expanding my (overflowing) home library for 2000+ books

Hey everyone, welcome back to my YouTube channel. I cannot believe it has been almost an entire year to the day since I started building my home library of

dreams, my magnum opus. Truly my pride and joy. And it just needs some shaping.

It just needs some little tweaks to make it perfect. Firstly, this door, the door that looks like it leads to Narnia, it's got to go. Mostly because come with me.

When you open it, it's just full of books. Like I I built this as a storage unit and then all I stored in it was books. So it's like it might as well Why are the doors even there? The doors have been rendered like completely redundant.

The next job is going to be to expand upwards. You can't really go outwards.

So we're having to go up. So basically I have bought extenders that will go on top. So it's basically one additional shelf on each unit. So, seven additional

top. So it's basically one additional shelf on each unit. So, seven additional shelves, um, which will make a lot more space. I'm extremely lucky to have very tall ceilings in this apartment, so I've got to make the most of that. And I do really want to feel like I'm surrounded by this kind of literary alchemy on all

sides. And the third and final step is going to be to reorganize because the

sides. And the third and final step is going to be to reorganize because the system I set up is no longer functional. What I mean by that is just that um, some of the shelves are overflowing and like I have one shelf for romance books,

but maybe three shelves worth of romance. So, it just needs some reworking. Once I have these additional shelves to operate with, it's going to

reworking. Once I have these additional shelves to operate with, it's going to be a lot easier. So, that is the plan. Also, I feel like I'm going to explode with excitement about this, but the postman came this morning and delivered

these samples of the tote bags that I've designed for my book club, Inklings.

This one is it's it's just so sweet. It looks like a bookshop. And of course, the best thing about Inklings is the community. So, I had some people sitting reading their books out front, including this little mly crew over here. That's

me and Jordan and Boots the cat. I was like, wouldn't it be fun if me, my housemate, and my cat were all on the tote bag. There's loads of really little details, too, that I worked on. For example, the door says open because Inklings is now open for business. There's a stack of books here, but then

also I am reading Evenings and Weekends, and I'm wearing the outfit that I announced the book club in. And then this girlly pot over here is reading the coin which is the second book for the book club which we're reading now for the month of September. So it feels like such a great kind of souvenir of the

first two months of the book club. But then if you want something more simple I also have this one that says I was an Inklings founding member and all I got was this tote bag. And now if I see one of you walking around a bookshop

carrying one of these tote bags, we can have a mini book club there and then and chat and nerd out about books. So I'm very very excited about those. And then

also always a good day when my book of the month arrives. And today's video is actually brought to you by Book of the Month, which I'm buzzing about because Book of the Month truly is the backbone of the book community. And it is such a great concept. So basically each month, Book of the Month's team of bookloving

great concept. So basically each month, Book of the Month's team of bookloving experts read hundreds of books, then they pick their favorites, spotlight them, and it's such a great way of discovering new authors. The book that I chose for this month, I had never heard of before. It's called To the Moon and

Back. And this makes me think of my mom because we would always say love you to

Back. And this makes me think of my mom because we would always say love you to the moon and back when I was a kid. And I mean we still say it now. Um but I always say that to my mom so it really reminds me of her. And she told me recently actually that when I was really really young I guess the moon was a

little bit too unfathomable for me. Like that distance was a little too far. So I

would say I love you to the shops and back cuz the shops was the furthest thing I could think of. Anyway, this book is actually really interesting because it's about a woman's relentless quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut. This decision alters the fates of the people she loves most in

astronaut. This decision alters the fates of the people she loves most in this toforce about ambition, belonging, and family. I just thought that sounded so interesting and I would never have heard about this book if it wasn't for book of the month. Each month they pick five books that they think sound

incredible and then you get to choose which one of those you want to have delivered to your door. It's a really great way of getting affordable hardback fiction. If that sounds as amazing to you as it does to me, you can actually

fiction. If that sounds as amazing to you as it does to me, you can actually use the code jacket to get your first hardback book for just $5. And you even get a free baseball cap. I mean, come on. A hot new baseball cap has entered

the villa. It says book person on it. I never want to take this off ever. So,

the villa. It says book person on it. I never want to take this off ever. So,

thank you so so much to Book of the Month for working with me and for sponsoring this video. And now, let's get rid of these doors. These doors have haunted me ever since I put them on. I feel like that was the one bad decision I made when building this home library. They're just so aggressively there. Kind

of like disrupts this flow of just books everywhere. and its reign of tyranny needs to end. I think it should be pretty straightforward because they're just on hinges. So, it's time to get unhinged um and take these off. I'm thinking I can probably just uncip it and take the door off without removing this entire

like apparatus here because once the books are on the shelf, they'll just be covering it and nobody has to know. How would they know? So, let's see how long it takes this dumb booktuber to do that.

Okay, I did think that the door was going to fall on my head at one point, but we did it. Okay, that's number one.

Well, that's one way to do it. Door number two done. Okay, guys. I can't

help but feeling like I kind of screwed it up. You know what? This is going to be great. I have some extra shelves to put in here and here. But I have someone

be great. I have some extra shelves to put in here and here. But I have someone coming over at Task Rabbit to help me do these shelves because I don't think that's something I should do by myself. So, we'll come back to that. For now, I

need to remove all of these books from the top shelf. I'm thinking we don't need to remove every book. I mean, praying because that's that goes from like an hour job to like a 6-hour job real quick. So, I just need to go around

and take all of these books off the top shelf. And then I actually think it's a good thing that all of the books are here cuz they weigh it down. They keep

the shelves in place. They're not connected to the walls because I pay rent and I would like to get my deposit back. So, there is a very real chance that the shelves could go like fall over. And for that reason, I think it's good to have the books weighing them down, keeping them in place. But these

ones, they got to go. Okay.

I'm literally Edward's book hands. This author here, Tom Crew, just wrote this like scathing article all about Ocean Bong. Like this brutal takedown of Ocean Bong's new book. And so now I'm really intrigued to read his work, too, cuz I

love Ocean Bong. That is the new life. Oh no. What you doing down there? Did I

ever show you guys my puzzles? I have Virginia Wolf and then also these like classic book covers. These are iconic. This was my um lockdown activity. Did

anyone else do a literature degree and have like a visceral reaction when you see our old university textbooks? I'm having like war flashbacks right now. I

also can't believe I used to know all this, but I will be keeping them forever.

So, it turns out that balancing a phone on a camera on a stack of books on a bed. Not a great tripod, but that's all that we have left, so it's fine. Okay,

bed. Not a great tripod, but that's all that we have left, so it's fine. Okay,

this is where we're at. It looks like kind of naked without the books up there, but it's for the greater good. It has to be done. Um, this is a crucial step to getting to a much more full library. Also realizing this ivy

definitely needs watering. It's like, please, you need to kill me. And then

this is kind of like the overflow pile. That all needs to be moved out of the way. And then we'll be cooking with gas. I have been really, really fortunate to

way. And then we'll be cooking with gas. I have been really, really fortunate to get to travel a lot for work recently. But as a result, kind of the situation is whenever I come back, I like chuck the books that I have had with me in my

suitcase and I've just read into the stack and grab new ones to read on the next trip and not properly kind of reorganizing them back into the shelves.

So that's kind of why the system has gone out of the window. But I'm hoping that this these improvements to the home library will be motivation to keep it tidy. All right, nearly done. This book right here is my next book club pick.

tidy. All right, nearly done. This book right here is my next book club pick.

This is the September read. If you were hoping to read more Palestinian literature, this is a great place to start. It's set in New York City written by Yasmin Zaher. It's all about kind of the filth of the city, but also all of the people that you interact with or the people that you don't. And she gets

caught up in selling Birkin bags. She's in this like scheme where she procures and sells Birkin bags with this kind of swindler that she's dating. She's also a teacher, so there's so much surface area for discussion and I think it's going to be such a great book club pick. So, I'm very excited about this. And as you

know, if you watch my videos, I rated this five stars. So, that is the coin.

Okay, are you ready for the grand reveal? It's a It's a lot. I'm not going to lie. They're quite imposing. I know it's only one extra shelf, but it has

to lie. They're quite imposing. I know it's only one extra shelf, but it has made such a difference. So, here they are. Does it look good? I think it does, right? And once I guess it looks weird right now because there aren't books on

right? And once I guess it looks weird right now because there aren't books on those shelves, but once there are, I think it's going to be quite excellent.

The only thing is that I will say the extensions are bigger than any of the other shelves. If you watch my home library videos from this time last year

other shelves. If you watch my home library videos from this time last year when I was building all of this initially, you'll know that I added in additional shelves. So, I think these come with five shelves and I have seven

additional shelves. So, I think these come with five shelves and I have seven in each of these just so that it's the exact height of a book and then every other shelf is slightly bigger to make room for a hardback. This is

considerably bigger. So there are some hardbacks that are too tall even for those shelves. So that for example would go up there, but there is still a big

those shelves. So that for example would go up there, but there is still a big gap above it. Do you see the difference? So I'm worried about it looking a bit topheavy. I'm worried about it looking a bit disproportionate. But it's done now.

topheavy. I'm worried about it looking a bit disproportionate. But it's done now.

So and let's be real, I needed the storage space. So I think that we're going to give it a go and see how it looks. Okay, I've experimented by putting some books up here. I actually think it looks great. That is really

wonderful. These are all of my Penguin 90th birthday editions cuz there's just

wonderful. These are all of my Penguin 90th birthday editions cuz there's just so many of them. Cuz this is the classics shelf. You know, this whole section is sort of a lot of Penguin books. So, they don't look out of place, I think. Okay, this is excellent. And now the next job is to add these shelves

I think. Okay, this is excellent. And now the next job is to add these shelves into here. And then I can move on to the final part of the operation, which is

into here. And then I can move on to the final part of the operation, which is just filling these empty shelves. And I'll finally have space to walk around in my room again. I mean, this is truly the best problem to have, but it is still a problem. If anyone is interested, these are just the Billy

bookcases from IKEA. And you can buy these additional shelves and of course the extensions. So then you can sort of customize it. I think when I first got

the extensions. So then you can sort of customize it. I think when I first got these, I wasn't sure about the color. Now I'm so glad that I got the dark wood. It's weird. It would be like a completely different space with the

wood. It's weird. It would be like a completely different space with the lighter wood, but I think that these they look expensive. They look

luxurious. People don't ever believe me when I tell them it's from IKEA. Okay,

we got to make some space. Then you just take your bag of screws.

This is easy because I can just line it up with the other ones. So you just pop those in there. Take your shelf. This is my shelf portrait. And literally just slide it in. Perfect. And then we need to do the same in here. Tada. Now time to organize.

So we're getting there. I will say the one thing I'm not loving is this kind of dark line at the top. Obviously, because that shelf is taller than all the others. It's almost like they have like a border at the top now. And I don't

others. It's almost like they have like a border at the top now. And I don't love that. So, I'm troubleshooting. I think that what I need to do is

love that. So, I'm troubleshooting. I think that what I need to do is potentially lay some of these top ones on their side like I did here because then I can go higher than the height of the biggest book of the tallest book.

That would just add a few more layers to it. A few more levels because right now it's very block very block hardback size. Does that make sense? I feel like you guys will get what I mean here. Just need to get rid of some of that immediately. I'll get back to you in 5 minutes and we can assess whether that

immediately. I'll get back to you in 5 minutes and we can assess whether that was a good idea or a complete waste of time. You know what? I am a genius. It

looks so much better. Don't you think? Having those stacks, I think it really adds a bit more dimension to it. It makes it not seem so ludicrously big.

I'm quite chuffed with that, you know. Didn't think I had it in me. While those

were being built, I did go out to get some lunch. And on the way back, I tripped and I fell into the bookshop. But since we have all this new space,

like I felt, you know, I should add some new books to it. So, I picked up this book right here. This is called Authority: Essays on Being Right. This

is by Andrea Long Shu, who writes amazing literary criticism. She is

probably the book critic everyone wants to impress. Like if you impress Andrea Longchu, you have won. You have written something excellent. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in criticism, you know. So this is Essays on being right, a bold and provocative collection that addresses one of the most urgent

questions of our time. What is authority when everyone has an opinion on everything? I thought that'd be really fascinating. As someone who's kind of

everything? I thought that'd be really fascinating. As someone who's kind of part of the like Tik Tok generation, I guess. Um, I am of course carrying everything in the iconic Inkling's tote bag and I did even get a compliment on

it and I was very happy to be able to say I made it. That's a thing I designed. Um, I picked up this book because I did a talk a couple days ago

designed. Um, I picked up this book because I did a talk a couple days ago with the editor of this book and he completely sold it to me and we were talking about contemporary books that can completely shock you and rock you to your very core and he was like, "Oh, you need to read this." This is Glyph by Ali

Smith. Once upon a time, not very far from now, two children come home to find

Smith. Once upon a time, not very far from now, two children come home to find a line of red wet paint around the outside of their house. So begins the freewheeling and urgent new novel from Ali Smith. The story of two young people

and a horse called Glyph on the run from history as it takes a turn for the worse. Then I picked up this book here. This is called Flesh. This is on this

worse. Then I picked up this book here. This is called Flesh. This is on this year's Booker Price long list. A propulsive hypnotic novel about a man who is unraveled by a series of events beyond his grasp. It's about a

15-year-old living with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary. New

to the town and shy, he is unfamiliar with the social rituals of school and soon becomes isolated with his neighbor, a married woman close to his mother's age, his only daily companion. Their encounters shift into a clandestine

relationship that they barely understand, and his life soon spirals out of control. Wow. Then I picked up this. I hadn't heard of this book before, but I saw it in the shop. Um, it's also signed by the author, so I thought It would be rude not to, but it sounded so interesting. Johnny is stuck.

He has a dead-end job at a small university and a wilting relationship and is grieving the death of his parents. When his halfb brotherther Lawrence returns to the old family home from Chicago after a period of arangement, Johnny decides to do everything he can to win back his

affection. It's a quest he pursues with the help of Lawrence's childhood

affection. It's a quest he pursues with the help of Lawrence's childhood sweetheart, and a pair of mysterious and seductive students are drift in the city during the height of Olympics fever. So, lots of different things going on there, but I thought it sounded kind of fun. And then this one I have been

fantasizing about every time it comes up on my feed. Partly because I mean the cover is so beautiful. Loved one from the Emmy award-winning writer behind Hacks and Parks and Rex. Loved One is a wise, witty, and profoundly moving

coming of age story with a powerful love at his heart set to become an instant classic. I'll be the judge of that. So, I'm looking forward to reading those.

classic. I'll be the judge of that. So, I'm looking forward to reading those.

That's my little book haul from today. Okay, I think we are done. It's

ridiculous. This is redonkulous. It just keeps going and going and going.

This is like everything I ever dreamed of. Wow. Okay, that is cool. And now I have so much room at the top to collect more books. By the way, if you've ever wondered what my home library smells like, it's this Marlin and Goats. This

is the dark rum candle. Smells like heaven. Genuinely, it's like the gods threw up in this little jar. put a wick through the middle of it and now you can just light it and make your room smell divine. Phenomenal work. And obviously

it smells like books. But you know when you open a brand new book, it's like the best smell in the whole world all the time. So I think that this is the final product. Let me get out of the way so you can appreciate it in all its beauty.

product. Let me get out of the way so you can appreciate it in all its beauty.

Oh my god, this is the best place on planet Earth. We have classics, we have contemporary, we have genre fiction, we have translated books, we have poetry,

we have plays, romance, we have young adult, we have Ivy. This is beyond my wildest dreams. Like truly, I like can't believe how nuts this is. So, thank you so much for watching this video. Don't forget to subscribe. Don't forget to join Inklings

while we're reading the coin this month. And uh I'll catch you in the next video.

Love you lots. So bye-bye.