Ever since I started university, I almost completely stopped buying physical books. While living in a small dorm room, then small apartments, I simply didn’t have the space to store any more physical books.
But in September, my husband and I bought our very first house and I was able to make one of my biggest dreams come true: built-in bookshelves!
I now have six floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases, each with eight shelves! As soon as we bought our house this was the first thing I wanted to do, and I feel so fortunate that I was able to make it happen!
As you can see there’s tons of empty space on the shelves, so now I’m on a mission to complete the series I had to stop buying physical copies of part-way through.
The Lunar Chronicles
First of all, I have no idea why I have two copies of the Scarlet hardcover! And they’re both signed! I had a copy in England, then when I shipped my books to my house from my parents’ house I realized I had a copy there as well.
I bought Cress and Winter as ebooks but I definitely want the hardcovers to finish off my collection.
Insignia
I never actually read the final book in this series, Catalyst. I want to buy Vortex and Catalyst in hardcover and finally finish the series. I’ll probably reread Insignia and Vortex first since I’ve forgotten so much.
The Heroes of Olympus & Magnus Chase
Funny story: I spent DAYS agonizing over which edition of Magnus Chase to buy: the UK edition or the US edition.
- Reason for buying the UK edition: Waterstones was offering signed copies of Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead (pictured in the above photo – top shelf on the right).
- Reason for buying the US edition: the UK editions are taller than the US ones! You can clearly see this in my above photograph.
So I ended up buying the signed copy of The Ship of the Dead in the UK edition, but now I can’t decide if I can deal with the height difference lol.
Anyway, I still need to finish off my collection and get:
- The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4)
- The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5)
- The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)
- The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2)
I have actually read the whole Heroes of Olympus series (via ebook) but I haven’t read past book #1 in Magnus Chase! I need to get on that.
And let me know what you think about this UK/US edition crisis! Part of me is tempted to just buy all 3 Magnus Chase US editions so they’ll be matchy-matchy. But now I do already own book #3 in the UK edition. Honestly this has stressed me out way more than it should!
The Selection
The Selection is another series I have fully read, but I love the covers so much that I need physical copies! (Yes I’m a sucker for the pretty dress covers.)
And once again I have no idea why I have two copies of The Selection.
Ashfall
Ashfall is one of my all-time favourite series (I read ebooks of #2 and #3) and I’m actually dying to do a reread. I’ll probably do that when I purchase the rest of the series in hardcover. I highly recommend this series if you’re interested in this-could-totally-happen-one-day apocalyptic books.
P.S. I’d love to remove that Autographed Copy sticker, but I’m afraid because it’s been so many years! Nothing is worse than sticker residue.
Everneath
Okay so I never actually finished the Everneath series. I read books #1 and #2 but never read (or purchased) #3! I think I got nervous because I saw some negative reviews of it who didn’t like which guy she ended up with. 🙁 I’d still like to buy the third book so I can read it. Plus the covers are gorgeous!
Phew, I have quite a few books to buy! I suspect it will take me a while to slowly accumulate these, but I’m really excited to finally complete some of my favourite series.
Do you have any series you’d love to complete for your collection?
Ashley this totally rocks! First off I want to congratulate you on your new home… and secondly on making your dream of built-in bookcases come true! It’s the next best thing to having a full-on library with the ladder on wheels! Alas, we’re not millionaires!
I’m a huge fan of needing all of the books to finish off a collection… sometimes whether I have read them or not. It’s a thing with me… and the cause of many an argument too. I’m still collecting Stephen King and James Patterson books to keep up with my collection and I haven’t read either of these authors in many years. Yeah, it might be a sickness.
My hubby just built me a floor to ceiling bookcase in my spare bedroom and made it look like it was a built-in bookcase. I had a ton of books piling up (and toppling over from time to time) and he said, “why don’t I make you a bookcase?” Well, who is going to say no to that?
Thank you Carrie! 🙂
I’m totally the same about collecting books even if I don’t read them. At some point it kind of becomes a compulsion. I either need to have none of them or all of them – not in between. I build out my Game of Thrones collection even though I don’t actually like the books (love the show – not the books).
It’s awesome your hubby built you a bookcase!! Go him!
I’m so happy that you and your husband were able to purchase a home. That’s so wonderful and exciting. I absolutely love your wall-to-floor bookshelves. They look so sleek and stylish. I try not to buy the next book in the series until I’ve read the first one. I love the look of a completed series on a bookshelf though. It’s so satisfying.
Thank you Sarah!
You definitely have a good point about waiting to buy the next book. It’s kind of tricky for me because I’m right there with you where I only want to buy the first one and see if I even like it… but then if I *do* like it I want the next one available immediately. I don’t want to have to wait for it to arrive. I can’t win!!
We have very similar tastes in reading. And I am so jealous of your shelves!!! I loved the Everneath series and I’ve actually met Brodi Ashton! I have lots of series where I’m missing book #1, because I checked it out at the library, loved it and bought the rest. Too many to count.
I’m so glad to hear you loved the series, Karlene! That encourages me to finally go back and read the third book. 🙂
Congrats on your new home and I LOVE your bookshelves! How exciting for you!! They will fill up in no time :D. There is nothing I love more than to add another book to a series that I love.
Thank you!! 😀 It is indeed very satisfying to have complete series on your shelves.
Okay, but first let’s talk about how GORGEOUS your built-in bookshelves are!! I am in love with them!! And it’s so wonderful you’ve been able to achieve your dream <3 It's my dream to have built-in bookshelves as well, but I'm years away from that haha
Now as to the series situation… I would totally buy the Magnus Chase in the US edition and maybe put the signed UK edition on a shelf for tall hardbacks lol
I have a similar problem with my own bookshelves because I only started caring about these things in the last five years since I joined the online book community (before that I did not have access to photos of all those gorgeous bookshelves. Now I do lol) so I actually have a ton of series mismatched. And most of them are series that, on one hand, I liked well enough but, on the other hand, not enough to justify a re-buy… so I agonize over them each and every time I re-arrange my bookshelves lol
Thank you so much!!! 🙂 And thanks for your input about Magnus Chase. I definitely think that might be the right plan. I love having the signed copy but it really bugs me that it’s so much taller! Grr!
I totally get what you mean about being torn between aesthetics, but also not really loving the book/series enough to justify. That’s a tough one! I’d definitely rather spend money on books I love, but I also really care about how the shelves look visually.
Congratulations on your new home!! I love the bookshelves. For years I’ve been reading primarily ebooks but I am starting to collect hardback covers because they are so gorgeous. I finally got a bookshelf and The Lunar Chronicles was the first series I purchased. Now my bookshelf is full and I can’t get another one (I have no space lol). But I have a list of series I would love to add to my collection.
Excellent choice going with The Lunar Chronicles first!! That’s one of my all time favourites. 🙂 Sorry to hear your bookshelves are all full though. 🙁 I see it as kind of a good and bad thing. Personally I prefer the aesthetic of a totally full shelf, but then the obvious downside is you have no room for more!
I love this post and I can’t wait to figure out what series I need to finish buying for too! Your shelves look lovely.
Thanks Lauren! 🙂
I just bought a new house, and I have a designated library. Problem is, during the move, most of my bookshelves were destroyed. What you have is my DREAM! I wonder if I could convince hubby to do that for me!
Oh no!! 🙁 I’m so sorry to hear that Tanya! That’s horrible.
I wrote a post about the books I’d acquire when I have a house with a library, so I totally feel this! I don’t really buy physical books lately either, so I can’t wait to complete some collections in a few years.
I just read your post! Great choices. I love that we both have The Lunar Chronicles. I’m also considering completing The Grisha Trilogy. I have the first book, read the second as an ebook, but never read the third! I think that’s why I’m hesitant to complete the series for my library – I’m not sure if I like it yet or not!
*gasp* Your bookshelf is absolutely beautiful! I’ve recently added new bookcases to my room as well, and it makes me so happy to wake up in the morning and see the entire wall of my room lined with bookshelves and books ? I feel like beautiful bookshelves immediately brightens up a room, right? Best of luck completing your collections of books!
Thank you Zoie! 🙂 It must be wonderful to have the bookcases in your room!
I love your bookshelf! I most like how the sunlight comes in through the window to shine directly on it! My grandmother has a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf (two), but they face another wall and are connected to the wall that has the window, so we have to rely more on either a) sideways lighting or b) artificial lighting.
I also love your setup! 🙂
I’m mostly waiting for new releases right now…ugh. I’m not…I’m not into this waiting game and am a bit perturbed with myself for having let myself get into brand new series?? But it seems they’re coming out on a yearly basis, so…as long as the schedule remains! Of what I have, I’d really love the rest of The Hunger Games series. I have only the first book (which means I also need to read the remainder of the series). Although I’m not a fan, I do want the rest of The 100 series—if only to read. I like the show more, but I still feel obligated to read the books to call myself a true 100 fan.
Thank you Jane! 🙂
I am actually working on getting blinds put in just so I can use them between about 9am and 12:30pm. During this time the sunlight shines directly on the books and I just want to protect them from sun damage. But it is lovely once the sun is overhead and I just get indirect sunlight filtering through. 🙂
I totally agree with you about series. I’ve actually kind of adjusted how I handle series just because I hate waiting for the next book to come out. Waiting sucks! Now I tend to read the first book when it comes out just to see if I’m interested. If I am, then I don’t continue the series until all the books are out. At that point I reread book one and then continue on to all the others. I like this method because it allows me to totally binge a series all in one go. I find I enjoy them so much more this way.
I’ve thought about reading The 100 too for the same reason! I love love love the show and I’m curious about the book. Sadly I think the book has gotten quite a few negative reviews and most people I’ve spoken to say the show is actually better. I do hope you enjoy it though!
Yeah…the books and the show do not go hand-in-hand; they were written and developed separately (though I think a “series bible” was provided for the show/book so there would be similarities among some characters and backgrounds). I prefer the show. I read the books despite my disliking them. ? I don’t think they’re as developed as could be, but I partially feel as though Kass Morgan was rushed to complete each book so it could come out at the same time as the show (er, beforehand) for promotional purposes. They really feel like a rushed job resulting in lost potential. ?
Whoa those shelves are gorgeous! It’s the closest thing to home library I’ve ever seen ❤ I always bought Rick Riordan books in US edition because their covers are just so much prettier and the height match more with other books on my shelf, but I accidentally bought the UK edition for Mark of Athena and it has been haunting me since because IT DOES NOT MATCH ? If I were you I would buy the US edition because I see that the rest of the series is in the US edition so they will match perfectly 😀 I would like to finish The Infernal Devices, Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini, and the Mara Dyer series. Oh, I also want to have the complete collection for Penguin Classics but they are so many and rare in my country, it will take me years to complete ?
I think you’re right about the US editions of the Riordan books. I will do that! I agree that the height difference is really annoying. I wish book sizes were more standardized.
The Penguin Classics are so pretty!! I love seeing them all lined up.
We have the Heroes of Olympus, Magnus Chase and Percy Jackson series. My oldest son was a big Rick Riordan fan and the newest ones came out around his birthday each year. For some reason, he and his younger brother have something against the 3rd books in the series. One of them lost the 3rd Percy Jackson and the other lost the 3rd Harry Potter so I need those to complete those collections. Those bookshelves are amazing, enjoy filling them up!!
Haha that’s so weird about the third books in a series! It would really frustrate me to have series gaps like that! I hope you can replace them soon.