From dystopias to classics: My favourite bookshelf books

Books, books, books. Reading has become more popular since the rise of Bookstagram and BookTok and so I wanted to share some of my favourite books on my shelves.

Social media has a lot to answer for, both negative and positive; but one of the more positive aspects of social media is that it has created different communities like Bookstagram and BookTok. With the formation of bookish communities, the popularity of reading also increased.

I've always enjoyed reading ever since I was little and I've never really had a slump where I haven't wanted to pick up a book. However, the problem with enjoying reading is at some point you will have too many books for your bookcase.

If you've read my previous post, you'll know I attended an author signing - RARE23London - a couple of weeks ago. Whilst there, not only did I get the books I went with signed, but I picked up even more, coming home with 17.

This meant that I spent last weekend trying to find space for them all, eventually rearranging my entire bookcase. Now, my family and I are in the process of reorganising our spare room to turn it into a library - who wouldn't want a library in their house? - but we're not quite there yet.

So my desk and bookcase are the homes of my paperbacks.

And whilst I was sorting out all my books - around 140 books - I began thinking about which ones are my favourites. So I wanted to share them with you.

My favourite bookshelf books

On my bookshelves, I have quite a vast range of novels and short stories. The genres differ quite significantly from romance novels to fantasy and dystopian to horror and crime to timeless classics.

I use a total of six shelves on my bookcase and then two on the side of my desk, which was quite a squeeze getting all my books on there. And the way I organise my books is usually by genre but also by the ones I like the most.

My bookcase

With a funky bookcase, the shelves are all different sizes so I have a shelf dedicated to Harry Potter, one that's only Stephen King books and one that's for Classics and Agatha Christie novels. But, the bigger shelves house some of the books I like the most.

So on my top shelf, my favourites have to be Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs series, Eliah Greenwood's Easton Boys series and Lauren Asher's F1-based series Dirty Air. I also have Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on the top shelf because that book was just amazing.

Now they are all romance series - and there are many more where they came from, hence why I have a shelf dedicated to romcoms - but another of my shelves also houses some of my favourites. These novels aren't specifically romance, although that is a sub-genre.

The Shatter Me series, Six of Crows duology and A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) are some of my favourite series to read.

ACOTAR is a fantasy series and Shatter Me is a dystopian series, whilst Six of Crows in my opinion is a mixture of both. I remember reading all these books and being in awe of how the authors crafted worlds different to our own that suck you in and make you want to reread those books continuously.

I also have a shelf on my desk dedicated to all my Christmas books, which is one of my favourite shelves! And I've read all of the books on there and continue to reread them each year in the build-up to the festive holidays.

My festive bookshelf

My favourite books that aren't on my shelves

At the moment, I'm currently working my way through Cressida McLaughlin's books. Her books are now some of my favourite reads and I will revisit them again and again - I even read a couple of her Christmas books this month, in July!

And whilst I love her books, I don't actually have them on my bookcase. But my sister has them on hers. I would love my own copy of McLaughlin's books but that'll have to wait until I move out, haha!

Bookshelf books I have yet to read

Earlier I said I only tend to get paperbacks that I know I'll reread again, and whilst that is true, I have to admit I do have some books that I have yet to read.

These tend to be romance novels but also some of the classics and thrillers.

On my Stephen King shelf, I have about five books, three of which I haven't dived into. I've read Carrie and Misery, which definitely lived up to its title, but I haven't read The Institute, The Shining or Everything's Eventual, which is actually a collection of short stories.

Along with King's books, I still haven't mustered up the courage to tackle some of the classics. I've read The Great Gatsby, which when you open it you'll be greeted by annotations throughout, and also Wuthering Heights; however, I haven't read Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice or Moby Dick, which my friend actually gave to me.

And then there are a couple of romcoms, like Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey and Set on You by Amy Lea, that I'm still trying to get around to reading. There are also some dystopian books I have yet to read including Q by Christina Dalcher, who also wrote Vox, which I really enjoyed.

So out of 140 books, I have read the majority and I would revisit the majority too. But there are still some novels that are yet to be read that may end up bumping their way up the list to the favourites section.

Have you read any of the books mentioned? And what are some of your favourite books that you own?

Until next time...