Thursday, January 27, 2011

A Peek Inside My Bookshelf

I was inspired by this really great idea over at Red House Books. Emily is asking her readers to send in photos of their bookshelves to be featured on her blog. (Update: My bookshelf has been featured!) I'm going to participate in this, but also wanted to share my bookshelf with my readers.

I have one tiny bookshelf in my house, which for someone who enjoys reading as much as I do, doesn't really seem like a lot. This bookshelf has some history behind it. It belonged to my grandmother, or at least to someone in the household, and dates from the early 20th century. It's been painted pink. It's been painted black. It is now a shabby chic (read: chipped, peeling and grubby looking) shade of white:


 Its home at my grandmother's house was in a little bedroom in the attic. As far as I can remember, it held some old trophies and memorabilia that belonged to my uncle. When my grandmother moved in with us at my mom's house, it found a new home in her bedroom. When she passed away, it was claimed by me, and has
been moving around with me since. It is now missing a handle, the top door continuously falls off its track, the drawer in the bottom refuses to budge, and it is in desperate need of a new paint job, but I wouldn't trade it in for anything.

The books that I do have on my shelves are some of my favorites from over the years. Most of the books that I read now have been borrowed from my local library. (Strong supporter of small-town libraries. Go support yours now!) In fact, I haven't purchased a book for myself in years. I also have a collection of old, as in vintage, books that were handed down to me from my grandmother and great-aunt. Take a look:

Seen here are (from left to right):
1. A Child's Book of Poems Pictures by Gyo Fujikawa (1979)
2. Dean's A Book of Fairy Tales Illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone (1977)
4. Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1941)
5. The Riverside Anthology of Children's Literature by Judith Saltman (1984)-from college
6. The Modern Gift Book for Children Odhams Press Ltd. (1948)
7. Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott (1949)
8. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1930)
9. Women's Institute Library of Cookery 5 volumes (1927)
10. Mother Goose Illustrated by John Hassall (1909?)
11.Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1947)
12. Grimms' Fairy Tales Illustrated by Fritz Kredel (1945)
13. Heidi by Johanna Spyri (1915?)
14. The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (Unknown-early 1900s?)
15. Fairy Prince and Other Stories by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott (1922)


I also have a collection of more modern novels, and ones that I have read for classes in college and enjoyed. One of my favorite genres has always been ancient mythology, specifically Greek. I have a small collection of my favorites:

Seen here: (from left to right):
16. The Odyssey by Homer
17. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
18. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
19. Three Tragedies by Euripides V
20. The Aeneid by Virgil
21. Nicolas Nickleby by Charles Dickens*
22. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens*
23. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (1935)
24. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
25. Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas**
26. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
27. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
28. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens*
29. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
30. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
31. Mythology by Edith Hamilton
32. The Tale of Beatrix Potter: A Biography by Margaret Lane**


Another favorite genre is historical fiction, specifically stories pertaining to Henry VIII and those around him. I have many books on this subject, as well as several that I have been collecting for my own classroom (one day!).

Seen here (from left to right):
33. The Lord of the Rings trilogy set by J.R.R. Tolkien
34. The Thinker's Thesaurus by Peter E. Meltzer
35. The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason
36. The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
37. The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
 38. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
39. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
40. Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe
41. Comma Sense: A Fun-damental Guide to Punctuation by Richard Lederer and John Shore
42. Who's Whose: A Nonsense Guide to Easily Confused Words by Philip Gooden
43. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
44. The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory
45. Earthly Joys by Philippa Gregory
46. Virgin Earth by Philippa Gregory
47. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
48. The Rose Without a Thorn: The Wives of Henry VIII by Jean Plaidy
49. The Thistle and the Rose: The Tudor Princesses by Jean Plaidy
50. Mary, Queen of France: The Tudor Princesses by Jean Plaidy
51. Queen of this Realm by Jean Plaidy
52. The Lady in the Tower: The Wives of Henry VIII by Jean Plaidy
53. In the Shadow of the Crown: The Tudor Queens by Jean Plaidy
54. The Virgin Blue: A Novel by Tracy Chevalier
55. Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You by Mardy Grothe
56. What in the Word? Wordplay, Word Lore, and Answers to Your Peskiest Questions About Language by Charles Harrinton Elster
57. Accomodating Brocolli in the Cemetary: Or Why Can't Anybody Spell by Vivian Cook
58. Viva la Repartee: Clever Comebacks and Witty Retorts from History's Great Wits and Wordsmiths by Mardy Grothe


Missing from this collection are a million other books that have yet to find a home, including the entire Harry Potter series. One day I will have another bookcase to house those as well, but for now, my hand-me-down will have to suffice.

Anyone else care to share their bookshelves?


*Borrowed from one of my sisters and have yet to read. I find Dickens to be quite a struggle to get into.
** Also have yet to read.


Please excuse the gazillion referred books links below. I earn money for each link clicked. So start clicking away!

8 comments:

  1. I LOVE your bookshelf, especially all of your old books. Historical fiction is one of my favorites as well, particularly novels that deal with King Arthur & have a little bit of fantasy.
    P.S. I don't know how common those figurines are, but my mom & Grandma have the exact some ones!

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  2. 1. Who lent you Dickens?
    2. I loved that Book of Fairy Tales and now I want one too.

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  3. ooh I love LOVE old books ... and a lovely bookshelf to hold them!

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  4. @Mary: Thank you! I haven't read any King Arthur stories, but may have to add that to my list eventually. Also, the figurines were passed to my sisters and me from our Grandmother and/or Great-Aunt as well. They are Hummels.

    @OBG 1.Weezie. 2.Maybe one day a copy of it will find its way to you.

    @Nessa: Thank you. Old books are my favorite kind.

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  5. Krista, we have lots in common. I don't buy books and I love antiques. Gorgeous shelf!

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  6. @Nichole: Thank you!
    @Juju: Thank you as well and welcome to my little blog!

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  7. That is such a beautiful shelf!

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