If you have a cat or know a cat, you know exactly what my cat is trying to do. She is #1 smelling the book on the end, and #2 contemplating whether she can wedge herself into the small space there at the edge of my books! Unfortunately for her, she is too large for the space and had to content herself with smelling. One last bookcase. My book room is now filled to the brim with bookcases--I can't fit anymore, even if I wanted to. I don't like feeling claustrophobic (and I wish this area was a bit more aesthetically pleasing, and when I win the lottery I will buy a big house with a huge library inside it--though I do have a lovely movie poster from when Angels and Insects was made into a movie hung on my door--so that helps), but I don't like seeing my books piled on the floor even more, so bookcase it is. And this was even on sale. And do you notice....there is even space on each shelf! My husband said I need to buy more books to fill it up...hahaha.
This little shelf contains--top shelf: books about books, reading, readers, and bookstores, as well as books of essays (I have a few by my bed as well, so I can easily fill that shelf), and the pathetically small number of plays that I own. Yes, limited to one Ibsen and a very few Shakespeares. I need to work on this area of literature. Shelf number two: poetry, and books about poets, and books of letters of poets. Another area I feel quite inadequate in! I need to read more poetry. Where did I read about someone reading three new poems every night before they go to bed? A blogger? A character in a book? Wherever, I think it sounds like a good idea. Poetry is another hazy area for me where I don't feel like I am "getting it". But this is best left to a post all of its own some other day!
Finally the last shelf has anthologies of a sort. There is some mythology, fairy tales, and anthologies of international literature, or special topics, so to speak. I thought I had many more, but all my literary travel anthologies are somewhere else. It is hard to decide what goes where, but as long as I can find it, that's all that matters. I am quite pleased to have it finally displayed in a more appealing and sensible manner.
One more little photo. Victoria noticed that I have some books by Dorothy Dunnett on my night table. I have the first in the Lymond Chronicles just waiting to be read, The Game of Kings. You can see I devote the top shelf of one of my bookcases to her books. There are six Lymond books featuring Francis Crawford, which are set in 16th century Scotland. Then there are eight Niccolo books (House of Niccolo) featuring Nicholas de Fleury set in mid-15th century Europe. I know these are meant to be read as a set, but I think Lymond comes first even though the Niccolo books are more of a prequel. I have read none of them, but have the best intentions of starting them. I first came across Dunnett when I was working in a bookstore. I found a remaindered copy of one of the later Niccolo books and it always stuck with me. Eventually I collected all of the books, as well as the two (not one, but two!) companion books that help explain all the references in her novels. I tend to equate her with Umberto Eco (also never read, but am forever in awe of). Another incidence of "I want to read this, but will I understand everything?". Difficult or not, I want to read these!
And I promise, no more show and tell---am I boring you already? Besides I have no room for anything else new anyway.