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What's on your bookshelf?

                                                                           

As anyone who knows me will avow, I'm a total bookaholic. I think it must have started in childhood when each Friday as my mother did the supermarket shop, I could be found in the book aisle sneakily reading the first chapter of an Enid Blyton book before deciding which one to buy. Needless to say, I still have this prized collection today. Since then though my insatiable desire for books seems to know no bounds. I have a wall of books as you come into the house and three large bookcases upstairs plus two downstairs and most of my books still haven't been unpacked from the boxes down the cellar yet. It wouldn't be so bad if my husband shared my passion but unfortunately being dyslexic, he doesn't get the same pleasure from a good book that I do.
I keep meaning to stop, honestly I do, and when he bought me a Kindle in the forlorn hope that it might reduce the amount of 'clutter' in the house, I did pause briefly in my book buying addiction. It didn't last long though! Don't get me wrong, I love my Kindle too and in fact, I think I've now developed another addiction - the one-click kind. When I checked the other day I realised that even at my current rate of reading about 100 books per year, there is no way that I am ever going to live long enough to read all the books on my shelves, let alone the ones now sitting on my Kindle.
Deciding to try and declutter and get rid of some books that I will probably never read lasted about ten minutes as I came across long-forgotten favourites that just have to be re-read. The touch and scent of a 'real' book convey so many emotions to me. For many books, I can remember where I was when I read it or who gave it to me. Just looking at the cover of a book I've enjoyed gives me huge pleasure. From the chaos that was a disorganised book pile, I have tried to bring some semblance of order and have put all my Greek themed books together. It was great fun doing this as again it brought back many memories. 'The Magus' by John Fowles inspired my love of Greece and maybe even subconsciously planted the idea of teaching there, the Greek cookery book reminds me of the many wonderful meals eaten in tavernas by the sea, the waves lapping on the shore as the waiter brings a complimentary drink. Then there are the Greek language books from my time spent trying to master the basics of that beautiful language and crime novels by two of my favourite writers, Jeffrey Siger and Anne Zouroudi. There are many many more still waiting for me to lovingly discover I'm sure but I know that to me each and every book is special so, for now, my collection remains intact.
Please tell me I'm not alone in my addiction and I'd love to know what's on your bookshelves - virtual or otherwise.

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