I have what builders call a “plant shelf” in my master bedroom. When my husband and I first moved into our home thirteen years ago, I had no idea what to put on that shelf. I tried some leftover wedding flowers and random plants, but it didn’t look good at all. As I began collecting books, because I finally had a place to store them, I realized that they would look good on this plant shelf.
For the next few months, I’m going to share with you the titles of the books that are on this plant shelf, ten at a time. On it, I keep books that I’ve read and liked more than other books. (You could even say that most of these are favorites.) I find their presence there comforting. I recognize them, even without being able to see the type, from their colors and heights and placement. They are my friends. And sometimes, when I’m feeling particularly lonely or self-pitying, I look up and remember that I have many friends, and all of them wait for me within the books of this shelf.
I have previously posted about my many bookshelves here and here.
The first ten books on this shelf can be found here.
Today’s second set of ten books are the following.
Little Big Man (1964) by Thomas Berger
Women in Their Beds (1996) by Gina Berriault
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848) by Anne Brontë
Jane Eyre (1847) by Charlotte Brontë
Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë
March (2005) by Geraldine Brooks
The Stranger (1942) by Albert Camus
My Ántonia (1918) by Willa Cather
O Pioneers! (1913) by Willa Cather
The Canterbury Tales (circa 1340 to 1370) by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 
That’s a lot of classics!
🙂
Jane Eyre is a favourite, and I have liked everything I’ve read by Geraldine Brooks. I’ve had The Stranger and My Antonia on my list for a long time. What are your thoughts on Little Big Man?
Little Big Man was a lot of fun. I read it for a contemporary American literature class and really enjoyed it.
Jane Eyre most definitely. Read the book and have seen several movie versions. I saw Little Big Man (another great movie with Dustin Hoffman), and enjoyed immensely, but “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee” was profound.
I haven’t seen that one. Thanks for the recommendation!
I empathise and understand completely… good luck
Thanks!
I loved The Stranger. It changed the way I looked at the world. It’s funny how much our books say about us. But at the same time, they can shape who we are and who we become.
That is so true, and I think who we are shapes the way we view and understand the book.
Emily, what a very nice little collection. From Jane Eyre to Chaucer to Little Big Man. Well done. BTG
Thanks, BTG. This group is a fun and eclectic one!
I’m planning on reading Wuthering Heights soon… Is it good? Love your bookshelf by the way!
I would say it is one that everybody should read but it is a little strange and underwhelming. It has been many years since I read it though, so I might have a different opinion now if I revisited it.
Okay thanks for your opinion! 🙂
Reblogged this on oshriradhekrishnabole.
i love classic books so it’s safe to say i love your collection! 😀
Thanks! 🙂
That is a pretty cool shelf, with and without books. (But mostly with.)
🙂 I agree. Mostly with!
The Brontes and the lovely Miss Cather are some of my favorite reading! I read My Antonia during graduate studies, and I had to check it out from the library because the bookstore hadn’t ordered it when I purchased my other books. Well, now it’s on my Amazon wishlist. Great collection, Emily!
You really can’t go wrong with the Brontes and Cather. Thanks for reading!
That shelf adds so much character- what a fun idea to put books up there!
Thanks! I was pleased with my idea for sure.
Hello i’m Carrie and I am new to this whole blogging thing. i have just had some advice from one of the people that I am following. She said that I said that I should just Speak from the heart and to follow other people and just say hello and be friendly. But is there any chance that you might be able to give me a little bit more advice?!?!?!?
I have a post called blogging etiquette that might be of use: https://thebookshelfofemilyj.com/2013/05/01/blog-etiquette/ Best of luck!
Ok i will do that sometime soon thx
Love Jane Eyre. Plowing through Pride and Prejudice.
Fun!
Reblogged this on Writings with Rhiannon and commented:
I can’t wait until I have a home of my own (apartment or otherwise) where I can put up my own favorite books. This is so wonderful.
Thanks! I hope you get a place to display your books soon.
Nice to see someone cherishing books, … and when I say books, I mean not only the writing, which we can all get electronically now, but real books you can touch and feel. I love the shelf too! Thanks for sharing your collection.
~Rita
I will never give up hard copies of books. I hate reading on a screen!
I really, really like this idea… and might borrow it. I think it’s great to go over why books are still on your shelf 🙂 I also LOVE “Jane Eyre” (some might call it an obsession), but I’ve never read any of her other novels. “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall” is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Glad to see it on others’ shelves! 🙂
I agree. Wildfell Hall was a fantastic read and a great surprise! I didn’t realize I would like it so much.
Have you seen the movie version (with Tara Fitzgerald, Rupert Graves, and Toby Stephens)? I thought it followed the book very well.
No! It sounds like I need to see it. 🙂
You do! I haven’t read the book in ages, but I remember the movie following it well. It’s worth a trip to the library, or some $$ on Amazon 😀
I love that shelf. I’m ALWAYS looking for more places for my books!
Thanks! Me too. You can never have too many books.
You planted books there. Perfect in my opinion! 🙂
That is a great way to say it!
I loved Jane Eyre. Strange, but beautiful, and satisfying. I watched the recent movie/minseries version of Wuthering Heights (BBC production, I think..2009). It was done beautifully, and although I’d always been scared of it, from the little I’d read and the things I’d heard, I think I liked it. It’s a story where you can’t help but feel strongly about the characters. Perhaps the screen adaptation brought it out better, so that it didn’t feel underwhelming. Or maybe it was just Tom Hardy…
If the movie has Tom Hardy, I want to see it!