As a passionate reader and book lover, I have numerous books and I'm lucky enough to have a few different bookcases. They're a little bit like a woman's wardrobe where each one lends it self to where I am at that time. My largest bookcase is at the end of my bed, yes some of the shelves are little higgledy piggledy but I know where every book is on there, if I ever need to lay my hands on one.
On it are books on poetry, herbal medicine, history, places I’ve traveled, places I dream of travelling to, reference books, DIY books , gardening books, children’s books, an odd self help or self discovery book and some of my favorite old antique classics.
My bookshelves draws quite a vivid picture of me and it got me thinking just how personal our book cases are, how much they reveal of our real selves, showing our deeper souls on those shelves.
When I visit someone’s place I'm always intrigued see whats on their bookshelves. I just want to get straight to the shelves, run my eyes along the array of book spines, scanning the titles, till one catches my imagination, my breath, my heart and I reach in and draw out that book which pulled me in.
I began wondering whats on your bookshelf and what would your books and bookcase say about you?
Do the crammed shelves tell your story,
Do they change as you grow.?
Do our bookcases show us as we are?
Do you have a favorite book that you would save if your house was on fire?
Do you hoard books or pass them on freely?
Which ones can’t you bear to be parted from?
Have you got a book that you want to read again?
Thinking about these questions got me laughing about how I’ve even been drawn to a
partner by his taste in books.
I dated (briefly) a man to whom my bookcase drove crazy. For him there was no logical order to it, nor was it alphabetical , methodical or systematic in his eyes…. But for me none of that is important and I know where
everything is on it. I later ( not too much later) discovered he didn’t have a bookcase, it was a nick knack holder. Needless to say … Our paths don't cross anymore.
Once I met a beautiful man and while I sat by his fire gazing along
his bookshelves I thought how much his shelves would compliment mine, how I
wanted to explore those shelves more, how they just fitted with me, my
ideology. Each one of those bindings was showing me an intelligent soulful man ,a man who likes to travel and had many questions of this world. I wanted to sit with him, talking , pondering all this and more, sadly that wasn't to be but it taught me there were men who did read like I read.
So my first bookshelves to browse is
My
Bookcase by Dean Gallagher;
Musician,
graphic artist and part time gallery curator Dean Gallagher tells me about his
bookcases. How he’s a fervent Stephen King fan, how his bookcase tells a
little of his story and gives a slight insight into Dean the person.
“I’m
a dedicated fan-boy of Stephen King, with one bookcase totally devoted to his
books and films. My
first encounter with Stephen King was when I was 7 or 8 yrs old. The movie “IT” a bit to young maybe but it was
my first horror film and I was hooked. The next film I saw was “Stand by me” a
film that not a lot of people associate with “King”.
The
very first book that started my collection was at 16, bought for €1 – a Tesco
paperback “ Cell” . I’d it read
within two days, it was amazing, I just fell in love with it. I had to get more
of his writings and so began my affair with Stephen King books.
Any
spare pennies I had were spent on them, Birthdays or Christmas, King’s books
became my every occasion presents. I bought my first hard back “Insomnia” and
that’s where my hard back collection began.
The
following Christmas I got a hard back novel from my mum. It was called “Duma
Key”, I loved the dust cover. I know they say never
judge a book by it’s cover but it’s American style and art work attracted me to it.
Hard
backs appeal to me being a fanatical collector and a bit of a perfectionist, I
don’t like creases on the binding.
Also the designer’s eye means that the art
work on the dust covers appeal to me too.
Book or
Film
I
try to read as many of the ‘King’ books that haven’t been made into film as
opposed to those all ready adapted to films.
I’ve
found once you’ve seen the film the book's ruined For example films like Misery or The Shinning the book is so much more graphic that the film and often has a different ending, or sequels to the book that's never shown. I read mostly his new stuff now first.
I
do have an extensive film collection that began with Stand by Me, then Carrie and ones like ShawShank Redemption, that people don’t associate with King. Being
a film nerd my films are all in chronilogical ordered on my shelves.
Where do you pick up
your Stephen King Books?
I
buy them second hand, charity shops or on line, though on line it’s very
tempting to get carried away buying them.
If your house was on
fire which book/ books would you save?
“Well
the only other books on this bookcase are two small pocket prayer books and
these are the books that I’d save if there was a fire.It’s
not that I am a religious person, I’m agnostic but these two wee books belonged
to my Great Great Granny and my Grandfathers Mother.”
The
two palm size books are bound in chocolate brown leather that shines from the
oil and moisture left long ago by faithful hands and devoted use. The gold leaf that once
edged the pages is now dull with wear. Pocket books of prayer that were once
carried everywhere.
Opening
one of these little books your eyes are drawn to many lines of a young woman’s name in her hand
writing ‘Philomena Lyons’.
Stuffed between the thin paper leaves are
little religious mementos, decorative cards printed in Italy and Switzerland
On
Dean’s second bookshelf in his attic den
“It’s
in no particular order or size and probably says more about me” laughs Dean.
I
like biographical books so there’s a few like Phil Lynott, Micheal Jackson, Alex Ferguson, Roy Keane and some coffee table books.
“There's
History of Art and Design and a book on Album Cover Designs and T-shirts, Movie Posters and Magazine Design and the History of Bands. The graphic artist an music lover in me has drawn me to these books.”
Ending
the tour of Deans bookcases I ask what his next books will be “ That’s easy he
says, There’s still some Stephen King hard back books I’ve to get.
They are a bit more
difficult to source but I’m in no hurry, I’ve plenty to be reading.”
So drop me a line,
I'll come along and hear about your bookcases, how you shape them or they shape you.
