Me, My Shelves and I.

My next creative writing task is here... a little later than intended.

'Write about what is on your mantel (or shelves) and why…'

Every room in my house has shelves in it; partly my obsession with books, but mainly because I enjoy giving each unit its own identity with the trinkets that I have added over time. 

Let’s start with the lounge, certainly not an unusual place to find shelving! These shelves, of course, contain books but only the best ones make it to this central location; I’m talking the Barnes and Noble leather-bound editions of the classics and a selection of favourites from the Everyman Millennium Library with their uniform spines and charming presence. These are the books that I imagine would accompany a bottle of Merlot and perhaps some gentle notes of Beethoven drifting in the background; in reality, I’m saddened to admit, these are the books that barely get the attention that they deserve and fade into insignificance alongside the clock and a few inherited sculptures of horses. In contrast to the traditional items that enjoy these shelves, there is a framed image that simply states: ‘All I need is coffee and free Wi-Fi’. Irony ensues, as it sits next to so many little-used items as I sip my Americano and surf the web.

The dining room in my house is the place to be if shelves are ‘your thing’. The first thing to catch your eyes upon entering the room is the collection of drinks and (conveniently) glasses, perhaps, not an unusual addition to a dining room. Accompanying the beverages are a number of novelty and commemorative tins that I can’t bring myself to throw out and a quirky teapot with a set of china cups and saucers; for the rare occasion that I find myself the hostess of a tea party (or bric-a-brac sale). I’d love to tell a fascinating tale surrounding the ornamental pieces that inhabit these shelves but in reality, they are items that I saw and decided were ‘cute’ – they include a ceramic squirrel and glass birds. 

The dining room also hosts another large unit of shelving containing the most popular books in my household and plenty of unusual trinkets. Here you will find copies of Jurassic Park, comics and books about history, politics and grammar. Books aside, there are items on these shelves that serve little to no purpose at all; I am referring to a small collection of plastic dinosaurs, a wooden train whistle and the dancing blob from the E.on adverts. Mostly small objects picked up on my travels or evidence of my partner’s love for the prehistoric world. 

There are shelves that do not need a thorough mention, if indeed any do! The kitchen shelves are a place for cookbooks, the bathroom shelves for candles and the overflow shelves of the spare bedroom are where random items retire once their lack of purpose has been acknowledged.

Finally then, my favourite shelves in the house, my bedroom shelves. I have an old-fashioned, high-backed reading chair nearby and these shelves are brimming with my favourite books and light-hearted literature. From the entire Roald Dahl collection to chick-lit and ‘Ready, set… Novel!’ these are the books that are the used the most as I sit in my chair reminiscent of someone three times my age, sipping tea and snuggled under a blanket with the dog curled at my feet. These shelves are also home to part of my rubber duck collection and random stationery items that I bought on impulse.

If you have made it this far without falling into a shelving-induced sleep then I offer my congratulations; in the mind of a book-lover and librarian shelving is almost an art form and can therefore justify filling most of the front page of my blog!