On My Shelf

-Anna

From time to time I go into furniture stores (or browse IKEA online), just to drool over the floor to ceiling library style bookshelves. I imagine my books lining the long smooth planks and see myself humming softly as I climb the ever so cool ladder just so I can run my fingers over the colorful bindings of all my books. It's a dream, I know, but sometimes dreams come true (says the girl who believes in fairy tales).

For now, I have approximately 2 1/2 shelves on our bookshelf to display my favorite books. So, the choice is sometimes difficult. Which of my beloved books should hold the honor of being housed there? Which books can look around and proudly state, "Aha, I have arrived. I have made it to THE bookshelf!"? Pride and Prejudice? Need you ask? The Fellowship of the Rings? Without a doubt. The Chronicles of Narnia? Most definitely. Harry Potter? All 6 (yes, I know there are 7, but my collection isn't complete yet).

There are other titles that have squeezed their way onto the shelf. Jane Eyre and Emma have jockeyed for position as well as Chris Claremont/George Lucas' series Chronicles of the Shadow War. But there are so many others that have no home on THE bookshelf. Anne and Emily are sadly tucked away in a box in the attic. Twilight and Eragon console each other behind the doors of storage shelves. They wait patiently, among other loved titles, and they too dream of floor to ceiling library shelves.