The books that we choose to keep – let alone read – can say a lot about who we are and how we see ourselves.
In My Ideal Bookshelf, dozens of leading cultural figures share the books that matter to them most; books that define their dreams and ambitions and in many cases helped them find their way in the world. Contributors include Malcolm Gladwell, Thomas Keller, Michael Chabon, Alice Waters, James Patterson, Maira Kalman, Judd Apatow, Chuck Klosterman, Miranda July, Alex Ross, Nancy Pearl, David Chang, Patti Smith, Jennifer Egan, and Dave Eggers, among many others.
With colorful and endearingly hand-rendered images of book spines by Jane Mount, and first-person commentary from all the contributors, this is a perfect book for avid readers, writers, and all who have known the influence of a great book. (description from publisher)
I was super excited about this book after following the artist on Etsy for awhile, but I am a bit disappointed. I have only flipped through haphazardly, but so far almost every “ideal shelf” just felt so expected and quite boring (I did enjoy Lev Grossman’s shelf, but I am a fan of his so there may be bias). These titles might really be the owners’ favorite books…but it seems more like they are trying to look professional and impress future employers. I wanted more surprises (and honestly, more children and young adult books); I wanted a literary author who loved westerns, an artist who loved cozy mysteries, a screenwriter who reads nonfiction about puppies, a politician who collects zombie graphic novels & British romances, etc etc. I wanted variety! However, the art is lovely 🙂
Okay, I have spent a little more time with the book now, and am not as disappointed. There were a bunch right at the end that were so fun! William Wegman’s shelf was particularly lovely–so many little scraps of paper sticking out the tops! It looked like ideas growing.
Yup, me AGAIN. The more I look at this book, the more I disagree with my first comment 🙂 There is lots of fantastic variety and surprising shelves! I have learned my lesson about commenting too soon…