And Her Nose Stuck In A Book
In which The Writer talks about books and out of control of collections
I spend a lot of time thinking about bookshelves.
I have arguably been thinking about this before I was fully conscious of what exactly they were when I saw Beast gift Belle a room full of books and it made her day.
It would make my day too.
I think a lot about having a room full of nothing but books. There would be a cosy corner with a fluffy blanket, a comfy chair and an arguably excessive amount of cushions. There would be a window bay and a candle there. Somehow there would also be a stack of books there even though there are shelves everywhere that they could also reside in. When I needed to get away from it all I would retreat to this room full of books. I would ignore the pile in the window that at some point I had deemed ‘up next’ and instead trail my fingers along the spines of all the other books. All the other stories. The other potential worlds I could get lost in. My fingertips would settle on the one that it felt the most called to and I would slip it out of its place on the shelf, light my candle and settle into the chair (once I had removed some of the cushions). I would then just read.
More recently I have imagined adding a desk to this room full of books. It would be a standing desk. One that I could move up and down depending on my mood. There would then be a need to have a decent desk chair and because I was thinking about what the perfect desk chair would be I started seeing adverts for one and there is a chair out there that can fold up. It just bends in half and then can be stored under the desk or somewhere else in this room full of books. It would be perfect for the times when I want to stand and write but don’t want the bulk of the chair in the room making my sacred space of books look ugly. Another somewhat ugly, but practical, thing would be a portable treadmill. I always seem to get my ideas when I am walking so mimicking that in an indoor environment might also yield results and would maximise my standing desk time.
I would have a massive screen on the desk. The perfect wireless mouse and keyboard. An array of pens and the writing notebook for whatever project I was working on at that time. There would be another candle nestled in the corner. Some random knickknacks that I could find no other place for so they have no choice but to live on my desk.
When things feel like they might be a bit stuck then I could look around and remember that I am surrounded by books. Words that create a whole story and has managed to make it into a place where it has been bound up and found its place on the shelf. It will serve as a reminder that it is possible at the moments when it feels like it might not be.
And because sometimes not even books can give you inspiration there would be artwork. Just something on the walls that would make everything feel a it less opressive, because when you feel like you can’t write, being surrounded by wall to wall books of people who managed to complete the thing is the last thing you want.
Which means some wall space wouldn’t be just shelves and then I would need shelves somewhere else. A collection of my favourites making themselves known the moment you walk into a space.
Because I am the kind of person to have multiple editions of my favourites I would have shelves dedicated solely to them. I often think about what my The Night Circus shelf would look like because, well I’ve lost count of how many editions I own and I know once I give myself permission to decorate a special shelf for the book.
But then I don’t know what other books I would deem special enough to keep separate from my room of books. Would it be the special editions? Would I make it abundantly clear that you are walking into a space inhabited by a romance reader? Would I put my own books pride of place and make it known that I am a romance writer as well as a reader? Would I have to allow space for another person’s book collection?
Would I be the kind of person who wants to change the configuration of my books on a semi regular basis? Am I the kind of person who wants a rainbow to be created by my shelf (no) or alphabetical (yes)? There are a multitude of possibilities which is both terrifying but also freeing.
I am always thinking about bookshelves but I am thinking about them more right now as I witness my emotional support book stacks reach a new level. I have been running out of space in my bedroom for a while now, but I have always been able to find a little bit more space. I have always been able to add just one more book to a stack before it became too high and toppled over (usually in the middle of the night). I have always been able to slot one more onto one of my book carts. Space has always made itself available to me and it’s starting to stop yielding.
I need shelves. Shelves are in my future but right now they are not. Right now I am pondering if I can add a new book at just the right angle and get it to stay there long term. I am placing a book at the top of a pile gently because if I do it gently then maybe the pile won’t notice that I am adding weight. I keep looking at the spare space on my floor and wondering if that is a new place for me to start a new stack (there isn’t, I need to be able to get in and out of my room).
I keep dreaming about the shelves. All the shelves. The beautiful shelves.
Jumpin’ Jumpin’
What I’m reading - Do we want the roll call for the last fortnight? Strap in, it’s long.
ARCs read - Disciples of Chaos - M.K Lobb (out now), The Book of Doors - Gareth Brown (out today), Rush - Saskia Roy (out Jul 4th) and Oar Than Friends - Lulu Moore (out Mar 14th)
Other books - Blurred Lines - Andi Jackson, Reckless - Becca Steele, Wet - Riley Nash, Dear Mr Brody - A.M Johnson, Three Day Hideaway - Luna Day and Scandalous Park Avenue Prince - Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine .
Currently reading - Girls with Razor Hearts - Suzanne Young and about crack into One More Time - Cora Rose (out 29th Feb)
(Bookshop links are affiliate links)
What I’m watching - Mr and Mrs Smith on Prime was an interesting take on the story and I mostly enjoyed it (the therapist episode was a particular highlight, as was the last episode). Also started The Traitors Australia season 2.
What I’m listening to - If you think I have not fully embraced the country era of Beyonce you are very, very wrong. Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages have been rinsed this week.
Title Inspiration - It could only be Belle - Beauty and the Beast