BOOKS, SHELVES, AND ALL THE WAYS MY LIBRARY WAS BUILT!

This week, Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Outrageous Things I’ve Done for the Love of Books. I was pretty excited for it until I realized…I’m not supposed to tell y’all about that time with the unicorns and the time magician. Sorry, guys, magical law is binding so I’m going to have to find an a way to come off as a boring person.*

*I’m actually kidding here. About not being boring, not about the unicorns. 

So, since I allegedly haven’t done any outrageous things for books, I thought I could share with you how my little library came to be. My library is anything awe-inspiring. It’s small, with wears easily seen on the books, and my shelf looks right about to collapse. But every time I look at my books there’s this sense of pride that fills me. I love how mismatched and chaotic my library looks. When you’re part of the book blogging community there is a tendency to compare our libraries; I know I’ve felt envious whenever I see these floor to wall bookshelves filled and decorated. Honestly, though, I think my little collection is getting there. I may not have the funko pops or the special edition books right now, but I hope one day I can collect special editions of my favourite books and have a room full of books of my own. For now, I am grateful for the worn out pages that feel so much like home. 

So, monologue aside, let’s talk about the ways I’ve built my library!

 

🌸 CLOTHES OVER BOOKS

Any pocket money I would get was always spent on books. While my siblings went through racks of clothes in the shopping department, I would be scouring shelves searching for the cheapest reads.

I think my finest bookworm moment was when I moved countries and packed more books into my suitcase than clothes. Still, my baggage was overweight forcing me to “unhaul” right there at the airport. 

🌸 E-LIBRARY LOVE

Ebooks are still books.

I’m very proud of the little collection of ebooks I’ve got on my Kindle Paperwhite. Through Kindle I have discovered a whole new side of the book community! Like, I didn’t even know audiobooks existed! Historical Fantasy? I wasn’t even aware of the genre until Kindle!

With my Kindle, I’ve also had the chance to support Indie authors and avail of super cheap ebook deals! Discovering indie reads has been the most fun of my journey in the blogging community. 

Check out my post on some recommended Indie Fantasy Reads

I also join a lot of blog tours, mostly for the chance to discover new reads, which has helped me gain access to e-ARCs. 

🌸 SKIPPING THE COLLECTION

I have to be very cautious of the books I buy. My book hauls always tend to be less than five books, sometimes only one. So if I’ve read a book as an ARC or can borrow it, I don’t end up buying a copy of my own. Although I do want to have a colorful collection and beautiful editions of books I love, it’s not something that’s practical for me.

Related post Bookworming on a Budget

The only exception for this is The Bone Witch trilogy by Rin Chupeco which I completely slayed me.

Read my review for The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

🌸 BLESSED WITH ARCS

Being a book blogger means I do have access to physical and digital ARCs. It’s a blessing that some publishers have been willing to send me ACTUAL physical copies. I’ll admit though that it actually took me building up the guts to approach a few publishers for the review copies. 

🌸 GENEROUS PEOPLE

Giveaways actually work, y’all. I used to be really skeptical about giveaways and would refrain from joining them because the disappointment was just too bitter. BUT! I have been fortunate to have won a few books through them! My hardcopy of Circe by Madeline Miller is probably my most treasured. I’ve also had my bookish wishes granted which was surreal! 

Second to my secondhand reads, a bulk of my library is made up of gifted books. My family and partner being the major contributors! The fun thing about it is that our tastes varies so the books I’m gifted are a chances to step out of my comfort zone. 

My library has taken me a long time to build. Even without a public library I have been privileged to live close to bookstores and have access to online stores for my bookworm needs. 

Related post Growing Up Without Access to a Public Library

What’s your most recent book purchase? 

How would you describe your library?

Do you decorate your library?