Collections:
The two ‘sets’ that I would never be
without are The Complete Works of Jane
Austen and The Georgia Nicolson
Diaries.
The Austen was given to me by my mum on
my 18th birthday, because she had been given a fancy set of Austen
novels on her 18th birthday. I plan on giving a set to my future
son/daughter on their 18th. If they protest and say ‘what’s my real
present?’ or ‘can I just have the money?’ then I will just follow them round
reading from the books until, whether or not they like them, they will have
read them. Not that I am saying you should impose your book views on people (I
AM).
The Louise Rennison books are the
funniest books I’ve ever read. You only have to say to me ‘guess what I’m
dancing in?’ and I will reply ‘a bowl??’ and drift off into happy reading
memories. My copy of the final book – Are
These My Basoomas I See Before Me? – is signed!
Old books:
I collect old-looking books and put them
on my old-looking writing desk. It makes me feel a bit like I’ve gone back in
time.
Shelf Party:
My bookshelf is not categorised or
ordered in any way and I like that if I took a picture of any part of it I
would get a random mix of books. I review children’s books for Armadillo
magazine and so on most of the shelves you will find a proof or two. I find
proof copies of books very exciting – you are getting to read it before
everyone else and you can imagine it is a book made just for you.
I also like to imagine all these very
different books having to hang out together and make conversation, just because
I have forced them to sit next to each other. For instance, A History of Ancient Egypt would have to
talk to Mr Darcy’s Diary, The Book of Margery Kempe (the
autobiography of a medieval Christian mystic) and Penny Dreadful. I imagine Margery causing an awkward silence by
having one of her visions, before Penny breaks the tension with some
well-meaning yet disastrous antics. A History of Ancient Egypt tries to instigate a serious debate and
then after a few drinks asks Mr Darcy’s
Diary what it was like to film the wet shirt scene.
Popping up at regular intervals on the
shelf are The Books I Haven’t Read Yet. Dotting them about makes it less
daunting than having them in a pile. It also means I can go to a random point
on the shelf and always find something new and unread!
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