Tuesday 19 November 2013

What's on my bookshelf

This is a purely indulgent post, about books. Again.
The very lovely Modern Mrs Darcy is hosting a link-up where people show what's on their bookshelves. Are you the sort of person who goes to a person's home and immediately (trying to be not quite as obvious as you obviously are) checks out their books? You can tell a lot about people by the sorts of things they have on display.

Our bookshelf situation is a source of despair for us. Our dream is to have floor to ceiling in-built shelving made from solid timber. Instead we have 2 tall, skinny, particle-board shelves in our lounge which hold our favourite books, and about a hundred or two hundred or a thousand books in boxes. One day, one day, we will get them all out.


Here's the top shelves of the two skinny units. For lack of a better place to put them, we have a John Bevere teaching series on the top left that we had high and lofty intentions of watching together, as a couple. *cough*. Moving on. 
A fair few un-read but want-to-read books on that shelf - including Life Interupted, Velvet Elvis, The Practice of Love (have read Idelettes entry and a few others) and an inherited biography of Tolkein that used to be my Poppa's. Below are some loved and well-read favourites including the Wrinkle in Time box-set by Madeleine L'engle, some light but fast-paced reading of hubby's, and the Clarice Bean books for intermediate readers by Lauren Child, my most favourite children's picture book author. 
On the other side we have New Zealand books and music/arts biography's on the top shelf, books that my husband LOVES. If you have a musician in your life then I recommend the Duff McKagan book "It's so easy... and other lies". This was really enjoyed and a powerful sort of redemptive story too. Then Terry Pratchett - his favourite. Snuck in a couple of my Madeleine L'engle books there too. 

Next down we have my mostly Christian fiction shelf (with Harry Potter leaning rebelliously on top - ha!). I love the Heirs of Cahira O'Connor series by Angela Elwell Hunt. They are brilliant. Most of her books are on this shelf - I discovered her through a book club a few years ago where we read The Silver Sword. I wasn't sure from the description that I'd be interested, but it ended up being one of my most favourite books ever. I'm thankful to my friend for choosing it! 
The book "Staying alive" is a beautiful collection of poetry gifted to me by my grandmother. I have a couple of Joyce Meyer books on these shelves but haven't been able to get into either of them. I like her teaching to a certain extent but I find her writing style difficult. Just personal preference I think.
Below is a hodge-podge of non-fiction gardening, pregnancy and arts books along with Barry Crump of my husbands.
Christian books on the right - Philip Yancey, well-read and appreciated. One Thousand Gifts, Grace-based Parenting (still reading), Boundaries (need to read), Lioness Arising (struggling to get into), and below that are Christian memoir/biographys: Bonhoeffer - my husband enjoyed this so much he was considering the name Dietrich for our next baby! Anne Lamott: Travelling Mercies, oh my heart. Then my precious Madeleine L'engle books. She is my most-loved author, for the longest time, since my mother gave me "A ring of endless light" as a pre-teenager. The Crosswicks journals are there, along with "A stone for a pillow", "Bright evening star", "Penguins and golden calves", and the ultimate life-changer "Walking on Water". There's Adrian Plass there too who we both utterly adore.

 Bottom shelves are a bit of a mess. More favourite Terry Pratchett's, and the Narnia Series. On the other side, Lord of the Rings and the beefy dictionary (I think this may have been my Poppa's also).
Bottom shelves are art and interesting coffee table books. Some favourite artists are in there: Da Vinci, Dali - plus a few of my interior and architecture books from my studies. I used to love Tricia Guild, I still do. Her use of colour and pattern is inspiring and her books are beautiful. Archeology and rock music books for my husband. Fairy tales and Calvin & Hobbes for fun. 

Thanks for snooping my shelves! Maybe I'll do a follow up when we have the floor to ceiling ones. Probably when I'm 80. Sigh.

I hope you're all having a marvellous week. My baby girl turns one on Thursday, so my life is flashing before my eyes. Where does the time go?

xx Sarah

Linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy today - check out her site and some other bookshelves too!










1 comment:

  1. I love that you have a New Zealand shelf and gave a shout-out to Madeleine L'Engle. That pretty Bauhaus book is catching my eye, too.

    Thanks for sharing your shelves with us!

    ReplyDelete