What's on your bookshelf?

[nixie]

As I have books all over the place,you know bedroom, living room,hall,bathroom, attic on top of fridge freezer in pantry any were theres space,[Also my mums spare bedroom] I won't be able to list them all, but these are ones I'm sure off:
Piers Anthony-1
James Barclay-7
R Scott Bakker-2
Clive Barker-5
Enid Blyton-12
Marion Zimmer Bradley-4
Terry Brooks-6
Dan Brown-2
Trudi Cavanan-3
Agatha Christie-8
Susannah Clarke-1
Stephen R Donaldson-7
David Eddings-22
Eddison-1
Maggie Furey-3
Raymond Fiest-19 [including empire trilogy]
Mary Gentle-1
Terry Goodkind-8
Elizabeth Haydon-3
James Herbert-6
Robin Hobb-9
Ian Irvine-1
Guy Kavriel Kay-1
Greg Keyes -2
Stephen King-15
Dean Koontz-3
C S Lewis-7
Brian Lumley-4
Juliette Marriller-4
George R Martin-4
Gareth Nix-3
Robert Newcombe-3
Phillip Pullman-3
Mickey Zucker Riechart-1
Paul Saul-2
Tolkien-4[ counting LOTR as one book]
Gary Wassner-3
Dennis Wheatley-9
Gene Wolfe-2
These are ones I can rember from the top of my head.
Rune, I buy books known I'll never read them I rescue them from car boot sales,I have bought books that are no earthly interest to me because they've been getting wet

 

[dwndrgn]

Rune, I buy books known I'll never read them I rescue them from car boot sales,I have bought books that are no earthly interest to me because they've been getting wet

You are my kind of person!

 

[Amber]

Definitly well over 3000 books I'd have thought. On every subject you could possibly think of including fiction- mostly sci fi etc, wood working, mountaineering and Irish history lol

 

[GOLLUM]

Ah, I just moved into my new room so I have minimal items on my bookshelf:
1. Harry Potter Books 1-4
2. Sea of Trolls
3. Eragon
4. Sabriel
5. Lord of the Rings
6. The Hobbit
7. The Atlas of Middle-Earth

I'm sure we'll see soon see that bookshelf groanning under the strain of a busload of new books...

I've probably got several hundred books of my own mainly fantasy but I'm now expanding to collect older books from writers of previous centuries as part of my ongoing Bio research.

A bit like Rune I tend to sell off my less favoured books (fortnuately few and far betwwen) so including books borrowed from the library I've read into the thousands....

 

[rune]

A bit like Rune I tend to sell off my less favoured books (fortnuately few and far betwwen) so including books borrowed from the library I've read into the thousands....

I do get quite a few from the library now, and must be honest not had much luck in borrowing ones I've enjoyed.
Still struggling with the which ones to give up Problem being - I have a load I want to buy and there is none I really want to give up (on the off chance I'll read again)

This is so, so, sad!

 

[GOLLUM]

I do get quite a few from the library now, and must be honest not had much luck in borrowing ones I've enjoyed.
Still struggling with the which ones to give up Problem being - I have a load I want to buy and there is none I really want to give up (on the off chance I'll read again)

This is so, so, sad!

Unfortunately unless you have the space or economic means to hold on to a large number of books whilst purchasing new ones you sometimes have to be ruthless in deciding which books to get rid of. Fortunately for myself I tend never to reread a book no matter how good it is, with one of the few exceptions being LOTR that I've read 3-4 times in the past 20 or so years. Therefore I can quite happily sell my books to second hand dealers in exchange for cash or book vouchers. In this way I've never had more than a couple hundred books of my own although I do tend to hold onto what I call my major series like Robert Jordan, GRRM, Steven Erikson, LOTR etc... the series I'm never likely to get rid of. This strategy seems to have served me pretty well over the years but everyone's circumstances are different I guess....

 

[rune]

I would love to have both the funds and the room to have a library that I can add to and never have to sell any books I quite like to keep my favourites, and especially as some of my books have great covers - they are a joy just to look at

I have regretted giving some books away, thinking that I'd never read them again, but years later wishing I still had them It must be symptoms of my addictions , that I need to handle and look at my books.

 

[Novocaine]

I'm sure we'll see soon see that bookshelf groanning under the strain of a busload of new books...

I've probably got several hundred books of my own mainly fantasy but I'm now expanding to collect older books from writers of previous centuries as part of my ongoing Bio research.

A bit like Rune I tend to sell off my less favoured books (fortnuately few and far betwwen) so including books borrowed from the library I've read into the thousands....

You are damn right! Since Sunday, my collection has expanded very much so, practically doubled.
Now containing:

• The Silmarillion
• The War of the Ring
• The Book of Lost Tales 1
• The Book of Lost Tales 2
• The Lays of Beleriand
• The Shaping of Middle Earth
• The Lost Roads and Other Writings
• The Deadhouse Gates (Couldn't resist, GOLLUM's persuasiveness had my opinion! First book wasn't availiabe...)

And I would like to thank everybody that left suggestions of a novel for me, many were searched for, but I was unable to find within the store, but I will keep your suggestions in mind. Thanks again.

 

[Ailanna]

I tend to get rid of furniture to make room for new bookshelves, rather than to get rid of books that I have no shelf space for. The dresser was sacrificed to the cause a few years ago, and now I'm beginning to wonder if the desk is really as necessary as it seemed...

Not sure how many books I have, probably no more than six or seven hundred. Most of them are novels, fantasy, sf, classics, children's fantasy, etc. I have some dramatic literature and nonfiction, ranging from Plato's Symposium to Japanese etiquette, turn of the century fashion to aromatherapy. My collection of illustrated fairy tale picturebooks is becoming respectable, too.

I get many of my books at library booksales. Anything that involves books for less than a dollar each is automatically awesome.

 

[rune]

Decided to get more storage for books, instead of getting rid of books Bought a nice wicker chest that holds about 30 books and doesnt take up too much room in my computer/library room
So got a little respite, well until I fill up my shelves again.

 

[Animaiden]

Did inventory this weekend, and came up with 223 books, minus the ones in my closet. Most of the books are fantasy, with a few scifi, fiction, and non-fiction thrown in for good measure. Most prevalent authors are David Eddings, Tanya Huff, Tamora Pierce, Andre Norton, and Christopher Rowley.

 

[Rane Longfox]

I do actually now need a new bookshelf I've already got three strethching across almost my entire room...

 

[Gary Wassner]

I donated most of my books except my favorites a few years ago to the local Y and I boxed up ther rest. What I have left accessible on my shelf now? Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Derrida, Erikson, Bakker, Stover, Pinto, Tolkein, Proust, Hesse, Mann, Dickens, Isherwood and a handfull of other classics and art books and one set of my own of course.


I give most of my books away as soon as I finish them, unless they were given to me directly by the author. In a way, I suppose what I have kept after all this time does say a lot about what matters most to me.

 

[GOLLUM]

You are damn right! Since Sunday, my collection has expanded very much so, practically doubled.
Now including:

• The Deadhouse Gates (Couldn't resist, GOLLUM's persuasiveness had my opinion! First book wasn't availiabe...)

Please do not read Deadhouse before you read Gardens Of The Moon. Whilst each book is in a sense a stand alone novel you will get a much better handle on things once you've read through Gardens Of The Moon first!!

I'm sure you'll be able to get a copy or order one in, LOL!

 

[Jay]

At last count I had 4000+ Fantasy Science Fiction novels (I don't buy paperbacks unless they are the true first editions), that number is probably closer to 5,000 at this point, but I'm not exactly sure. I don't really look for anything anymore, if I see soemthing I like I buy it, I am always in the market for good condition early prints. You can include horror in this well, as admittedly I am looking for early Lovecraft, Machen and Smith works (or books there works are contained in) - I also am almost done with my Jack London collection - he has some wonderful social/political/Sf novels, that hardly ever get any play because of the popularity of his ridiculous outdoor adventure novels


I just startrted really getting into mystery novels, and thus only have a I think a couple hundred now (I,' always actively looking for early print Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, or Rex Stout works)


Generally what I deem as classic fiction novels fall under the 5,000 number listed above, works by Dumas, Stevenson, Doyle etc it all speculative fiction to me, this is probably the area where I am most actively looking for works to add. Anything in good conditon and a first print, (depending on what it is, a early print is suitable) I'm interested.


When it comes to non-fiction, I'm pretty disinterested, I have some scattered biographies, but the only works I actively pursue are some classics, and by Japanases Writers (I have to represent). I have an aversion to American non-fiction because honestly somone's depiction of life in rural Kentucky (or any state) doesn't interest me in the least. This also stems from a genre/subject I just never cared about and that is dealing with Native Americans. I simply have never had any interest in learning about the culture etc - just no fascination what so ever, the same could be said the same about Westerns in general for me.

I do have Economics books by the tons (my major), so a reasonable estimate for non-fiction can be a couple hundred or so, give or take.

 

[Rane Longfox]

Five... THOUSAND

??


Whoa...




GOLLUM - I dunno really. GotM tends to put a lot of people off the series. Maybe it is better to read Deadhouse first?

 

[GOLLUM]

Five... THOUSAND
??
Whoa...
GOLLUM - I dunno really. GotM tends to put a lot of people off the series. Maybe it is better to read Deadhouse first?

Good point on GOTM. I thought about that too but I think it does make it harder..

Doesn't surprise me about Ainulindale having approx 5,000 books. This member is extremely well read and informed I believe....

 

[rune]

At last count I had 4000+ Fantasy Science Fiction novels (I don't buy paperbacks unless they are the true first editions), that number is probably closer to 5,000 at this point, but I'm not exactly sure. I don't really look for anything anymore, if I see soemthing I like I buy it, I am always in the market for good condition early prints. You can include horror in this well, as admittedly I am looking for early Lovecraft, Machen and Smith works (or books there works are contained in) - I also am almost done with my Jack London collection - he has some wonderful social/political/Sf novels, that hardly ever get any play because of the popularity of his ridiculous outdoor adventure novels

I'm speechless with shock! How many...... Blimy, I bet you dont get out much

 

[Jay]

I'm speechless with shock! How many...... Blimy, I bet you dont get out much

Well I do most of my reading at the beach or at a bar by the beach, or on a boat - and generally nothing starts popping at bars/clubs here until at least 1 or 2 am, which I generally indulge in 3-5 times a week (at least during the summer), in the WInter it's less active here so only on the weekends.

I think I certainly go out more than most people - I just don't sleep

If I had to give up my books or give up going out regularly the boosk would be gone.