emelee Posted November 26, 2010 Share Posted November 26, 2010 You have people over at your house, you want to show off and impress them a bit. You want them to think highly of you. What books that you own would you want them to see in your bookcase? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted November 26, 2010 Share Posted November 26, 2010 I wouldn't so much pick certain books I'd want on display (other than my 1940's and 1920's respectively copies of The Picture Of Dorian Gray and The Importance Of Being Earnest, as the former is an illustrated hardback and the latter a leatherbound pocket edition) as hide books I didn't want people to see. I'd be inclined to hide my Twilight books, my Buffy books, and books from my childhood/teen years. Or at least put them at the bottom of piles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted November 26, 2010 Share Posted November 26, 2010 That's easy to answer - the one I wrote and published myself (not that I need to impress people anyway you understand). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 I put my classics up front, but it's only to impress myself. I love to see the classics at the forefront. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 Hmmm...maybe the antique books my boyfriend and I have collected over the years, but mostly for their cool, vintage appeal. Otherwise, I'd be happy to show off my Tolkien collection, my manga collection, or my pretty leather-bound editions of Jane Austen, Little Women, Shakespeare, etc. And once I inherit my grandfather's 100 year-old Shakespeare collection, I'll definitely want to show them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 If they don't think highly of me already, they aren't welcome in my house, so they certainly won't see my bookshelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 I love my library and all of my books, so I'm proud to show them all off! Everything from Winnie the Pooh to the Baby-Sitter's Club, and fluffy chick lit to nerdy sci-fi. They all give an idea of who I was and who I am now. Hopefully they also show that I'm open-minded and open to new experiences (hmm, too much to expect from looking at a few books?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 If someone is coming into my home, I have no inclination to impress them - they're already friends or family and know what I'm like about reading, however most are impressed by the volume of books, not what they are. There is no rhyme or reason to the organisation of my books at the moment, other than the two shelves of books I'm planning to read in one place, all the rest are completely random, so I have no hope whatsoever of trying to impress with any particular books! I'm not particularly proud of any of my books either - I have no interest in rare or old books, and am happy to admit I love all sorts of books from lightweight fluff to literary gems, and these are all on display to everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahJane Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 Hi everyone. I'm new here. I just wanted to say hello. Anyway, I would want to show off ALL my books! I have quite a collection, from vampires to chick lit, from kids books (kept from when I was a child) to adult books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Books do furnish a room Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 I think I would leave things as they are; there are books everywhere anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emelee Posted November 27, 2010 Author Share Posted November 27, 2010 I am most proud to show off my classics such as Pride & Prejudice. Also, my "intelligent" books too, such as Crime & Punishment. "Intelligent" as in heavy books that few have read but would like to only to show off. Also, I don't mind showing off my course books for University, letting people know what heavy boring reading I´ve gone through to get where I am now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eliza1 Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 I'm just proud of my book collection in general, I don't really display them in any way. I just want to keep adding to it, so that I can have a little mini library one day. It's a very varied collection, theres a bit of everything there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted November 27, 2010 Share Posted November 27, 2010 I wouldn't be ashamed of any of my books (just as well, as any visitor has to walk past piles of assorted paperbacks in the hall!), but the room I am most likely to take a visitor into does have my collection of Folio Society and leather bound books in it. However, the book I am most proud of owning was only added to my library a couple of days ago. My dad left school at 15 with no qualifications, and was awarded his PhD earlier this year at the age of 71 - my quarter leather bound copy of his thesis is definitely top of the list. Go, Dad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladymacbeth Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 I am too busy frantically tidying up the house to worry about tidying the bookshelves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kal Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 First edition LOTR, but someone stole one of the books a few years ago, so the set is incomplete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Univerze Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 My classics perhaps, and some Lord of the Rings atrwork books I got as gifts (they're soooooooo pretty), and besides that just my favorite books cause they represent me. Even if that means geeky books to some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettyboop33 Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 At the moment my bookshelf is quite poor, will be growing by 30 books this christmas I hope but when friends come round I always show off what I've recently read in the hope theyll read it and then well both be obsessed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emelee Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 Forgot to mention that I would proudly show off books that are hard to get hold of. I have a book called "Child 312" that is no longer in production that I had to buy via e-bay to get. That is a pride to own. I loved that book when I was a kid. Now I have it again! Also, books not available in Sweden, but have to be ordered online from another country. Also a pride to own. And my series. I have all Martin Beck books (Swedish crime). 10 books in the series, put together in the right order you can read "Martin Beck" on the backs of the books. I love that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 First edition LOTR, but someone stole one of the books a few years ago, so the set is incomplete. Ouch. A lot of my books aren't on show, they are either behind other books on my bookshelves, hidden behind piles of CDs or my sofa, or in cupboards. The ones I tend to have on display are the books I'm currently reading and my large format books. I don't think I’m going to impress many with my Deep Space Nine technical manual . . . My guide generally though is I don't have anything on show that I haven't read, it's not impressive having Dickens on your shelf unless you have actually read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie2008 Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 I'm not really fussed about impressing people with the book choices. My bookshelves are set out to suit me, mainly with all the series together on shelves. It wouldn't bother me if people knew I had Russell Brand's book, Harry Potter, Twilight etc because I also have books like Dracula, Pride and Prejudice, Tale of Two Cities on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 I was thinking more about this, and I realised that any books I may be proudest of are likely to be books most people (with the exception of my fellow book addicts on the BCF) are unlikely to have ever heard of. Some of these include hard-to-find, out-of-print books that I'm proud of finally finding. I've been toting The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath around for weeks, and I think it's rather an impressive book. However, whenever I'm asked what I'm reading and I show the book I always get met with blank stares. I always sigh inwardly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 I always pull out my three illustrated novels by Brom as they are so achingly beautiful and I want to share that with everyone! The Plucker, The Devil's Rose, and The Child Thief all feature such stunning artwork and wonderful writing that I want to turn everyone on to Brom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 My guide generally though is I don't have anything on show that I haven't read, it's not impressive having Dickens on your shelf unless you have actually read it! I've just realised I have an unread Dickens on my shelf. Tit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 30, 2010 Share Posted November 30, 2010 My guide generally though is I don't have anything on show that I haven't read, it's not impressive having Dickens on your shelf unless you have actually read it! I've just realised I have an unread Dickens on my shelf. Tit. If I hid all the books I haven't yet read I wouldn't have much of a library left. And I wouldn't have anywhere to store them all. I have considered arranging my books so the read are separated from the unread, but I know I'd only get depressed. So I'll continue to keep all my unread books on display and continue to be embarrassed when people point out books and say 'did you like this?' and 'what about this one?' to which I too often have to reply 'er, I haven't read that one yet...' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 I would like it if the people who came over to my house would be interested in taking a look at all my books, but so far I've had no such luck: no big book fans in my circle of friends. However, I really like the question and came up with a few titles immediately. Kylie has already mentioned the book that was one of the first to come to my mind: I've been toting The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath around for weeks, and I think it's rather an impressive book. However, whenever I'm asked what I'm reading and I show the book I always get met with blank stares. I always sigh inwardly. No blank stares from me! Others that I'm particulary happy/proud to own: Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi all my Augusten Burroughs books House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski my collection of Jeffery Deavers A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens 501 Most Notorious Crimes by Paul Donnelley all my Jasper Fforde novels Moab Is My Washpot by Stephen Fry Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon The Death and Life of Sylvia Plath by Ronald Hayman Doris Day - Her Own Story by A. E. Hotchner A Lover of Unreason – The Life and Tragic Death of Assia Wevill by Yehuda Koren & Eilat Negev Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren Dexter novels Anastasia novels by Lois Lowry The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lynch my Haruki Murakamis Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi Letters Home by Sylvia Plath The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein The Importance of Being Eve Langley by Joy L. Thwaite Adrian Mole Diaries The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak NB. I've not yet read all of the above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.