Bookshelf Tour | First Post

 

I spent quite a while wondering what my first post on this blog should be, and after putting it to a twitter poll which reached unanimous results, I figured, why not make a bookshelf tour? I mean, what better way to start a book blog, right?

 

Currently I’m in university in the UK, so this is actually my student accommodation bookshelves, and these are only the books that I managed to ship with me from home- my nearest and dearest, and when I’m back home, I’ll do a much bigger tour of all my book-storage (not just shelves).

 

So the one on the right has the most stuff on it, because I just think that particular corner is neater to put stuff in, and we’re starting there. Shall we?

First is A Chill Time, which I got from a secondhand book sale, and it’s just an illustrated collection of poetry about the thirties, it’s kind of cute.Behind it is my Broadway Anthology of Victorian poetry and Poetic Theory, which I don’t technically need for school, and a tome of the complete works of William Shakespeare, which I got as a gift from one of my best friends. Next to it is a charity shop copy of Sweeny Todd (in really good condition, and hardcover), and my two most prized possessions on this planet Earth: Dead Ice by Laurell K Hamilton, first edition, hardcover and Prince Lestat by Anne Rice, hardcover, specifically with the UK cover. I will leave my love for these two for a later post (posts? they each deserve their own), but I will say this: I straight up cried actual literal tears out of my eyes when I first got to hold these books. Next to them is a book on religion I got handed to me at Manchester Christmas Market 2015, it’s still in its wrapping and I haven’t looked at it, but it’s a solid hardcover. Then I have The Little Friend by Donna Tartt in Bulgarian, which I got for Christmas and haven’t read yet, and next to it, The Secret History, which fundamentally changed me as a person when I read it the year before last. After the Donna Tartt corner is the memoir section with Diva Rules by Michelle Visage (you can find my review of it on Goodreads) and Boy Erased, by my fantastic friend and English teacher Garrard Conley (you can find my review of it in the Find Me Elsewhere page). Then it’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell, The Miniaturist and The Cuckoo’s Calling, which I got together in Blackwells, and which I look forward to reading after exams.

After that it’s just assorted favorites: The Force Awakens Star Wars novelization in Bulgarian, the first two volumes of Captive Prince (keep your eyes peeled for a review), the book that made me cry tears of joy when I first read it, again by the wonderful Laurell K Hamilton, Jason, a Bulgarian hardcover tome of Oscar Wilde’s fairytales from 1953, which I got at a secondhand bookshop in Burgas in 2015, when I was in the city receiving a poetry award, and then a 1938 copy of Anna Karenina (from the secondhand book sale that gave me A Chill Time), which I intend on gifting to my mom for her birthday, and then, possibly the one book that has singularly had the most influence on my growth as a human, Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K Hamilton (I hope you’ve gathered at this point that she will be heavily featured on this blog. We’ve all got our niche interests.)

Next to Laurell is my beautiful edition of Pride and Prejudice, and my illustrated copy of selected poetry by Wordsworth, featuring diary entries from his wife corresponding to each poem, which I got when I visited the Wordsworth museum in Grasmere (also where the beautiful daffodil bookmark and real pheasant quill come from. At least they told me it’s pheasant.)

Also on this shelf: my dioptric sunglasses, my spare glasses, my Darth Vader and Poe Dameron FunkoPops, my wallet (as seen on my header) and my Kylo Ren pencil case, where I have Kylo Ren pencils, Kylo Ren ruler, Star Wars eraser and pencil sharpener, and a Star Wars pen. You will be seeing a lot of Star Wars on this blog as well.

On the other side, I have a lot less stuff, because initially it was going to be my coursework shelf; ergo, the huge binder. But I also have a third hand 2010 annual Star Wars hardback… thing? I’m not entirely sure what it is, only that the nine year old boy who owned it before me was very certain in his allegiance to the Sith and wanted to kill all Jedi. I almost feel like a proud mom. That’s next to my copy of Dazed magazine featuring the drag queen Pearl Liaison on the cover, with her editorial inside. She is a gorgeous drag queen, and an EDM ?? DJ?? music maker?? person? Yes. One of those. I also have a cardboard box full of change, before that it was the protective wrapping of my House Lannister mug. Next to it – my pile of journals and notebooks, which I use for things. And stuff. I might make a post on journal organization later, if anyone wants to see that.

Then, guarded by two nutcrackers from Manchester Christmas Market are some actual books! Dracula Returns, Dracula’s Guest and Vlad Dracul the Impaler, which I got from that one secondhand book sale (it happened over the course of about 3 weeks on my university campus, and every day I would go by and ask the person if he has anything with vampires, and he never did, and then on the last day he saw me passing and yelled out “Hey, vampire girl!” and he gave me these for about five pounds. What a legend!). Then, from the same book sale, The Romantic Poets and their Circle, Collected Works by Keats, and Men on Men (a collection of gay short stories by gay writers! Ah!), and … the purchase I most regret in my life…

The first three volumes of A Song of Ice and Fire in English, brand new and wonderful. Make no mistake, the only reason I regret it is because I already own the books, in Bulgarian, twice. I also have three more Star Wars Funkos (Han, Luke and Leia), which are getting shipped to my brother as a birthday gift… maybe together with the GOT book… is that an appropriate read for a freshly minted thirteen year old?

I also have a porcelain doll that I got from Keswick, but she’s standing right next to a shameful amount of mugs, so she isn’t featured here. She’s creepy though.

You can also see some of my corkboard with my posters and calendars pinned to it. And print cut outs of my published articles, because I am that kind of person, yes.

I hope that you enjoyed that insight into my bookshelf, and got some kind of idea what books you’ll be seeing more of on this blog.