12 - A book you have seen on someone else's bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)

[L Y N N]

Hmmmm...several. The Divine Matrix: Bridging Time, Space, Miracles, and Belief, The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, and All the Bright Places.

Which books have YOU seen?

[Ellie]

I'm just going to pick something I see on shelves on bookstagram. The only shelves I've seen on TV have been full of heavy non fiction. No one sits in front of their popular fiction books!

[Melissa]

This was one I was really hoping for. Watching the news has been a study of trying to read reporter's bookshelves.

I've had A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent picked out for months from the PBS News Hour.

On either that show or another news program, they interviewed the author of The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. and he had copies of it (with cover facing out, not properly put away but super staged) on every available space behind him. It was impressive.

[Heather L]

Don’t forget the virtual bookshelves of GR friends. 😉

[Tania]

Man, I have been commenting on people's bookshelves ever since the pandemic started, I should have written them down! I feel like there have been some really good ones too, everyone has their bookshelves strategically arranged on talk shows, news, etc. Keeping track better starting... now!

[Tania]

Ellie wrote: "I'm just going to pick something I see on shelves on bookstagram. The only shelves I've seen on TV have been full of heavy non fiction. No one sits in front of their popular fiction books!"

I think it was Dax Sheppard who was putting random fiction books in view of the camera based on who he was talking to, and said his choices were based on things they would relate to... I wish I remembered which show/episode I saw this on!

[Sarah]

Trevor Noah has books on his book shelf Ta-Nehisi Coates on his book shelf along with some others. I think is We were 8 years in power

[Drakeryn]

My favorite blogger, Cait @ paperfury.com, posts lots of bookshelf pics, so I feel like I've got this prompt covered even though I have no idea what I'm picking. If you like YA I recommend checking her out.

[Lilith]

I looked forward to seeing what books Seth Myers had on his table in his attic. Maybe it's time to read The Thornbirds.

Trevor Noah and Steven Colbert had some good books on their shelves But I feel I owe Seth. He got me through the pandemic. "Wash your hands. Stay safe. Wear a mask. We love you."

[Taylor]

Great article by the times!
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/bo...

[Heidi]

I think I will look toward Bill Gates' bookshelf for this prompt

[Adrienne]

Somewhere there exists a list of all the books Rory Gilmore was filmed with on Gilmore Girls...

[Ellie]

Tania wrote: "I think it was Dax Sheppard who was putting random fiction books in view of the camera based on who he was talking to, and said his choices were based on things they would relate to... I wish I remembered which show/episode I saw this on!..."

I don't know who that is. I live in the UK and don't really watch much general TV. So I think it's just easier to use shelves seen on social media.

[Tanu]

Man, if we're talking about ableism in the other thread, THIS one is ableist!

I think I will just use one I've seen my GR friends/people I follow review, as my family rarely reads and their books aren't much to my taste.

[Brandon]

For anyone who has an open library (and I hope that's every one by Q3 2021), you can cheese this prompt by counting anything there as someone else's bookshelf, particularly if it is a staff recommendation shelf.

[K.L.]

I started watching people's bookshelf tours on YouTube during isolation, so I'll probably choose something from one of those videos.

[Drakeryn]

After experimenting a bit, I've found that for recent/popular releases, you can often google image search "[title of book] bookshelf" and find a photo of someone displaying it on their shelf. The prompt obviously contemplates remote viewing of bookshelves (since it mentions Zoom/TV) so I think this is completely valid.

[Meghan]

This is a tough prompt. My co-workers have fake backgrounds or blur them out during meetings so I can't see their shelves :(

The only bookshelves I see on TV are all dense non-fiction books that don't interest me.

[SadieReadsAgain]

As a big watcher of other booktubers, I know many who have Shuggie Bain on their shelves. And I can't wait to read it!!

[Sarah]

I have the perfect subreddit for this!

https://www.reddit.com/r/bookshelf/

[Johanne]

I'm visiting my dad and step-mum over Christmas. Lots of book shelves to look at ;)

[Michele]

Taylor wrote: "Great article by the times!
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/bo..."

Thanks for sharing!

[Michele]

Tanvi wrote: "Man, if we're talking about ableism in the other thread, THIS one is ableist!

I think I will just use one I've seen my GR friends/people I follow review, as my family rarely reads and their books ..."
I agree!

[Laura]

Is this an excuse to take bookshelfies and share them here?

[Shauna]

Tan France did a house tour on Architectural Digest and he stopped in front of his bookcase for a minute. Here are a few: Naturally Tan, The People We Hate at the Wedding, The Hunger Games, Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It, A Monster Calls, Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love, Wuthering Heights, Yes Please, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, It's Not About the Burqa. Hope this is helpful to someone!

[Alicia]

Modern Mrs Darcy (https://modernmrsdarcy.com/category/b...) would have a very full shelf with lots of ideas

Another challenge has a book from #bookstagram on theirs so I went on Instagram and searched #bookstagram and was traumatized after. People are using it to post selfies that have nothing to do with books.

[Drakeryn]

Laura wrote: "Is this an excuse to take bookshelfies and share them here?"

Absolutely.

If I had more physical books I'd do this with all my favorites, then people could use them for this prompt...

[Ellie]

My shelves are a mess, but I've taken some photos of the ones I can access without moving things out the way:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZjcAQydz9m7...

[Laura]

A look at the shelves of some famous book collectors:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/m...

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/bo...

And the always-lovely Jane Mount:
https://www.idealbookshelf.com/collec...

[Alicia]

I think my trouble with this prompt is, that even with my glasses I can't always see what the books are on people's shelves!!

That means an instagram shelf is where I'm going to go with this prompt.

[Drakeryn]

Ellie wrote: "My shelves are a mess, but I've taken some photos of the ones I can access without moving things out the way..."

nice! you've got a bunch of books that I want to read (The Bone Shard Daughter, The House of Binding Thorns, The Last Smile in Sunder City, The Wolf Road, Addie LaRue, Illuminae series)

[Angelique]

I suppose you could read anything that Rory read or mentioned on the Gilmore Girls show, I've got a list of 339 books,

Or Oprah's list of suggestions, those books have all been discussed on TV?

[Nadine in NY]

Ellie wrote: "My shelves are a mess, but I've taken some photos of the ones I can access without moving things out the way:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZjcAQydz9m7..."


This is super helpful!!! I see Caraval. I've been meaning to read that. Done.


(but please keep those photos up, just in case I hate Caraval and need to come back later to pick something else!!!)

[LindaLH]

I found a book I want to read:

(and more)
on this bookshelf: morgantic

[Carrie]

I love Emilia Clarke (actress from Game of Thrones) and every one of the books you can see on her shelves on her Instagram (@emiliaclarke) are some of the best-- tons of variety there, I've picked a few I've seen just off hand already that are in my TBR pile. Plus, she's just a delight in general.

[Sylvia]

You can even check Reese Witherspoon’s mostly book list. She has a bunch of good ones!!

[Ellie]

Nadine wrote: "but please keep those photos up, just in case I hate Caraval and need to come back later to pick something else!!!."

You'll be pleased to know I never delete my phone photos because it's too much effort! Caraval seems to be a bit of a marmite book, I loved it but didn't like the second book so much and haven't bothered with the final one.

[Drakeryn]

I wasn't a fan of Caraval but it was a really fast pageturner and I'm glad I read it to know what the fuss was all about.

Though I feel like you (Nadine) might dislike it more because it has the kind of weird purple prose that you can't stand. "The wind tasted like moonlight and regrets..." (not a direct quote but it's that kind of thing)

[Jen W.]

Ellie wrote: "My shelves are a mess, but I've taken some photos of the ones I can access without moving things out the way:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZjcAQydz9m7..."

Thanks for posting your bookshelf photos, Ellie! You have a lot of books on my TBR. :D

(As an aside, I think I recognize that little coin bank next to your Lying Cat - pretty sure I have that exact one.)

[Ellie]

Jennifer wrote: "Ellie wrote: "(As an aside, I think I recognize that little coin bank next to your Lying Cat - pretty sure I have that exact one.)..."

Good spot, it's so cute. I think the box it's in is also in Animal Crossing!

[Nadine in NY]

Drakeryn wrote: "I wasn't a fan of Caraval but it was a really fast pageturner and I'm glad I read it to know what the fuss was all about.

Though I feel like you (Nadine) might dislike it more because it has the k..."


This is my concern! and why I haven't read it yet. But I read somewhere that people who dislike The Night Circus like Caraval, and vice versa, so I want to read it to test out that theory. If I can't handle the taste of the moonlight and whatnot, I'll drop it like a hot potato and go read some Chandler to cleanse my brain of the purple prose!

[Lilith]

I adore Late Night with Seth Myers, and if you watch his how, you already know about the attic and the books behind him. And of course, the metamorphosis of The Thornbirds.

I've been playing with YouTube to see what I can find on the infamous table. so far:
The Thornbirds
John Adams
Shōgun
Homegoing
The Testaments
Rich Man, Poor Man
Portnoy's Complaint
The Underground Railroad
White Teeth
Disappearing Earth
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Stay safe. Wash your hands. Wear a mask. We love you.

[Megan]

I saw The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics on the shelf of my local news anchor-Alice of NBC 4--so I will be reading that as I already own it.

[Fannie]

Ellie, thank you.

I saw We, Artemis and Malorie

[Teri]

I was watching a Trevor Noah video last night. He had We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates on the bookshelf above his head. I could only make out a red spine, the word Power in the title, and the author Coates but it was enough. I already had this on my TBR list.

He also had a book about houseplants, but no thanks. I'd prefer to just kill mine as I've done my whole life. A good excuse to get another one.

[Erica]

Ellie wrote: "My shelves are a mess, but I've taken some photos of the ones I can access without moving things out the way:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZjcAQydz9m7..."

Thanks for posting. I saw a couple of great options. You have a lot of things I've already read.

[L Y N N]

Lilith wrote: "I looked forward to seeing what books Seth Myers had on his table in his attic. Maybe it's time to read The Thornbirds."

I was not wild about reading that book, but I ended up loving as did all the other book club members as well.

[L Y N N]

Megan wrote: "I saw The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics on the shelf of my local news anchor-Alice of NBC 4--so I will be reading that a..."

That is such a phenomenal book! Enjoy!

[Larissa]

Lilith wrote: "I looked forward to seeing what books Seth Myers had on his table in his attic. Maybe it's time to read The Thornbirds.

Trevor Noah and Steven Colbert had some good books on their ..."

I agree! I feel I owe it to Seth Myers to read The Thorn Birds!

[Aimee Dars]

This Twitter account is full of gems (recently Toni Morrison's bookshelves):

https://www.twitter.com/booklockdown