’s probably not actually the worst ever, it’s certainly the most recently horrible book I’ve read.
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I had to giggle when I read what you said about Twilight! I SO second that motion. LOL I’ve never read anything by Barbara Kingsolver, though I think I have The Poisonwood Bible on my TBR shelf. I’ll get around to it one of these days. I’ll have to check out Animal Dreams.
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Poisonwood Bible is her most critically acclaimed book, it is very good but far from my favorite book by her. I just love the way she writes and the topics she tackles. I went to see her speak when The Lacuna came out and it was life changing!!
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So which one would you suggest I actually read?
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I had to give it some thought but Prodigal Dreams is really good if you like stories that intertwine.
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I look for it at the used book store. They usually have quite a bit of her stuff. Thanks for the recommendation.
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I love your categories — probably because they align with many of the ones on my shelves!I would have to have an entire set of shelves just for History, though. I hope you will post some thoughts on the publication of Harper Lee’s “Go Set A Watchman”.
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You know, it took me a long time to get interested in history — wasn’t my favorite subject at all in school. But now that I’ve discovered it I’m really caught up in WWII. I really like Erik Larson’s books. He writes about so many different things. As to Go Set a Watchman, there’s so much controversy surrounding the release of it. In an article I read about it, it mentioned that Lee actually wrote and submitted this book prior to writing and releasing TKAM. GSAW was rejected. That being the case, it might be why she didn’t want it published. Now she has no say in the matter. I am very suspicious of the secrecy that surrounds her. They are not even letting her see the friend that has been by her side for years. It smells fishy to me. And I read yesterday there was a third book they had found — don’t know about what — that they are planning to release. Could she communicate, Ms. Lee would likely be fit to be tied. Many of the people who got to read the galley proof of this new book didn’t like it because it ends up making Atticus seems like a racist. I think before I buy it I will read other reviews. It feels kind of like having older relatives. Sometimes you just want to remember them the way they were… Know what I mean? I think it likely that while she was writing the other two books Lee grew as an author and into TKAM. In her 50th anniversary (of the book) interview Lee said she only ever had one thing she wanted to say and she said it in TKAM. So I have to wonder about these other two books. I’m not in favor of them being published. What have you heard about it?
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Most of my books are already in my boyfriends flat, where I’ll be moving in soon. And when they will have taken their glorious place in my new shiny IKEA-shelf, ther will be most of all Fantasy and historical novels, some old school books, some classic ones like Schiller or even Kafka, religious/faith-stuff and some of my all-time-favourit childhood-books (which I want to keep for my children). Very mixed up. Still wondering if to sort by author or theme or what ever…
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It’s so much fun playing with them, isn’t it? I mean even beyond reading. I sometimes think I should have chosen to be a librarian when I grew up! I just like handling and smelling them! LOL. What’s your favorite children’s book? I have several, but I love Morgan and Yew by Stephen Cosgrove and Robin James. It’s a Serendipity book about best friends. Always makes me really teary. I LOVE the IKEA shelves, btw. Did you get the Billy ones (or whatever their called)? That’s what I have. So glad you stopped by to chat!
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Oh yeah, I love books! I think an ebook could never bring me this joy, seeing all the books you’ve read or want to read lined up on shelves, arranging them, admire their beautiful covers and so on!! I’m German and so is my favourit children’s book. I forgot the author but it’s called “Mini, the smallest cat in the world” It’s about a little babycat, which becomes tinier and tinier because the parents said it has to be given away, if it’s grown to big. I loved it so much, I can’t tell how often I read it :’)
And I’ve got the very cheapest they had (about 17€…). I think it was named Gersby or something like that. You know, student’s budget…
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I’ll have to look for it. And I feel the same way you do about tablets. Thank good books don’t need batteries!!! 😀
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On my shelves are mostly crime. A few classics including humorous ones like PG Wodehouse. I can’t agree more about the literature thing though. Just finished a level two uni course which nearly sent me mad and trying to convince myself that I would survive a level three. Good work with the blogging 101
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Oh wow… You’re actually taking courses in reading literature? How in the world will you ever be able to read for enjoyment again? I got so freaked thinking I had to look for a theme or hidden meanings behind every sentence that it made it nearly impossible for me to just enjoy reading. I normally read 30-40 books a year, but I’ve slowed down a LOT since reading that stupid book. All I can say is good luck with your courses! Oh yeah, and I don’t read crime or horror stories. I’m FAR too susceptible to things that go bump in the night! Thanks SO much for stopping by!
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Reading crime is how I manage to read so much. You don’t have to worry about theme etc. As for things going bump in the night, I avoid anything at all thriller-like when my husband is away from home. One of my friends thinks there is a ghost in the spare bedroom as it is.
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I’ve had a couple run ins with ghosts! One at our apartment right after we got married, and one here when my son was just a few months old. I’m a believer!
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I just read this; http://peopleimetinmytwenties.com/2015/07/14/the-harper-lee-novels/comment-page-1/#comment-79 and thought of you. I left a comment on that blog too to introduce the writer to your blog. 🙂
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Elle, thanks so much for the referral! I LOVED her article. I DO have an opinion about that book, as a matter of fact. I think publishing it is a mistake. I will be around to check on your blog later today, too. Have a great one! Day! Blog, too. 😀
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Thank you so much. I am so glad you both enjoyed reading each others posts. 🙂
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I have books all over the house and I’ve also created a reading nook in the grandchildren’s guest room (now that they’re old enough not to need a cot anymore we’ve put a futon in the room instead). This particular room used to be my study, once my children had left home.
I spent 13 years doing university access courses, BA, MA & PhD, so you can imagine I have a lot of books. I’d already furnished the available spaces with bookcases and shelves for my collection of books, as well as our main bedroom and the adult guest bedroom, and now I have a Kindle which is just as well as I cannot find any more free space in the house for physical books 😅
I have many interests: history (medieval; Victorian; social history, especially housing history; WW1 and WW2 – but as social history and not as a history of battles and armaments, except where these impact at a social history level; the 1920s is an especial favourite and I also love the Arts & Crafts period. I love cooking, especially baking bread, and have far too many recipe books (but then is that ever really possible?). I also have a collection of novels, Jane Austen and Terry Pratchett being among my favourites.
Favourite books? Anything by Jane Austen, most of Terry’s works, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and almost anything by Agatha
Christie (except the Tommy and Tuppence Beresford stories), and all the Brother Cadfael books………. The list runs on.
I’ve recently found Imogen Robertson’s Crowther and Westerman series and am slowly devouring them. Slowly because they’re so good and there are only five of them!
Love your site, by the way 😀
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Hi Ruth! Oh! The Color Purple! Yes, yes… One of my favorites. And I know a lot of people find the Edwardian/Victorian books boring, but I love the slowness of them. Like Remains of the Day. (Just bought another one of Kazuo Ishiguro’s books, Never Let Me Go. Of course it’s on my TBR shelves.) I, too, am out of room. But I doubt I’ll ever make the jump to a tablet of any kind. I’m one of those people who needs a physical relationship with their books! Have you ever read In The Garden of Beasts? It’s about William E. Dodd’s time as ambassador to Germany in 1933 and what he saw coming. I love Larson’s books. SO glad you stopped by!
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I’m going to have a look for In the Garden of Beasts right NOW. Thank you for suggesting it. I have to admit, it will be going on my Kindle – TBH I love the ability to carry a virtual library around wherever I go. Because I simply HAVE to read, no matter where I am, my Kindle travels with me everywhere 😂
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I’m like that, too. But I have a BIG purse. The only book I’ve never been able to fit in it was Lord of the Rings! 😀
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You know what’s on my “bookshelf”. Vampires, Shifters, Fairies, Elves, Dragons. On my real book self I have almost all of the Pern books…in hardback!
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Your REAL shelf? You mean vampires, shifters, fairies, etc. aren’t real??? OMG! I’ve been laboring under false assumptions! 😀 Just think, GF, one of these days YOUR book will sit on the shelf, too! I expect nothing less than an autographed copy! Love ya!
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Most of my books are at home in Ireland, or I should say “my other home”, as Japan is home too! I have a few books here, but not enough for a library. We do have “library” shelves for the kids books. I think we have a good selection. My kids are all preschool age and under. My favourite books to read to them are by Julia Donaldson. I also like to read “Harold and the Purple Crayon”. The last thing I read for myself… Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata. I quite liked it.
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Hi Elle! Thanks for stopping by. Snow Country… I’ll look it up on Amazon. My To Be Read shelves are always growing. I love it when kids have all kinds of books around. They do a lot better in school when books are their friends. My kids were always into books, too. They’re both avid readers. Hope you’re having a good day/night wherever you are.
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Thank you so much. Thankfully, my own parents instilled a love and joy of books into me and I am passing that onto my kids. There is such a fantastic selection these days, and of course the classics never grow old. 🙂 I try not to go onto Amazon or the Book Depositry too much as it is hard not to buy everything. 🙂
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Oh how I hear that! I have ONE weakness. One vice. BOOKS!!! But it’s a nice vice, I figure. 😀
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