I own way too many books. I'm kind of counting down the days until I move out of my parents' house simply because then I can be brutally honest with myself and donate some of the books that I no longer read. I have an enormous bookshelf that's almost floor to ceiling, then piles of old university course books under my bedside table. I thought I'd do a little bookshelf tour, with the hope that I can do another once I move out and slim my library down!
I originally had a really organised shelf (by genre) but then my collection got a bit out of hand and it became 'where can they fit?' rather than 'where do I want them to be?'
The top shelf has small hardbacks (such as The Fry Chronicles, The Casual Vacancy and the collected works of Jane Austen), my modern classics, poetry and some miscellaneous books with no home. This includes The Worry Cure, which was recommended to me by my CBT Therapist, and Manchester by Phil Griffin and Jan Chlebik, that I worked on the launch for.
The next shelf starts with my trusty Friends quiz book, then continues with some YA and popular fiction. The copies of The Fire Within and Icefire are signed by the author when I met him, because Chris d'Lacey was one of my favourite authors as a kid. I also have a proof copy of The Mime Order, which I received before the release whilst working at Aberystwyth Arts Centre. I still haven't read it or even The Bone Season, sorry! Also a bonus shout out to the Moomin books sitting on top, even though I'm a little bit too old for them!
This used to be 'the fantasy shelf', as it had A Song of Ice and Fire, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. They can no longer fit, so I swapped Lord of the Rings out for some classics (Wuthering Heights, Anna Karenina and Jane Eyre). I have two copies of Philosopher's Stone, one in English and one in Welsh, and two copies of Chamber of Secrets (one paperback one hardback). It takes all of the strength I can muster not to buy different editions of Harry Potter. There are loads of beautiful editions, but the originals are the best. They're all very well loved, especially Goblet of Fire, where the pages are hanging on by a thread!
Below is my stereo and CDs. I also have a couple of mugs (including my Penguin Classics one) and Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit. It's a great game for Potterheads - there are even a few really challenging questions mixed in there!
So my Middle Earth books had to be demoted onto this next shelf flanked by The Queen of the Tearling and, weirdly, Pamela by Samuel Richardson. The rest of the shelf contains popular fiction and a lot of my TBR list.
This next shelf is just a hot mess. A Series of Unfortunate Events, Horrible Histories, How to Train Your Dragon, driving theory books, Hemingway, Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Calm by Michael Acton Smith. What a mess. I think this is the shelf that needs the most clearing from it. Why am I holding onto Horrible Histories? Lord knows.
The bottom shelf is my hardbacks and school work. I finished sixth form in 2011 and university in 2014, but I've still held onto a lot of my work. I'm not quite sure why, but I think it holds sentimental attachment. Plus, with the recent US election, it was good to be able to quickly check my notes about how the Electoral College works! I really loved US Politics at A-Level.
I also have a load of music books, right back to when I was at primary school. If you want the 1st recorder part for 'Give me oil in my lamp', I've got you covered.
Hiding away underneath my bookshelf is some of my GCSE/A-Level artwork. I really miss art, but I unfortunately don't have time for it any more.
This isn't even my complete collection; I have stacks and stacks of books on the floor! It's where you can find most of my university course books and textbooks. I can't seem to bring myself to give them away. I also have a load of cookbooks inherited from my Gran, which will one day come in handy when I finally move out of my parents' house.
My bookshelves may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, but I have a lot going on! I like to look at other people's bookshelves and see what books that they hold dearest.
This is also a great opportunity to get some reading recommendations, so if you have any then fire them over in the comments!
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