I’m pretty sure by this point I spend 87% of my life staring at my bookshelf.
Is this a good use of my time???? Absolutely yes.
Since I’m a writer, I spend a lot of time staring blankly waiting to be walloped in the face by inspiration. So I look at my bookshelf! Which is part daunting (“HOW DO THESE AUTHORS WRITE SO GOOD I WILL NEVER”) and part inspiring (“oNE DAY I WILL JOIN THE RANKS OF FAMOUS MAGICIANS”).
I absolutely love my shelf and looks like…
☆ I like my shelves as colour-coded as possible.
☆ When I take books out for bookstagram shoots, I always put them back in the exact same order.
☆ I don’t really love ARCs because their spines aren’t pretty looool yes I am shallow.
☆ I feel most comfortable surrounded by my books?!? It’s wonderful.
☆ I decorate my shelf with flowers!
☆ I own mostly paperbacks because…cheaper. But I prefer hardcovers.
So how about a little bookshelf scavenger hunt?!
We can tour my shelf AND I can do this instead of finishing writing an outline like I’m supposed to be. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m also adapting this tag from the #BareYourBookshelf on instagram…plus adding some of my own questions because how dare you leave a tag at six questions. You offend reason, sir.
1. BOOK YOU OWN BUT HAVEN’T READ YET
AKA THE MOST ADORABLE QUESTION. Book. Singular? HA. I have so so many…and honestly sometimes I just look at my TBR stack and feel this odd sense of terror that I will be 87 before I get to them all. I want to read everything, but all at once. It’s my bane.
And being a mood reader means: yes that books looks GOOD buuuuut not right now.
ME @ MYSELF AND MY MOOD READING
SOME PRESSING TITLES
- Empress of All Seasons
- Sometime After Midnight
- Godsgrave
- In Other Lands
- The Glass Spare
- Save The Date
- City of Brass
- Bridge of Clay
- Little Do We Know
- The Bear And the Nightingale
- Before She Ignites
WE DO NOT EVEN SPEAK ABOUT THE KINDLE TBR. IT IS A BLACK HOLE. ALL WHO VENTURE THERE RETURN WITH 42 MORE BOOKS THAN THEY ANTICIPATED.
2. BOOKS YOUR FRIENDS LOVE
I think this question is the absolute cutest! Also is a 100% totally endorsed moment for me to be creepery and say I can notice some of my friends’ favourites! Or else I think I do and I’m about to get very embarrassed. OK but here we go:
- The Hunger Games (white deluxe editions) = which Shannon @ Starts At Midnight is like THE most amazing THG collector!
- All the Stiefvater books = Finn and I share a total Stiefvater obsession and this is glorious of us we are unstoppable.
- Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda = Maraia!! Although I don’t think this is her ultamite favourite, but I know she loves it and (back when it came out) told me to read it!
- A Thousand Perfect Notes = WELL NO PRESSURE BUT HOPEFULLY ALL MY FRIENDS LOVE IT ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I actually had more but then I wasn’t suuuuure so I’m going to ask you all in the comments to list your favourites so I can take note. Which isn’t, um, creepery of me at all.
3. BOOKS BY AN AUTHOR YOU LOVE
This is ridiculous because I own a lot of books by authors I love. I spent my teen years never buying books (BROKE TEEN) so it actually is the best thing ever to now have a bit of extra resources to buy books. I AM ALL THE HEART EYES. Anyway, you know my usual suspects (aka Stiefvater, Clare, Albertalli, Schwab etc…) so I’m throwing up some photos of lesser-shouted-about-loves
Adam Silvera, Mackenzie Lee, Stephanie Garber, Leigh Bardugo
4. BOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR TBR
Don’t die of shock now, but I just cleaned out a WHOLE lot of books from my shelves…and this actually included a lot of books on the bottom of my TBR. I just looked at them and my mood was pretty much:
SO I LET THEM GO.
Wow. I’m…really proud of me because I have serious attachment issues to inanimate things. People? Eh. Books? Watch me break down.
ANYWAY. Currently a book that is not very high priority but I would still like to read eventually is: Flame In The Mist.
5. BOOK WITH COLOUR IN THE TITLE
Ooh this was actually quite hard and made me use both my eyeballs and brain whilst searching my shelves. Which is not something I signed up for wow talk about rude.
6. BOOK SET SOMEWHERE YOU’D LIKE TO VISIT
I’m actually tragically opposed to the idea of travelling or leaving my room in general. But, if say…Thisby from The Scorpio Races was real? I WOULD LIVE THERE. I would find a nice cottage on a windswept hill while all the wild man-eating horses ate my neighbours and I’d write beautiful and grim stories and eat many pastries and 10/10 this is mY VISION FOR THE FUTURE.
f
7. MOST COLLECTED AUTHOR
This is absolutely without a doubt Cassandra Clare. I own a ridiculous amount of her books because: DOUBLES.
I don’t even know where they all come from! I swear! Like every time a new edition comes out, I generally get sent one to review and I love this so much and getting rid of some would break up the family. Am I a monster??? DO I LOOK LIKE A FAMILY-BREAKING MONSTER? No.
8. MISMATCHED SERIES
Does this photo make you uncomfortable? It makes me uncomfortable.
By this point I don’t even know what to do ok. I just let the Holly Black books be as wild and unruly as the faeries she writes about and I cry softly to myself at night.
When I am rich and famous I will replace all my mismatched series and have only matching ones.
9. BOOK YOU LOVE BUT DON’T REMEMBER WELL
I’m throwing this question in strictly as a salt, burn, and roast @ myself. Because I swear I am in love with so many books and yet??? Do I actually remember half of what goes in them??
Anyhow! Here are some I (a) own, (b) love, (c) what the heck happens, what the heckkkkk.
- I’ll Give You The Sun = DEFINITE favourite. DEFINITELY forgotten all of it.
- The Perks Of Being a Wallflower = I read this when I was a tiny teenager. All I remember is that Charlie isn’t even his real name. (You lied to me?? Why. I am young and fragile and thought we were friends.)
10. HOW MANY BOOKS DO YOU OWN + IS YOUR SHELF EVERYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE?
FOR YOU…I ACTUALLY COUNTED. I actually get asked this a lot so it seemed high time I practised counting higher than four. I have around 623 books.
And I have 22 copies of A Thousand Perfect Notes. But it is my first horcrux, alright. I’m allowed to be overly sentimental.
As for if my shelf is everything I want? YES IT IS. I have a lot of side shelves, which aren’t as aesthetically pleasing, but my main square-shelf is my pride and joy. However, not gonna lie, I do want and entire WALL of shelves someday and a ladder. I will not rest until I’ve achieved this.
I basically am an author to write books –> so I can afford to buy more books.
Well I think you know what one of my favorite books is (and if you want a copy I’ll send it to you because I need a reason to buy a matching edition. Lol. Dm me!) I am trying to own less books because I’m gonna be moving lots in the next few years. And I love having physical books but I mainly want ones that I am gonna reread or lend to my friends. But I like my shelf a lot, it has little trinkets on it and it’s organised by genre. I really should have read Hold Still by now.
WELL IT CAN’T BE SABRIEL. 😂😂
And I can definitely imagine it’d be hard to collect books when you move around! I mean, I moved last year and packing all my books was verrrry unfun. (Not to mention expensive to move so many oops.) But shelves are really comforting!! I dream of being fully surrounded at all times someday. :’)
OOohhhh your bookshelf is sooo gorgeous your shelfies are always so gorgeous! I arrange my books by colour too – it means that series are separated but I find it soooo much easier to find my books! I always remember the cover or spine rather than the author (whoops!) Gorgeous post Hun, I’m SO EXCITED FOR THE BOY WHO STEALS HOUSES it looks amazing and A Thousand Perfect Notes BROKE ME (in the best kind of way) so I knowww TBWSH is going to be incredible!! x
Grace Louise || http://www.gracelouiseofficial.blogspot.co.uk/
Aww thank you, Grace!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. *flails* And I’m glad you go by colour too! I always get confused when people are like “how do you find anything” because??? It’s so easy? I remember a book’s colour way before the title or anything.😂
(aafjdkslad thank you for your kind words for my little books!! AHH!)
I haven’t counted them recently, but between physcial copies and kindle books i have around 550-600. Of course over half of them i haven’t read yet 😀 They are not nearly as nicely organised as yours, although i do have one tiny bookshelf where i attempted to arrange them by colour…
Living in a cottage with no people around, eating pastries all day is a dream of mine too 😀
Hey but at least we’re collecting books to read when the apocalypse happens. This is SUCH a fair excuse.😂😂 (Also hi five for our dream cottages with pastries and no noisy humans.😂)
i bought the GOT series a while ago and I STILL haven’t gotten to it *sigh* It looks good on my shelf though and YESSS i LOVE MY SHELVES! yes i want more books and shelves and i will never stop wanting more but i love what i have right now. I ADORE MY SHELVES. i just stand there and look at all my books and just feel so content and happy with life 🙂
They’re definitely kind of intimidating though, right?! 😂I ended up listening to them via audio just because like 1000+ pages absolutely freaks me out. Ha. I AM SMOL AND EASILY SCARED. Also is it even possible to truly ever have enough shelves?! I think not.😂
(I’m so glad you get the content/happy feeling looking at your shelves too! LOVE THAT.)
AAAHJJJGJHGH
I’M HAVING A TEENY TINY FREAKOUT THIS POST WAS SO AESTHETIC AND PRETTY AND AAAGHGHGH I LOVE IT. Also, Stiefvater is such a queen?!?! I love the Raven Cycle so much and it honestly killed me when I finished this series (yes you are to talking to dead) Ronan and Adam are such sweet cinnamon rolls, awww + Blue= super awesome.
I just realised how many books I now have to read and chances of me getting there? 1,5925337%
My books are in stacks because I don’t actually own any shelves but THEY ARE RAINBOWWWW and I love them so much. Quite a bit less than how many books you have but I just feel so happy when I look at them?!?! and its unexplainable. books are unexplainable.
I’M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT. IT WAS FUN TO JUST STAR AT MY SHELVES FOR A WHILE.😂I’m totally totally humble about them.😂 And omg Stiefvater though. I can’t with how good her books are. 😍😍😍 (Also live forever, it is definitely the key to getting through all these books.)
I LOVE YOUR SHELVES, THEY’RE SO PRETTY!
I’m weird about my bookshelves…I have limited space and live in an apartment that is very temporary, so I try to be good. I fail, but I TRY. Anyway, so my shelves (I’m somehow up to three main shelves whoops how did that happen) are for all my favorite things. If I can’t in good conscience give a book a 4 or 5 rating on Goodreads, I don’t keep it because of space issues. Also, none of my TBR is allowed onto my shelves. (This means my TBR is in three giant man-eating stacks against the wall by my bed instead BUT THAT’S NOT THE POINT.)
Someday, like you, I dream of having a wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. SOMEDAY! But in the meantime, I like what I’ve done with the space I have. 🙂
As for the books I am known for loving? EASILY Katherine Arden’s Winternight series. I met her recently and she leapt up from the table with a, “It’s you! You’re the one who collects all the editions!” and ran around to give me a hug. It was wonderful and a little embarrassing and I still have feels about it two months later. But yes. THOSE BOOKS. *happy sigh* They get a whole separate little shelf on the other side of my room because I have so many. I CAN’T HELP IT. ALL OF THE COVERS ARE SO PRETTY!
Also, you should read The Bear and the Nightingale. Immediately. And I’m completely unbiased. Yup.
As for me and a book I should have read by now? Honestly SO MANY. But Strange the Dreamer has been sitting inconspicuously in my stack for quite some time now.
We can just sit here and dreeeam of owning our perfect libraries at least. 😂 And I totally understand the space issue! I’m a bit vain with mine and I’ll keep books I don’t like just for the right colour-scheme for my rainbow lol lol. But with my hardcovers and smaller shelves (since I don’t use them for photos) I’ve started being harsher and getting rid of ones I don’t like. I ALWAYS NEED MORE SPACE! THIS IS THE BOOKWORM CRY!
Omg I absolutely want to read the Winternight series!! (And the covers are so stunning!?) Honestly The Bear and the Nightingale is staring at me and I have no excuse.
PSSST read Strange! I’m rereading it currently and SO in love.
I’ve noticed you really like the number 87 XD
Also, color coded shelves are the best kinds of shelves *u*
+10 points for the Veronica Mars GIF
Btw can’t wait for the new season they just announced 😀 If you haven’t watched this show yet, I highly recommend it ^u^
I don’t have a particular attachment to 87. 😂It must be just where my fingers randomly land when I’m hitting things haha. And I haven’t actually seen the Veronica Mars show !! AHH! I should!
Hi, Cait !!!
Well, that’s a lot of books xD OH MY… Though i did think you had a lot more hahaha. You, book devourer.
I think I own about 400 books, more or less, but I always forget the exact number days after I count them hahah.
I ADORED THIS !!! SO RELATABLE hahah <3 <3 <3
Kisses!
Aww thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed this post.😂
I LOVE ALL THE TAGS YOU DO IN YOUR BLOG I WANNA DO THIS ON MINE TOO. I have so many blog posts to write I am deceased. But this tag is just too precious to miss! I hope I can post my version soon.
Anyway, everyone in the universe know I’m trash for Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. It’s not really surprising because I shriek about those books ALL THE TIME. I do not like my shelf situation right now because I badly need a new one. I have a stack that is almost reaching the ceiling now and it’s threatening to flatten me any minute now.
I CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVEN’T READ STRANGE THE DREAMER OR POPPY WAR YET. Obviously they’re not the oldest books in my TBR but they’re the ones I’m dying to read.
DEFINITELY DO IT RAIN, I WANT TO SEE YOUR ANSWERS. (Although I’m so behind on commenting you’ve probably done it already lmao.) 😂 Tags are fun right?! I need some more to do.😂 And yessss for all the HP and PJO love. They definitely deserve it. Also I’m pretty sure all we bookworms need new shelves. Or better shelves. Or a house full of shelves. The little things. :’)
STRANGE IS WORTH IT. YESSSS.
I wish I had your shelves! My books are all spread out on small shelves or stuck in drawers. I have no idea how many books I own. Maybe 1000? I don’t know. I have books everywhere! Around 60 of them haven’t been read yet. I feel guilty for neglecting them.
It’s so hard to read everything though, right?!😂 I always get pulled to the new and shiny and then books just fall further and further back on my TBR ahhh. Oops.😂
ahhh your book shelf is the most aesthetically pleasing thing I’ve ever see!! #goals
AWW THANK YOU!!
Whenever I think books I love this list comes to mind
-Percy Jackson and The Heroes of Olympus (it is the same series right me)
-anything that Marie Lu writes (my collection of her books is actually rivaling my Rick Riordan collection)
-Six of Crows
-Eliza and Her Monsters
-Starfish
-The Lunar Chronicles
-The Maze Runner
-Harry Potter
-A Thousand Perfect Notes (I’m legit obsessed with your book and sometimes wonder how Beck’s doing, how is he?)
My current shelf situation right now is just where ever it fits+some aesthetic but I’m waiting to get my room cleaned so I can get a new bookshelf
Just ONE book on my tbr I should’ve read by now???????? ONE??????? Well I guess, The Raven Boys (PLEASE DON’T HURT!!!) Everyone loves it and I should be reading it right now but I’m a potato soooooo…. I also haven’t read Flame in the Mist yet and even though the reviews are pretty negative I still want to read it
N’aww NOW YOU’RE JUST BEING TOO NICE TO ME. 😂 *secretly sends you all the cake* In other news, I completely love your list and definitely recognise that you mention The Maze Runner and Six of Crows a lot! EXCELLENT taste in books. This is very clear.
And you love ATPN enough that I’ll forgive you for not having read The Raven Cycle. 😉
Also the reviews for Flame in the Mist are mostly negative right? Eep. I will definitely still read it, but I think that’s why I haven’t yet.
I feel like I am well known for COMPLETELY ADORING the Skulduggery Pleasant series (I even have more then 30 copies) and I NEED BIGGER SHELVES
Ah haha yes you definitely are. 😂
I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM !!! THEY ARE BACK-UP COPIES FOR THE END-OF-THE-WOULD OK?!!!
Oh, I adore your shelfie! Over the years we have had TONS of books! Read most of them. lol After moving about 28 times across 5 states, my daughter is the only one now with an abundance of books. It was reeeaaallly hard getting rid of books, but, oh the smiles on the people who collected them from us! I do admit to reading ‘digitally’ more now, but recently found a used book store here in Las Vegas with books that begged me to bring them home, so I have a good stack to read now. Great post! Happy I stopped by this morning!
Aww thank you!! And omg that’s a lot of moves! My family moves a lot too, but probably only 10 times in the last 20 years?😂 It’s really hard moving with a lot of books though ah ahhah. I had like 13 boxes last time and it was intense.😂
Your shelfies are always so pretty !!!!! I have about 200 books I think?? I have several shelves, and I particularly like my two cherry stained ones (sentimental value and the reds and purple in the wood is UGH noice), but I would love to have more… matching ones?? But actually what I want most is a reading nook/actual library setup. I love pics of reading spaces, little hideaways or comfy chairs/window bed things that you could just snuggle into and peep out from your book fort like the lumbering bookish bear you are, I mean I am.
And lol there are so many books I should have read by now but I’m particularly looking forward to Let’s Talk About Love and Crooked Kingdom!
Omg cherry stained shelves though. 😍😍THAT SOUNDS LOVELY. And omg I envy so many reading spaces I see online!! Dream is to obviously live in a house that is basically a library haha.
Let’s Talk aBout Love and CK are AMAZING. I hope you enjoy them!
The Invisible Library is one I’ve expressed a lot of love for, as is Six of Crows (I pushed it onto all of my friends, who loved it). I threw a lot of love at Gothic fiction in general at one point. And whilst I try to avoid fangirling on my blog (I’m self-conscious about it for some reason 🙁 ), my reviews for both volumes of Batgirl: Stephanie Brown are nothing but. In the end, I just gave myself permission to do so.
Oh God, books I should have read by now… Let’s not go there.
Omg yes I definitely know your love for The Invisible Lbirary and Six of Crows ahhh!! It’s awesome to be known for rec’ing a book all the time, I think.😂 And hey nothing to be ashamed about with fangirling (although I do think I tone down a little myself these days because I get self conscious haha.)
My kindle is also a black hole of books, I don’t think I’m allowed to buy anymore kindle books xD While mismatched books generally annoys me, for some reason I love the wildness of your Holly Black collection… as you said, they are as wild as the fey in the stories! And I also don’t remember The Perks, it’s been too long…
I think I’m known for loving The Bear and the Nightingale, I love it so much and always shout about it whenever I got the chance, aka now (I see it on your tbr Cait 👀… READ IT). I would definitely love to have more books on my tbr, but I’m generally pretty happy with what I have ahaha! In fact, I’m currently getting rid of some of my books! 😀
Actually it’s true that the Holly Black books are at least appropriately wild, considering their content. 😂But I definitely still dream of having them coordinated someday haha. (Although that will probably NEVER happen as I don’t think all her books even exist in hardcover?) Omg Perks though! I need to reread. I WILL MAKE MYSELF THIS YEAR.
I neeeeed to read The Bear And the Nightingale yes. I’M SO SORRY. Also something I will make sure I read this year?!
All the books!! Honestly really the only reason I have a job is to be able to afford books……
I am working on a mental health collaboration, I was hoping you would be interested?? Here is the link to my post about it if you are!!
https://lilahsmusicals.blogspot.com/2018/09/the-call.html
Ohhh so sorry I didn’t see this comment till right now. 😭I’ll come read your post!
Wowwwww this post has me so jealous of your shelf right now 😂😂 it’s beautifulllllll!! I definitely dream of having those glorious floor-to-ceiling bookshelves complete with a rolly ladder and a comfy couch for curling up on!! For now, I just have a smol shelf and get most of my books from the library but that’s ok! I’ll get there! 🤞
Hmm it’s so hard to choose favorite books!! But I really do love The Book Thief and Warcross – those are books I can re read every single day, and I force my friends to read them lol. Six of Crows was so good, too!!!
Congratulations on owning so many beautiful books!!!!! 😍😍Your shelfie is goals, hun!!
Yesss the rolling ladders and the floor to ceiling bookshelves!! LIFE GOALS. I want those so badly too.😂
The Book Thief is AMAZING and Six of Crows afjdkslad I can’t even get over that one. 😍😍
This is such a fun tag, I loved reading your answers. Also, wow, you do have a TON of books haha that’s amazing 😀
I’d be super curious to hear your thoughts on Flame in the Mist – this book has so many mixed reviews. I personally read it a couple weeks ago and I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. I hope you will end up loving it, too 😀
I feel like I am known for loving… Alice Oseman’s latest book I Was Born For This lately haha. IT IS AN AMAZING BOOK though, so… 😀
Ooh that makes me want to read Flame in the Mist more now! I have heard SO many mixed reviews too yikes, hhaha. And the controversy over the cover change was wild too. 😂But then everything gets wild and dramatic in the blogosphere. I mean, we’re artists so it makes sense. Ha.
Aww I was Born For This is WORTH ALL THE LOVE!!
Ooh books I’m known for loving? It’s not so much books as authors; I flail about Schwab a lot, and Rick Riordan and Sarah J Maas. Obviously my love of Harry Potter is no secret either. I also have my fair share of mentions of Neal Shusterman and Derek Landry on my blog. I am not happy with my current shelf situation because I’m at Uni and my shelves are a lot smaller so most of my books are spread around different places at the moment! It is a rare/never seen thing for my books to all be together. I still haven’t read The Hate U Give, I tried recently but just wasn’t in the mood.
Oh yes I have seen your flails of Schwab a lot for sure!! It’s so epic to be known for loving an author a lot. 😂Also I’d definitely struggle if I had to live away from my books. 😭
I pretty well known for loving The Lord of the Rings, Mara Daughter of the Nile, and Murder on the orient Express. This was such a fun tag and seriously, your book shelf is the most beautiful thing EVERR. I die in bliss every time I see it. XD
Aww thank you!! That is SO NICE OF YOU. And omg Mara!! I loved that book in school. 😍😍
Haha no I just like to restack the bookstagram books whereever they’ll fit. Except for the hardcovers/long paperbacks – they go on the bottom of my bookshelf. I’m pretty sure I always manage to bring up Inkheart and Harry Potter. But I just finished the 3rd book in the Lockwood and Co series so you better bet I’ll be talking about that until everybody’s ears fall off (I’m friends with this 14 year old who’s also into books and I CANNOT WAIT to meet up with her at the library so I can basically shove the Lockwood and Co series in her arms (I also lent my Inkheart copies to her). I’ve always wanted the simple, mysterious bookshelf version – pull a book down in a shelf and a door opens leading to a huge room with just books alllllll over Like THIS IS THE DREAM. There’s a reason why Belle’s my favourite Princess.
Okay, so I confess, I haven’t actually finished the Raven Cycle. I think I stopped at the start of The Raven King and didn’t even understand much of the third book
Actually fitting books into shelves can be an utter miracle too, I agree.😂And YAY for Inkheart and HP!! Although tbh I need to finish the Inkworld books and I’m a bit ashamed that I haven’t haha.
Omg bookshelves WITHIN BOOKSHELVES. That’s what we need.
😂 😂 I’m a huge fan of ‘stick the book on there and don’t touch it’. I also like to poke the particularly large bookstack on top of my bookshelf to see how it moves forwards 😂 such a fun game.
I’m thinking of a reread (for Inkworld) but if I reread that I’ll have to reread a whole bunch of other series and there’s not enough TIME for that! 😭
Yeah, I dream of a different shelf setup: MORE SHELVES FILLED WITH MORE BOOKS. Hehehehe I’m greedy.
Dude lately I’m kind of stressing because there are SO MANY BOOKS that I want to read and NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY. Like imagine what we could do if we were given superpower-speed reading for a day?? We could tear through all those TBRs in no time and breathe a sigh of relief. I have the Angel Eyes trilogy by Shannon Dittemore, some classics that I got from Goodwill, and a bunch of books I want to reread, alllll on my shelves glaring at me. And I’m just over here saying “I’M SORRY I CAN’T DO IT ALL”. XD
Omg I stress about that all the time. How do we even survive this knowledge that we can’t read all the books?! SOMEONE GIVE US IMMORTALITY. WE WOULD USE IT WELL.
What a fun and gorgeous post! You even posed toes up! LOL
AWw thank you!😂😂
I talked about the Red Queen series ENDLESSLY a couple years ago, so now one of my friends sees someone reading it and goes “Oh, that’s the book you like” which is… true (even tho I haven’t read the last book yet *sob*), except for the fact that Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda has TOTALLY stolen my heart, along with Becky Albertalli’s writing style as a WHOLE (i actually managed to get my hands on an arc of What If It’s Us and OH MY GOD L O V E). I will sing the praises of my Oreo-loving son until the day. I. Die.
Honestly, my shelving system is literally just whatever shelves I find on the side of the street? Over the years I’ve collected antique shelves and cheap new shelves and deep box shelves and all that stuff so my bookshelves are a hot mess with limited alphabetical organization. all i ask for is the library from beauty and the beast, okay? Or Alana King’s study.
I PROBABLY should’ve read War Storm by Victoria Aveyard by now, because, as I mentioned, I was OBSESSED with Red Queen when the other books were releasing and then the fourth and final book comes out and I’m… busy? I think… I might’ve been obsessed with something else when it came out, but like… I want to know what happens but at the same time I cannot afford a $30 hardcover monstrosity that’s three inches think, I don’t care HOW aesthetic the covers are, I AM BROKE.
Ahh I love being known for liking a book so much people see it and are like “OH THIS MADE ME THINK OF YOU” 😂😂It becomes our LEGACY. haha. And omg Simon Vs. Best ever. I’m glad that What If It’s Us didn’t let you down too!!
And hey eclectic shelving is fun too.😂
(And actually reading series finales is really hard and I totally understand procrastinating it!!)
It is fun xDD THO WHAT IF IT’S US ACTUALLY BROKE ME I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH CAN I KEEP THEM FOREVER *sob*
It is, but it’s haaard xD Nothing matches
(i want to but at the same time no. i’ve had two finales make me actively cry and i don’t want that again man)
623 Books. That isn’t really what shocks me but the probability that 70% of that number is colour coordinated.
I had a huge library in the house I grew up in for 10 years before I moved to another country for 5 years and then another one for 6. So yeah, my books have to constantly be given away because of the travelling and it’s kind of – the absolute worst. So yeah, I’m a little jealous of you heh heh.
I also have to mention that the picture of the blue books you’ve used for your Title picture is so beautiful!
Well my main shelf in that photo doesn’t have ALL my books in it.😂I have some smaller shelves which I really should’ve put in this post, in retrospect. Gah. But yeah I put the ones that don’t colour-fit in different shelves. I am nothing if not very ruthless about who is pretty enough for my main shelf lmao.
Aww that sucks to never be able to keep hold of all your books! I feel for you!😭😭
623 books?!?!?! that’s a lot. I envy your bookshelf! But not your TBR list.
Ahh haha I need to live forever clearly to read them all.😂
Maybe one of those books will reveal to you the secret of immortality.
My favourite is um… The Potion Diaries series I would say. I like my shelves, they’re okay but I need a new shelf because it’s overspilling and i have piles of books next to my shelvess with no home 🙁
Agh I hear you with the overspilling bookshelves!! We all need more room right?! Also probably just a whole house devoted to books…*wishful thinking* 😂
Many people seem to know that I love Harry Potter, like it seems to be the first thing people learn about me? People tag me into conversations about it.
I really don’t like how my shelf looks right now, there are so many books crammed onto it because I’ve had to find so many places for them, and there are other books hidden around the house, too. I really wish I could display them in one room on multiple shelves in alphabetical order.
I should have read Half of a Yellow Sun now, it’s been in my TBR box for at least 3 years now?
Omg people tag me into like all the Stiefvater updates!😂Usually I’m like…”yes I’m a huge stalker I already know.” lmao.😂
I’m pretty sure all we bookworms desperately need new shelves or better ones ahhh.
GIRL!! Girl! First of all, relatable: “I have serious attachment issues to inanimate things. People? Eh. Books? Watch me break down.” I am a mess about books. I am very attached. They are my children and I love them all. No, I’m not petting them. (I’m staring longingly at my shelves.) (Okay now I may pet one?) BUT FOR REAL. Relatable. This whole post? Relatable. I almost typed “relationabel” which isn’t even a word but that’s fine, we’re cool, everything’s great over here.
OKAY. I’m back and calm-ish. Cassandra Clare is one of the authors I have an obscene amount of books from. Duplicates and the like. It’d be a little more shameful if she wasn’t brilliant. But she is, thus SHAMELESS.
Omg I’m not alone?!? *comes to stand with you* Books are LITTLE PIECES OF OUR LOVE AND AFFECTION AND SOULS, PROBABLY.😂 This is why I have such trouble lending them lmao. And I RELATE to your love of Cassandra Clare!! She is perfection.
This was such a fun post to read, Cait! I always love staring at your bookshelves. They are so pretty. I try to colour coordinate mine but well, they are not as good as yours 😀 And how did you even put the books back in same order after the photoshoot? It is definitely a sorcery I would want to learn 😛
Around 60o books? Frankly speaking, I thought you would have more than 1000 considering the number of books you read each year 😀 But still it’s a big number.
Having an entire wall of shelves is definitely a dream for me too. But for that, I need a bigger home which is not a possibility at the moment. But maybe in future 😀
I hate when the books in a series mismatch. I control myself until the point I can buy the similar edition.
Aww, thank you, Sim!😂I can’t remember like ANYTHING about life but apparently I remember what order my books go in lmao. And aww I read so so many borrowed/library books too! Although not as much this year sadly, due to not having a library. But I actually buy only a very small amount.😂
We can always dream about having homes entirely devoted to books, right?!
Right now, my bookshelf is literally FULL TO BURSTING. I love it — it’s all pretty & polished & dark wood — but books are literally spilling onto my desk, and of course, I have some books which are just too large (mainly non-fic ones) to actually *fit* on a shelf to begin with. But I love it! I also have a smaller bookshelf closer to my bed — but that’s wayyyy too full as well. So, to summarize: too many books, too little shelf. 😉 Also, I am in LOVE with your shelves. So damned pleasing to look at!
I honestly think that books should all be the same size…IT’D HELP SO MUCH.😂 Ahem. But yes I’m pretty sure there isn’t a bookworm in existence who doesn’t secretly want more or better shelves. 😂
Great post. Your shelves are so pretty, Mixmatched series are the bane of my existence. I wish I could have all my shelves next to each other but that isn’t happening #sadface
I think I’m mostly known for my love for Bartimaeus? Or Jonathan Stroud in general I suspect.
Oh yes you totally mention Jonathon Stroud a lot!! It makes me want to read them for sure.😂
I have serious attachment issues to inanimate objects too! 😂😂😂 I would say I’m known for loving Pride and Prejudice! 😍😍 Great post!
Inanimate objects are THE BEST THOUGH. They are always nice to us.😂😂
Well okay, don’t mind if I do use this perfect excuse to list my favorite books: Harry Potter, Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, The Fault In Our Stars, The Hunger Games, the Lunar Chronicles, any Becky Albertalli books, Far From the Tree, Calvin & Hobbes, All Our Yesterdays, Aristotle and Dante, Nimona, Eliza and Her Monsters, and Wonder.
OMG, that mismatched series photo gave me so much anxiety just from a single glance. *hyperventilates* How do you sleep at night??
Apparently I don’t remember The Perks of Being a Wallflower all that well either, because Charlie isn’t his real name??? How did I forget that???
I wholeheartedly approve of your sushi socks. I own a pair myself but holes have started to appear in the heel and I can’t deal with that. *cries*
I have a single bookshelf I love to bits and pieces, but it would be nice to have more because otherwise my overflow of books ends up under my bed and my dog likes to crawl under there and knock everything over. Oh, Scout . . .
AHHHH well I definitely love a LOT of your favourites.😂Unsurprisingly. *hi fives for our epic taste in books* And honestly my mismatched series are very hard to look at. I often won’t let them sit together on the shelf until they decide to be more functional together lmao. 😂
I NEED to reread Perks! It’s so tiny so like that’s a good excuse to just start it right/!
I think staring at your bookshelves is a fantastic use of your time, because they’re GORGEOUS and who wouldn’t want to stare at those? I’d be concerned if you didn’t.
Half of your bookshelf TBR is currently sitting in my Kindle TBR, AND LIKE YOU SAID LET’S NOT MENTION THAT, OKAY? (Except, seriously, I went looking for a book I knew was on it the other day and it took me uncomfortably long to find it.)
I’ve just realized that Flame in the Mist has the prettiest cover, and I want to buy it just for that. Does that make me shallow? Meh, I can live with it.
623 books is impressive, and now I’m sort of concerned and wonder how many I have? But I sort of want to live in ignorant bliss just a little bit longer. Also, I cleared out probably … I don’t know, 100 books recently. But then my grandmother died, and I added another, like, 30, so maybe that wasn’t as productive as I thought. Hrm.
My shelves look a bit like ogres. They try, really they do. They’re beautiful at heart. But in the end, they still bash people with clubs and eat helpless rabbits. One day, I dream of having beautifully organized shelves, but I can never decide how I want it organized. So right now, I just say that the theme is Glorious Chaos, to match my brain. 😉
I know right?! I am absolutely using my time wisely lmao. And OMG KINDLE TBRS ARE WILD THINGS. They are not to be spoken of.😂 And it’s hard to clear out books without feeling like that’s permission to get more.😂
Your bookshelves give me heart eyes all the way!!
My favourite book series that I’m knows for is the Swipe Series by Evan Angler. A friend brought it up just yesterday and said ‘I still don’t see why you think it’s SO good. I mean I’ve read it and it’s not THAT great…’ I just stared and started rubbing my hands together and quietly said ‘I’m thinking of how best to kill you’. Then we both just laughed.
But no seriously they might just die
CONFESSION: (I HOPE YOU APPRECIATE THIS HURTS) I should’ve read book 2, 3 & 4 of The Raven Boys. I only just finished the first book yesterday because it had been on my TBR for ttooo long!
Aww thank you!! I am quite in love with my shelves myself too.😂 And omg I love that you ended up being obsessed with a series you thought you wouldnt’ like haha. I haven’t read it though! Anddddd I’ll tRY to forgive you for not reading The Raven Boys. 😂
Haha😂
You’re forgiveness is really appreciated!😂
Oh, no… Do I have to confess that? Because it would be the Harry Potter series (hangs head in shame). I am working on it though, I’m gonna start book four soon, so this will stop being a shameful thing for me. The series I’m best known for loving is the Starcrossed trilogy by Josephine Angelini, as I’m obsessed with Greek mythology and this series revolves around this!! One I’m not known for, but absolutely adore, is Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black – it’s about ballet and has supernatural yumminess in it… Believe me, this is a hidden gem for me.
Ah haha no shame here! I only recently read HP myself.😂Whoops. And ohh I’ve always wanted to read the Starcrossed trilogy!!
You haven’t read the Starcrossed trilogy? I am so sad!! This is my most beloved series, I’ve read them three times now and I’m still not bored with them yet. I hope you give them a try soon. Also, if you love Greek mythology, then this is for sure a must read for you. ♥☺
DUDE. You are so correct about me loving that Hunger Games set THE MOST EVER. I love them! Mine are packed already, so it was nice to get to look at yours for awhile. I miss the loveliness! Also the struggle of shelves… wow. I feel it at the moment. I already have over 15 VERY large boxes packed and I am not even close to being done so… yeah. And that isn’t counting the boxes I have to donate, that I am trying to sell, etc.
Okay let me answer your questions now! I HATE my current shelf setup (or maybe former, since they’re in boxes ha) because okay I have 4 shelves of all different sizes, and none of them MATCH. When I move I am going to at LEAST paint them all so they look like they’re somewhat cohesive. I wish I had a library, tbh! Okay a book I should have read (I picked these because they’ll probably make you the stabbiest hahah): Simon Versus, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Cress, A Conjuring of Light, The Wicker King, Nevernight… Idk Cait, life is hard! Your bookshelf tour was VERY fun though and I wish I had your creativity and colorfulness!
You are the BEST with how subtle you are over your fandoms.😂😂 And omg yes moving with books is sheer hell and I feel for you right now agggh. I hope the rest of the move goes smoothly though. (I won’t say “stress free” because I’m not deluded. 😭)
Oh but matching shelves are very very nice. I mean technically most of mine don’t, but they seem to sort of blend? I have them on different walls so that helps. But IMAGINE A WHOLE ROOM OF MATCHING SHELVES AND WELL ORGANISED BOOKS. Heaven.
omg. How have you not read Simon Vs yet?! SHANNON. 😂
My current shelf situation is just AAAH! I MEAN I DONT EVEN OWN ONE?! Why did I have to be a broke teenager! My books currently reside in the little cupboard that my TV trolley has, since the television is now on the wall. Have I been bugging my mother for a new bookshelf that I can hug and cry over and brag about? I DONT THINK I NEED TO ANSWER THAT!
LIFE IS VERY UNFAIR TO BROKE TEENS. I have been there *wails* I mean I only transferred to a broke adult, but at least I have shelves. I hope you will get aaaall the shelves your heart desires someday!
Ahhhh my friend literally has a wall of books WITH A LADDER and it’s my favourite thing, like I want to live in that room. There’s a pool table in there too which is just?!! Urgh, I love it.
Aak the other day I nudged this lil pile of books I have on my floor and I literally thought oh well at least I get to straighten them so the pile doesn’t topple and like… I was just thinking oh look an excuse for me to touch a book!! What am I haha.
Also totally probably might steal this tag so thanks 🙂
Omg your friend is LIVING LIFE RIGHT.😍 Goals there!! (And definitely want to read your version of this!)
I am known for loving and recommending the Leven Thumps series. But NO ONE has read it and it breaks my heart every time 🙁
Aww that sucks when our favourites are completely underrated 😫😥
Wow, I’m impressed that you counted out 623 books. That’s dedication! Love your shelves, of course. 🙂
Why thank you.😂Clearly someone has too much time on their hands,😂😂
THEY’RE SO BEAUTIFUL. Also, even though your Holly Black collection isn’t all matching…I kind of like the mismatched aesthetic?? IT’S PRETTY.
At least it is a sort of aesthetic mismatch that’s for sure.😂 But I still dream of having like a total hardcover collection someday!!
Excuse me whilst I backtrack through your blog a bit. But eeep all your photos in one blog post make me so happy (I mean, that’s literally what your Instagram is but hush). I personally never stop raving about the Tiger’s Curse series and a couple of years back I did the scary thing of rereading the first book to see if I still love it (THANK GOD I DO) thus the ranting continues. I looove my big tall bookshelves but I was just having a sad moment today realising that I’m moving out of home in like 4 months and I can’t bring it with me (literally. I can’t get it out of the room without taking the window out SHEESH) so I’ll have to get used to eye-balling the heck outta my other shelf, which is like yours, all square and squishy. Good luck, frond, with Flame in the Mist – it was one of my biggest let downs in 2018 *gasp*. Personally, I really should have read Ready Player One by now!
omg you are so lovely Kirstie!! 😂💛💛Arguably my instagram is better because there are WAY more photos and less of me awkwardly yabbering on and on. But ahem. I LOVE the Tiger’s Curse covers!! I read the first but don’t remember much (Forgive me!) so at some point I will finish them.😂
Oh, I dream if a different set-up. One day, when I’m rich, I’M GOING TO MAKE MYSELF RAVENCLAW TOWER AND FILL IT WITH BOOKS AND PILLOWS AND CATS. ALL I HAVE TO DO IS FINISH AND PUBLISH MY BOOM AND HOPE I GET FAMOUS. (I most likely won’t) BUT I CAN DREAM
I adore these questions! And the pictures of your shelves are so pretty!
Aw thank you!! I love organising my shelves like this!