The OF Blog: Another bookcase full of books

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Another bookcase full of books


The first of 14 pictures of a single five-shelf bookcase (I have two others that I'll photograph later this year). Look carefully at this and the following pictures. What patterns (if any) do you see, besides some authors having their books together?



There's almost something cultural about several of these books?  What could it be?


Since this bookcase is in a part of the bookcase room where little light reaches it, I had to use the flash feature on my phone for most of these pictures, so any blurriness/overly bright areas are due to that and my laziness in not fooling around with editing the pictures.


I wonder if I should give readers the chance to guess the three most expensive (for me) books in these pictures.  One should be obvious, but I think the other two (not necessarily in this picture) ought to prove to be more difficult...


There's a certain pattern about these books, one that stretches back a few years.  I'm certain a few might get it...those who are up on certain regular occurrences, that is...


More than just Gaiman here...


Obviously this is not in alphabetical order, since Monette does not come before Miéville...


Missing a certain Miéville book here...I have it, but not here.  Why could that be so?  Perhaps Blake has the answer, unless The Book Thief decided to take matters into its own (virtual) hands...



Shakespeare between Straub/King and Rushdie.  What could be the import of this?


Perhaps the Illuminati hold the keys to understanding the organizational schema here...


I wonder what sort of conversation Pynchon, Borges, and Danielewski could have that Sedaris wouldn't mock...


Finally getting to the final shelf.  Little, Big?  Dying Earth from all these dead trees on display?


From one of the best cultural histories of World War I (by Paul Fussell) to Lem to a true Confederacy of Dunces.


Finally, the end.  DeLillo, M. John Harrison, and someone who's won a Nobel Prize in Literature.  Quality for the last picture.  Fitting, no?

11 comments:

Chad Hull said...

Was that a complete set of Edward Whittemore books? Sadly they are officially out of print AGAIN. I would guess you paid dearly for the hardback of Jericho Mosaic. Old Earth Books, is no longer printing the reprints.

I'm in the process of tracking down the first two of the quartet and then I'll have my fix.

Larry Nolen said...

Yes, that's a complete set and you're close. The hardcover was actually the cheapest (I think I paid $10 or so for it). It's Nile Shadows that set me back around $50 when I bought it three years ago.

Well worth the money though. Really am considering reviewing them at length in a few weeks.

Chad Hull said...

$50!!!

That has to be a joke! I literally paid, less than $6 shipping included for the hardback last week.

As I said before I'm in the process of obtaining Whittemore's work, and it's the first two of the quartet that I'm trying not to pay, more than $20 for. (I'm shopping exclusively for the hardbacks.)

We may need to exchange info on buying used obscure out of print books on the cheap... In all modesty, I can say I'm a pro.

As far as reading the books, and reviewing them--as always--you'll beat me to it. But I too have the same thought, so forgive me if I ignore your review until I've written my own.

Chad Hull said...

I think that Complete Works of Shakespeare is an Easton Press Edition. If so, and assuming you bought it new, that cost some serious cash.

I should be working.

Larry Nolen said...

You got a lucky deal then! It may have been I was trying to collect the entire Old Earth collections (before giving up with the final volume).

The Shakespeare was actually much cheaper, as it's an imitation leather binding. I think I paid about $20 for it about a dozen years ago.

Unknown said...

Speaking about porn... because of these pictures I could move in your house...

Larry Nolen said...

Ha! But there's barely any room due to the thousands of books here! :P

Unknown said...

Are you refusing the possibility to get another thousand books? :D

Larry Nolen said...

Well, kinda. I need to move before I'll have enough space for more than another 100 or so.

Unless there are a thousand squirrel-based novels and non-fiction you can give me? :P

Unknown said...

There should be this series (the first edition) somewhere in my shelves. Not a thousand books, though.
http://www.jr.lv/en/veikals/prece/index.html%3Bjsessionid=EA30251553EC8BA1C1BAA2D61C0AF75B?shop_id=215925

Shelf said...

Ohh...

Your home or Library ?


hahahaaa...

I don't like reading.

 
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