The "Special" Shelf

[qos]

havah_prewett made a reference in a recent post about the "scripture shelf" in her movie collection. mam_adar also made reference recently to different shelves in her own library.

Since junior high, I have had a section in my own book collection called my "Select Library": shelves reserved for the books which have touched me deeply, have shaped me, and continue to resonate with me years, even decades, after I have read them.

A few months ago I was looking at those shelves and wondering if some of those books still belonged there. It had been so long since I'd last read them that I could scarcely remember the plots of one or two. In some cases there were spiritual themes I wasn't sure would still be meaningful to me. I took down a fantasy novel by Michael Moorcock (not an author I usually like) called The Warhound and the World's Pain, about a warrior jaded and exhausted by years of combat who ends up going on a quest on Satan's behalf to recover the Grail. It's a strange book in many ways, but -- to my surprise -- once again it moved me in a special way.

I'm thinking about doing a post about some of my favorite of these books. But in the meantime, I'm curious: do you have 'special shelves' or sub-collections in your book, movie, or musical libraries? If so, what is on them?

Comments

Hiya. Back frrom England and glad to see my books!

[moonborn.livejournal.com]

My special shelves are books I know I will read whenever I want an old friend, one of the books I really love and enjoy and know in my bones. The books tend to be fantasy, things that are escapist and fun and that I can curl up in bed with whenever I want comfort. They've got Charles deLint's Greenmantle, Jack of Kinrowan and Memory & Dream, the first two editions of The Journals of Anais Nin, Sheri S Tepper's Beauty, David Eddings's guilty pleasures of the Belgariad and the Mallorean, Linda Jaivin's Rock n Roll Babes from Outer Space and all the Terry Pratchett I can cram in.

[stiobhanrune.livejournal.com]

Boy do I! I'm an anal Virgo, and I organize EVERYTHING!

I have a "witches' fiction" section, that I reserve for books that had witchcraft or magic in them, that wasn't total crap. I use that as my recommendation list for friends who want something good to read. As most of my friends are witches, my witchy fiction selection tends to be a big hit.

Then I have a "Recommended Witchcraft Reading" shelf, for students. Every book on there not only has good information, but is moving AND inspiring to me.

Then I have the "Lend-out" section, which is a shelf of books that I don't care if I lose.

And then there's the top shelf. I keep the books that NOBODY EVER GETS TO BORROW EVER EVER EVER up there. *chuckles* Those are the ones that are either collectors' items like my signed books, or expensive rare books, or books that were so inspiring that I just cannot imagine life without them, like the Kushiel's Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey.

It's ALL about the anal-ness. *grins*