Wednesday, February 08, 2006

My Bookshelves

So many books, so little time. My to-be-read shelf ...

Why are my novels in alphabetical order, when my handbag is a disaster zone?

17 comments:

Yvonne Foong said...

Isn't that everyone's dream home? To have shelves of books lining every wall? Reminds me of Beauty and the beast.

But books are so expensive in Malaysia. So personal bookshelves can be considered a fortune!

Lydia Teh said...

Sharon, you're better than me. Both my handbag and shelves are disaster zones!

Allan Koay 郭少樺 said...

time to promote my own latest book entry.

http://clouded-moon.blogspot.com/2006/02/
bookstore-woes-lousy-browsers.html

Anonymous said...

Wow, those are alot of books. I love books too and magazines as well.

Cheeky Monkey said...

My apartment that I'm sharing with my sister has 4 tall IKEA bookshelves! :D And we're even thinking of buying another bookshelf. ^_^" I think it's pretty normal to buy books and keep them without reading them until later because each time there's a new arrival or another book that catches our eye and we just have to have them! So, you're not alone, Sharon. I see my books as something I can read after retirement. lol

Chet said...

Your to-be-read shelf looks like those portable "for reshelving" trolleys found in libraries. Is that where it was from originally?

I had an 8-foot floor-to-ceiling shelving system made for my new place, with the lower shelves for my record collection, and the upper shelves for my books.

In the end, my record collection took up only half the space allocated to it, and I won't be adding too many more records to it.

Now for some self-promotion (ala the visitor):
My Record Collection

Meanwhile, my books are still in boxes, cuz lazy and tired to unpack what I just packed before CNY!

Anonymous said...

My shelves are a mess but my handbag is sorted. ;) I opt for Ikea shelving too cheeky monkey. I can't remember the name of those I opted for (long silver planks on a very metal frame) but they were very inexpensive considering the size.

Anonymous said...

A very metal frame? Did I really just say that? ;-)

Philip_G said...

Living in a condominium means minimal space for a grand-looking lirbrary shelf.

thus, I make do with every single corner and space I can chuck a book in... :-D

Anonymous said...

nice shelves, madam. enough room for double book-lining i see. :)

i keep my books on shelves with the glass-sliding doors - i need to see them books yet i'm too lazy to dust 'em!

Anonymous said...

Oh, that's absolutely fabulous... Like Yvonne, I would love to have my home to have bookshelves just aching and overflowing with books. Too bad, i don't have the $$ to make this into a reality yet...meanwhile I will just dream on.

bibliobibuli said...

yvonne - yes, books are very expensive here but warehouse sales and second-hand bookshops bring down the cost ...

books everywhere certainly as the dream (and i'm working towards it) but having to dust them is the nightmare!

lydia - can't believe you have disaster zones - i will check your handbag next time we bump into each other!

visitor - you're quite right to get pissed off with all the inconsiderate "free readers" ... this is such a malaysian phonomena ... does it happen to the same extent in other countries?

debbie - and these are just SOME of them ... (you can check out more here but the list is still a long way from being complete!)

bibliobibuli said...

cheeky monkey, walker - i love ikea bookshelves but sometimes they go a bit saggy in the middle because of the weight of books ... i ought to have been like marisa and got glass-fronted bookshelves because the climate here is so bad for books

cheeky monkey - i know what you mean about hoarding up all the books ... my excuse for impulse buying (if i need one!) is that there are very few hardback and trade paperback (big print, nice paper) copies available in malaysia and the mass paperback editions don't feel nice in the hand and aren't kind to the eyes ... i think i can't even get to the end of the books i've already got in a lifetime, let alone reread my favourites (to package them all in my heart for heaven!)

philip - you should do what a writing buddy of mine has done - buy a second condominium, one for you, one for the books

chet - my "to-be-read" shelf is in the lounge (wood, blue) .. it only looks like the returns trolley 'cos of the higgedly piggeldy serendipitous don't-know-what you'-gonna find look of it!

dreamer-idiot - just collect slowly, they soon add up (don't forget how ancient i am compared to you) ... and don't forget the golden rule ... it is extremely unlucky (akin to breaking mirrors and walking under ladders and tripping over black cats) to go into a bookshop and NOT make a purchase!

Anonymous said...

I suppose it depends on the Ikea shelving you opt for. Mine have absolutely no chance of sag because the planks of wood are three inches thick and deliberately designed for the load. Now...if it was one of those living room pieces with 1cm (!) thick shelves designed more for vases and pictures....

bibliobibuli said...

ahh - okay walker ... was thinking of remembering the ones my sister has ...

i've had some of my shelves custom made of very solid wood ... just regret that I didn't get them glass fronted

cultural note *we're all IKEA freaks here in Malaysia and the store is just opposite TESCO! ain't we exotic?

Anonymous said...

whoa, sharon, i think you have mre english books than some of the so-called bookstores in the city!

bibliobibuli said...

you're probably right, simon!