A Peek at My Bookshelves
I have always wanted to post photos of my book collection on my blog. And I have been given just the push I needed with this week’s theme from Weekly Geeks.
For some odd reason (which I’m sure if you’re a book lover like me than you can relate) I love to be surrounded my books. Not just any books. My books. Although I do patronize my library quite a bit, I love to own the books I read and often buy a book after checking it out. I sometimes think I could just sit and look at my bookshelves for hours.
This is the view in our front room as soon as you walk through the front door. Isn’t that a wonderful sight to greet you? Most people ask, “Wow, do you like to read?” Second statement is, “Wow, you have a lot of plants.”
How about some close ups to give you an idea of what’s on those shelves (well, if you can make any of the titles out). These first two photos is a sampling of my fiction collection. I’ve got a entire list that you can see here although it hasn’t been updated for a few months.
The next two photos represent most of our non-fiction collection.
On the left bookshelf are two shelves of animation and filmmaking books, one shelf which consitutes my husband’s fiction collection (that would be the four or five books in the middle), one shelf of parenting/advice books, one shelf of magazines, and the bottom shelf houses our “churchy” books. The right bookshelf houses my photography, art and bookbinding books.
The next two shelves are in with the fiction bookshelves. The first is my gardening books (I’m running out of room on this one) and the second shelf houses my handmade books (which, yes, I did make myself, thanks for asking!)
Next up are the books in the boys’ room. The left photo is what it honestly looked like when I went in. At least they are being read! The right photo is what it’s supposed to look like after I gathered them up from the four corners of the room.
The next three photos represent what is currently sitting on my nightstand. This first photo represents review copies and the bottom three books are ones off of my bookshelf to remind me to read them soon.
This next photo shows what my husband is currently reading. All acquired and signed from the author event that you can read about here.
These are the books I currently have checked out from the library.
This next photo are books that are currently sitting on the shelf underneath my desk. These are all books that I have aquired or duplicate copies of books to give away on this blog. In other words, these are your books! There is a whole other row behind the second row that you can’t see. Keeper and the Kid is about to be mailed out tomorrow and I’ll be giving away the Richard Paul Evans books shortly (straight from his hands to mine). Although, these are not the books in my next HUGE giveaway. Stay tuned in the next couple of days for that one!
Now for the books that have no home. Sadly, I’ve nowhere to put these. Some are stuffed in the corner of the living room, some stacked two rows deep in the office. Remember that library sale? Oh wait, this one too. And yes, that would be boxes of books underneath our bed.
I have a solution though for all these homeless books. This is a huge blank wall in our bedroom, which has always been left blank with the intention of putting in a shelving system from Ikea. This summer is the time! I’m really excited to get it installed.
Something similar to this, but white and with glass doors.
So there you have it! A tour of the books in the Maw house.
Enjoy your browsing? Chris from Stuff as Dreams are Made On, Maree from Just Add Books, Alessandra from Out of the Blue, Chris from Book-a-Rama, Mel from Melody’s Reading Corner, Suey from It’s All About Books (who also posts a photo of a library that I used to live within walking distance of) and Tasses from Random Wonder all have photos of their own bookshelves as well.
Do you have a blog? Have you posted photos of your bookshelves on it? Feel free to leave the link.
Category: Bookish Musings & Miscellany
Tags: bookshelves, giveaway, Weekly Geeks
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Wow, I’m impressed and a little envious. While I love having books around, I’ve been relying on the library quite a bit.
Have you checked out bookmooch?? You can swap some of those books for other books.
on June 14th, 2008 at 4:44 amhttp://www.bookmooch.com
Hello; I’m a new reader and first-time commenter. We have books all over the house, too (and, sadly, in boxes in the attic). I recently posted a photo of one of our picture book shelves here.
I wouldn’t organize other parts of my collection by color, but I think it works for picture books–and at least the kids are getting used to looking on the spine before they shelve the book!
on June 14th, 2008 at 5:00 amI have SERIOUS bookshelf envy!! So much in fact that I’m going to show hubby your pictures and say–See, that’s what I NEED.
I got two bags full of books yesterday at a warehouse sale and will be going to our library booksale at the end of next month, so unless I find a new home my nooks and crannies will look much like yours!
Thanks for sharing!
on June 14th, 2008 at 5:57 amNew home for my books that is–I’d like a new home but we will probably stay in our rental for another couple of months until after the new year. Bleh!
on June 14th, 2008 at 5:57 amThank you for linking to me in your post!
on June 14th, 2008 at 7:57 amOMG! lol… by any chance do you even know how many books you own??? lol You have the makings of a great library of your own!
on June 14th, 2008 at 8:38 amNatasha, I loved this post! I just love seeing bookshelves full of books and yours are so nicely organized. I love the shelves in your front room. One of the things I don’t like about my house is that it is very open-now normally I would love that but there are not enough walls for bookshelves! We don’t use our dining room as a dining room so I am thinking I want to turn it into my library.
on June 14th, 2008 at 8:53 amI have one question. How do you keep your kids, especially your youngest, from eating and ripping your books on the bottom shelves? I had to move all the books off the bottom two shelves on most of my book shelves and right now I just have them stacked on the dining room table in order to keep them away from baby hands and mouths.
I have one word–WOW! You have so many books–I just want to go to your house and look at all of them!
What is your organizational system for how you shelve them? Thank you for sharing your pictures–I enjoyed looking at them!
on June 14th, 2008 at 10:01 amI enjoyed the pictures of your books.
) (I see The Westing Game! *wink*) You have way more books than me – I’m jealous!
on June 14th, 2008 at 10:22 amWow-your bookshelves are amazing! I thought I had lots of books but after seeing yours I’d have to say I don’t. LOL. Unfortunately I don’t have a lot of room so mine are put in rows in my bookshelf three deep-I’m going to get a pic up on my blog soon. And then there are some in boxes and others laying around in my room and on the nightstand-they end up everywhere don’t they. Great pics and thanks for sharing!
on June 14th, 2008 at 10:50 amI have book shelf envy! You also have a nice large place to put said bookshelves. I live in a tiny apartment and our one book shelf has no more room on it. Then there are piles of books in the storage closet, The ones I store under the bed, and the ones that sit in my basket next to the couch, and let’s not forget that I have more in the my parents house. I try to get rid of some of them. I really do, but I can’t bear to part with many. I love books! What can I say? One day I will have cool bookshelves like yours…it is my dream.
on June 14th, 2008 at 11:26 amSo many books! Your shelves are awesome. Thanks for sharing, Natasha!
on June 14th, 2008 at 1:47 pmNicole – I’m not on bookmooch although I’ve heard a lot of great things about it. I can’t bear to part with my books though.
Anamaria – Welcome! I hope you stop by often. I love meeting new people. My kids are two young to keep books in any type of order, I’m just happy if they can manage to put it back on the shelf.
Trish – He, he. My problem is that I’m running out of nooks and crannies.
Alessandra – You’re welcome!
Deslily – I love saying, “Hmm . . . what shall I read next. Wait, I have a library. Let me check out my own books!” I’m not sure how many books I have. If you count the picture books I’d have to guess a couple thousand? I could be way off. I’ve started to inventory my fiction books but that’s not even close to being done.
Jeanette – I totally know what you mean with the babies getting into the books. I have a few kids books on the very bottom shelf and my toddler knows those are the ones he can get out. Sometimes I will walk into the room and mysteriously find three or four books in the middle of the floor. My kids tend to push the books to the very back of the shelf more than an anything. The worse was our DVD’s in the TV room. We could NOT keep those contained. We finally bought a cabinet that we could lock up. You might want to try just putting board books on those bottom shelves until they grow out of it.
Laura – Well, like I mentioned earlier, I have the gardening, animation, film making, art, photography, bookbinding, and parenting/advice grouped together. As far as my fiction goes, I tend to do classics near the top, memoirs somewhat together, and young adult and middle grade fiction together. Beyond that there is no organization. It’s mostly by size as my shelves are packed in so tightly, I try to put books by the same author together. I don’t separate by genre or alpha because my kids do pull books down and I would probably go crazy.
Tarie – The Westing Game on the nightstand simply because you said you liked it so much! Thanks!
Darlene – I have room to double shelf mine but I don’t think I could do it. I’d feel so bad for the ones in the back.
Gamila – I probably should start doing some type of basket. I can’t bear to part with my books either.
Nymeth – Thanks!
on June 14th, 2008 at 3:46 pmLike you, I’ve always loved being surrounded by books. When I go to clean my room, I end up just sitting by my bookshelves, admiring my collection! If I had a camera I’d def post pics of mine online… hmm I may need to steal one from my sister
If you ever do get all your books catalogued, it would be interesting to find out how many you have. Have you checked out Librarything? That’s what I use. I even got a niftly little scanner which scans book barcodes to add them into my online library. I def had more books then I thought– 1079!
on June 14th, 2008 at 8:37 pmThat is a sweet collection. I have broke 2 bookshelves so now all my books are in boxes. I am waiting for my oldest to move out then turn her room into my library. My husband (not a reader) has alway been perplexed over my books. I will show him yours and he will know that my collection is small.
on June 14th, 2008 at 9:09 pmFirst of, wow I wish I had that many books. I have about um 35 I think. And my book shelf is sooooo tiny, since all of the other book shelves in the house are filled with random books of my mother’s and a bunch of children books. My book shelf is actually what I have been using for my girls’ blankets and things in their room. So now all of that stuff is shoved into a small basket, lol.
Second off, I love Luvs diapers. They make me so happy. Instead of books being in the leftover Luvs boxes it’s clothes. I have way too many baby clothes that my girls don’t fit in to anymore that I need to shove somewhere, hense the Luvs boxes.
Woot, go books!
(sorry for the uncommonly long comment)
-Breanna
on June 14th, 2008 at 11:36 pmhttp://bisforbooks-bre.blogspot.com/
Oh wow, I’m so impressed, Natasha!!!
I love your bookshelves, and I also like the way you added some potted plants too!
I don’t think my daughter has many books as compared to your boys but I’m beginning to add more to the collection. ;P
on June 15th, 2008 at 5:00 pmWow… looks like some of your shelves are bowing from the weight of the books. – but perhaps that’s the distortion of the camera lens that is making the shelf look like it’s bending
There is a UK site called BookRabbit.com that you may or may not find interesting that shows off people’s photographs of their bookshelves,
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article4058774.ece
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2008/05/17/dlclaud117.xml
I thought the photo of the cute little girl was your daughter, then realised it was you.
on June 16th, 2008 at 12:32 amWow – very detailed!
I posted pictures of my book shelves last year at this post:
http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2007/07/virtual-apt-tour-part-3.html
But it does look a bit different now since we’ve acquired over 200 books since then.
on June 16th, 2008 at 3:33 pmI love it!!! Everything looks so familiar! It could be my book mess! Jealous of your coming new shelf though. I’ll have to campaign harder for one here I think. Oh, and thanks for the link!
on June 16th, 2008 at 4:50 pmI love seeing all your books! I feel the same way, I love being surrounded by my books and just browsing through them. My daughter’s bookshelves look quite similar to your sons. I have the same point of view about it.
on June 17th, 2008 at 9:32 amWhat a FUN post! I wish I could have looked more closely at the pictures of your bookshelves to see the titles on the shelves.
on June 17th, 2008 at 11:34 amHeh. Your nightstand looks a lot like mine! I can’t believe you have boxes of books UNDER THE BED! I think it’s time to start a book-a-holics anonymous.
on June 20th, 2008 at 2:13 pmThat is ALOT !!:P But I understand your collection, I’d rather buy too then borrow it.. Even if I know that I won’t read them twice. I don’t hae much story books, but mostly graphic design related books
on July 2nd, 2008 at 5:01 pmOh, Natasha, I’m SO glad that you posted this! I always feel like a bit of a freak when people come over and see my shelves. They’re alphabetized and sorted according to genre (well…ok, fiction and then subject for nonfiction). I get the “you live walking distance from THREE city libraries” lecture from relatives. They just don’t understand. i think it’s because I tend to abuse my books with highlighters and doggears and general wear and tear but really, I think it’s mostly because I like to sigh, put a book back on the shelf when I’m done with it, step back and look at my collection. There is also something awesome about leaving a bookstore with a new purchase. I would say I’m a geek but I have a whole blog and comment section above me telling me that I’m not.
Thanks, again, for making me feel more normal.
on July 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 amBoy, are you ever a kindred spirit! I have few thousand quid (British pounds) ‘invested’ in my books…… nothing ever gets out of here once it’s crossed the threshold, and become all mine! I, like you, absolutely adore being surrounded by books, and have just written about that on my blog today. I’m doing a determined run-up to the November nanowrimo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) to write 50,000 words, start to finish in the month of November. Seeing as how I’ll become a Famous And Great Author thereafter, I’m buying just about every book available on writing. I am a very sick man!
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Love the site.
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on September 18th, 2009 at 10:54 amKevin.x