With the stress of what happened last week and a much-needed day off from work on Monday, my brain and body went into overdrive, from rebooting and setting up my computer to deep-cleaning my room to finally getting around to giving some love to my bookshelf.
Before I share the photo of my so-called bookshelf, I will confess it isn't a proper bookshelf, more a "cube storage" piece of furniture- but it actually makes for a nice bookshelf whilst in a small, compact room that is already crowded with a bed, a computer setup and other bedroom/study type things. Long-term plans: I hope to have a dedicated bookshelf or even wall shelves to make more floor room (AI seems to insist on moving things onto walls and off floors, giving off the illusion of more floor space.)
The "grand" bookshelf in full; at times it looks full; at times it screams OCD and inconsistency. I am still torn on what to do with the bottom 4 cubes, so I left that alone. They are filled with DVDs, empty boxes, puzzles and spare electricals.
Onto the books themselves. I have been quite lucky with some book finds. I estimate 75% of the books I own have come from "charity shops", also known as (reuse/resale, thrift and Second-hand shops), with all looking in excellent condition. To my knowledge, the books I have bought from retailers like Waterstones or independent bookshops are the "Diddly Squat" series and one of the books by Lee Child. I also have some duplicate books on the second cube to the right next. This is because I always forget what I own, and because it's always a good price at these second-hand shops, it is always better to buy before it vanishes. Saving this photo will now prevent that. Having read a couple of paperbacks and Hardback books, I easily prefer the hardback: slightly bulky but more durable when taking on the go and a little easier to look after. Sadly, I have yet to start any of the Lee Child books, but I do have the first instalment on the Kindle, so that will possibly be my next read. I have made good progress with the Jeremy Clarkson books that feature his short pieces of work he has written throughout the years for "The Sunday Times and other popular UK newspapers. I have read all of the Diddly Squat series (at least what is on the shelf). As for his other works, I have only made progress on one of his books, and although outdated, as it talks about political, financial, and world topics from the 1990s- 2000s, it is still an interesting read, and some of what he says is still true today and still a UK issue. I have a couple of Amsterdam books and Language books I thought were worth grabbing for pennies, especially as I went to Amsterdam later that year and took an interest in learning languages.
Overall, I am happy with how the shelf has turned out. It will be nice to add some variety in there soon, and I do have A few books in mind that I am looking to grab. The Kindle also helps by allowing me to try unfamiliar books without paying a premium, and if I enjoy the book a lot, I have it in my head that I will go out and buy a physical copy. I have also been looking at picking up signed editions from my favourite authors, but unfortunately it looks like "scalpers" target those. I saw Alice Cooper released a new book (Devil on My Shoulder), and with him being one of my favourite musicians, picking up his book was a must. I saw a signed edition online at a respectable 拢35; sadly, it had already sold out and looking on eBay and various reselling sites, they are going for 拢150+. It seems "scalpers" target everything these days. A couple of other books I am eager to pick up are (Vagabond), a Tim Curry memoir. Having already read it on my Kindle, it is easily one of my favourite reads of the year, and with him passing away recently, I want to get a hardback copy. Another book I want to pick up is a special edition of (IT) by Stephen King. I have only got around 40% through the book, but it is one of my all-time favourite horror books, both the 1990 TV movie series and the modern takes from 2017 onwards. A couple of Hunger Games books, Stranger Things, and some surprises just to add a bit of variety to a very Lee Child and Jeremy Clarkson dominated bookshelf.
I picked up some bookmarks recently for my books, not that I have used any yet, but there is hope.
I was gonna leave the Kindle E-reader out of this post due to it being about a bookshelf, but seeing that it made a big impact on me this year, not only increasing my reading dramatically to the point that I am currently at 20+ books finished in 2026 compared to last year's 8, and my debut reading tracking year 2024 that did not even hit 3. It has also helped my mental well-being and helped me get off the toxic doomscrolling and AI slop. It has been a great purchase, with the only regret being not knowing other E-reader devices existed. The screensaver I made just looks so cool too; I love glancing at it every so often. With it being spooky season, it is heavily IT-themed. The Kindle, as mentioned above, has also helped me read books at a lower price, saving me money in a very harsh economy that, with winter fast coming, will only get worse.
With that, I will wrap up my post. I have enjoyed decluttering my room, and although it was a very stressful, challenging week last week, I am back to feeling content and have so far been keeping myself busy. Thank you for reading.
This post was also part inspired by previous posts from LivingUkTaiwan Here and SteevC Here