I’ve always loved to read, but it has only been about the last three years where I must admit to it becoming somewhat of an addiction. When I innocently commented to a friend that I had read the Twilight series and really enjoyed it, she said, “Well, if you liked that, you’d probably like some of these.” She proceeded to pull boxes out from storage in her garage and opened them to reveal so many books I was overwhelmed. The first series she gave me was the Argeneau Vampire series by Lynsay Sands. I loved it and powered through each book, one after the other. From there it was Christine Feehan’s Carpathians. Again, I read each and every one she had, getting the ones she was missing from the library or purchasing. It was when she turned me on to Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters that things got out of control. This was the series that ruined me and my self control. I needed MORE!
How is it that I was clueless to the existence of the paranormal genre? Me. I watched and loved Buffy and then Angel and I loved SciFi shows like X-Files and Roswell, just to name a few. Well, after finding Kenyon, it was a very short trip to find JR Ward and Nalini Singh and the rest, as they say, is history.
As fellow book lovers, I’m sure all of you can relate to the interminable TBR pile, which, no matter how much you read, never seems to dwindle in its size. I’ve just decided to accept it for what it is and hope for the best.
Unfortunately, what I struggle with and find more difficult than anything, is parting with a book that I’ve enjoyed, especially if it’s part of a series. This is truly a problem, my friends. “My name is Helyce and I am a book packrat.” I don’t use the term “hoarder” because I do share my books and I do turn some in to used stores and the like, but I’m at the point where I have no more space to “hide” them. There is only so much room under my bed or in my closet. My home is less than 1500 square feet and we outgrew it around the time the kids were born, so you see my dilemma? I have banker’s boxes and Rubbermaid containers full of books that I have read and don’t want to part with. This cannot go on! I know I am not alone, so I became curious. What is on your keeper shelf?
Here are a few of mine. There are more, believe me. These are the ones I can see at the moment.
1. Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I bought this in hard back for $27. Yeah, I know, ridiculous. I had to have it. Had. To. Have. It.
2. Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. I have two copies of Dark Lover and two copies of Lover Eternal. I don’t know why. Don’t judge me.
3. Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh.
4. Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh.
5. Breeds by Lora Leigh. I love the original covers from when she wrote under Ellora’s Cave.
6. Rough Riders by Lorelei James-hot cowboys-need I say more?
7. Stranger by Megan Hart-this was my first erotic romance read. I’m holding out that Jack will get his own story one day. I’ve asked Ms. Hart, but she won’t commit.
8. Virgin River Series by Robyn Carr. I have all of them in paperback except for one which I have on my nook. Easily my favorite contemporary romance
9. I-Team series by Pamela Clare. Fantastic romantic suspense.
10. Ghostwalker series by Christine Feehan. Love the premise of this series-kind of a scifi meets paranormal. Love!
What books must you have on your shelf?
You’re a fan of The X-Files?! Oh! A girl after my own heart!! :)
We have some books in common. The I-Team series is one of my favorite romantic suspense series ever, the only one I love just slightly more is the Troubleshooter series by Suzanne Brockmann, although I’ve been disappointed by the latest books. Also agree with the Psy/Changeling series, fantastic, isn’t it? But I’m claiming ownership over Kaleb, just in case you were getting any ideas there… Love anything by Megan Hart, one of the best romance writers and by far the best erotic romance writer. You have great taste!
Another favorite of mine, and my all-time favorite series is Meljean Brook’s Guardian series, if you haven’t read it you should give it a try. Finally I have tons of Nora Roberts and Julie Garwood books on my list because they are awesome and because they were some of the first romances I read.
Hi Brie! I’ve read a few of the Troubleshooters when they came out recently in reprints. Also, loved When Tony Met Adam. Loved! The only Megan Harts I haven’t loved have been the ones with a slight pnr hint, like Deeper and I haven’t read Collide yet. Meljean is on my TBR list…which just keeps getting longer and longer. I’m attempting to get into UF more, I know there are some great reads out there…but I likey my smexy time too much.
Lol, 2 copies you say ;) I am sure I would too, if I wasn’t so cheap
I think I ended up with a couple extras because I had loaned them out and then didn’t get them back. Then months later, I did. Oh well!
My keeper shelves need some organizational love. They are in poor shape. I just keep shoving books on there. Nice post!
I really need to purge though. I cannot keep all of these. I get the evil “stink eye” from my husband all the time.
Oh, you have to read Thea Harrison’s Elder Races Series starting with “Dragon Bound”. Also G A Aiken’s (aka Shelly Laurenston) Dragon Series, a huge family that’s SO FUNNY. Then there’s Sandra Hill’s Viking II series that’s time-traveling-Viking-SEALS that’s packed with humor. Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James’s current series’ of Shifters and Urban Fantasy are a must read (but then anything by her is a must read) Kresley Cole, Jaime Rush’s Offspring is Romance’s ET & X-Files, and Gena Showalter has lots to satisfy. Hows that to add to your TBR pile?
By the way my keeper shelf and TBR pile is as bad as yours. I have books everywhere and I’m also out of room. I now have books piled in front of my dresser and I can’t get the bottom drawers open because of the towers of books. I have to just let go of some of them and quit collecting new authors…
Hi Lenna! My SIL just gave me the first 5 or 6 of Kresley Cole’s series. I have several Showalters in my TBR-so behind in that series-dying for Paris’ book which might be out already. Started the Dragonkin series by Aiken. LOVE. I have drawers that don’t open either…..:)
I think we may be related. Same taste in books. Same exact series that got us addicted. Same brand of book crack between us. I have found my long lost sis! LOL
You know this just pushed me to buy more now to add to my enormous library of TBR books. I need to get the Nalini Singh series ASAP. Both of them. I have almost all of the Dark Hunter series but I am still waiting to start that series until I have them all though.
Oh Amy girl, YES-you must read Nalini. What are you waiting for? Both her series are excellent. Highly recommend! As for the Dark Hunters,take my advice on this—don’t skip ahead and read Acheron before you should. I cheated and read Acheron after I had only read maybe 4 or 5 of the first DH books. I couldn’t wait, I was already too in love with him. Things are revealed that may ruin some of the books for you–read in order. So much better!
I have 2 copies of Dark Lover too. The paperback and I HAD TO buy the signed special hard cover edition :-)
Wow, that’s dedication! I do have Wards stuff in hardcover since she changed over, but I don’t think I’ll re-buy the early work to have a complete set.
I am addicted to Laurell K. Hamilton, Patricia Briggs, and Kim Harrison. Those authors I have everyone of their books on my shelves. I am reading Tanya Huff’s The Blood Books series now but after that I want to start either J.R. Ward’s series or Nalini Singh’s.
Never read Hamilton or Harrison or Briggs…yet anyway. I’ve not read Tanya Huff either…but I did see the short lived TV series that they made based on those books though the title escapes me at this time. Loved it! Was brokenhearted when got cancelled.
Yes, you must read Ward AND Singh. You will not be disappointed.
I traded most of my hardbacks in once I got an e-reader to earn money to buy new books :) I keep ALL of my e-books & that way I can always go back & re-read them :) But I have a collection of my favorite author & series still sitting on my bookshelf. Number one, by far, my entire Karen Marie Moning “Fever” & “Highlander” Series collection. I freakin love her! And my signed Janet Evanovich “Stephanie Plum series” collection!! I also have all the IAD series by Kresley Cole & Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward so far. I also keep my childhood copys of JRR Tolkens “The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit”. Trust me, the above mentioned books take up plenty of room! God bless the invention of the Kindle!!
Another Lord of The Rings fan! The only other books that I ever had in HB form was Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches series. After that, I was strictly a paperback girl. Only started buying in HB again when Ward and Kenyon switched over. I do not have the patience to wait for paperbacks on my fave series. Nor do I have the discipline. I am weak! I agree-love my Kindle!
My sisters! Where have you been all my life???? At least my hubby collects books too (different ones) so he understands the compulsion, but oh how I can relate.
We keep multiple collectors copies of Tolkien plus throwaway paperback copies for reading and discarding. Those will probably migrate to electronic when they die.
Briggs absolutely. Jacqueline Carey. Diana Gabaldon. Jim Butcher. Although the latest of both are in ebook. Simon Green. My teenage Dorothy Dunnett series. OMG are they densely packed in more ways than one. Lee & Miller’s Liaden series. Nalini Singh I have in e. Tanya Huff, and yes, the Blood books are awesome.
The worst part is that we just moved again, so we have to unpack all 2,000 books again. When you move as much as we do, ebooks are the way to go.
I have got to make time to read Diana Gabaldon. I have book one, sitting next to my bed. It’s so many pages….just have to start!
I so feel your pain, I’ve had to double up books on my bookshelves now so there are two rows on each shelf.
I’ve tried to be less of a hoarder but everytime I get rid of a book I start to miss it and end up rebuying it again at some point lol. I can also never get into ebooks as well as I can with deadtree books so no solution there either -_-
At least you have them on shelves. If my DH saw the sheer number of books and actually did the math, well…I don’t know what he’d do.
O helyce, there are over a 1000 books on my keeper shelves, and 2000 on my TBR. I keep everything, even the books I DNF. My favourite authors from 20 years ago are still here. Jude Deveraux, Bertrice Small, Stephanie Laurens, Elizabeth Lowell, Catherine Coulter. And everything exploded when I discovered paranormal romance and urban fantasy. JR Ward, Nalini Singh, Christine Feehan (all her books/series!), Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kim Harrison, Laurell K. Hamilton, Alexis Morgan, Alyssa Day, Yasmine Galenorn, Patricia Briggs, CL Wilson, and the list goes on and on.
Lucky, my boyfriend is not allowed to complain, he new what he was getting into when we met.
My books are stacked 4 rows on shelves of 40 cm wide, and 2 m long.
Oh my, Aurian…you definitely have me beat! I don’t think I have anywhere near to 1,000 even counting the ones on the list that I want to buy. Whew! I wish I had shelves though. I love to look at my books…..*sigh*
I’m diva donna I too am a bookpack rat of mass proportions. We found the smoking hot paranormals about the same time. I started with Lyndsay Sands Argeneau Immortals and hold them still close to my heart. Yes, I have strayed off the path in the same ways you have, but I still can’t part with Kenyon, Ward, Adrian, Bangs or Brooks, Spears, Castle and all the others you mentioned. I see there.