# Neil Gaiman's bookshelves **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882 "2009-09-04T16:54:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/1 "2009-09-04T16:54:32Z")
[Check these puppies out.](http://blog.shelfari.com/ronbrinkmann/2009/08/gaimans-bookshelf-details.html) [Corresponding article.](http://blog.shelfari.com/my_weblog/2009/09/neil.html) I am pea-green with envy. When I become a best-selling author and am immensely rich, my house is gonna look like that. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/2 "2009-09-04T16:56:46Z")
Yes please. I bet he saves a fortune on wall-hangings and paint. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/3 "2009-09-04T16:58:45Z")
I note from the last picture: he _still_ does have enough shelves for all his books. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/4 "2009-09-04T16:58:49Z")
I remember reading an interview with him once where he was complaining about his busy schedule and how he didn’t have any time at all to read and he’d only read something like 35 books in the last 3 weeks or something . . . it sounded :dubious: but if true it was :eek::eek:. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/5 "2009-09-04T17:21:56Z")
It looks like he went to the nearest Goodwill and just started grabbing at random. Sure, you’ll always have something to read, but it makes for a weird looking collection. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/6 "2009-09-04T17:47:41Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > It looks like he went to the nearest Goodwill and just started grabbing at random. Sure, you’ll always have something to read, but it makes for a weird looking collection. Nah. If you look close-up to catch the titles – you’ll see he’s got the kind of books you’d expect a fantasy author to own. One cool thing I noticed is that he has _Lirael_ but not the other two Abhorsen books, but the books on that shelf are leaning, like some books are missing. I expect _Sabriel_ and _Abhorsen_ are next to his bed or by a chair. I’m envious of the books but not the space. The shelves aren’t very attractive – looks like a warehouse. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/7 "2009-09-04T18:10:01Z")
I like the way some of the shelves on the long wall are stair-stepped, so that he can double-stack his paperbacks and still be able to see the ones in the back. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/8 "2009-09-04T18:17:45Z")
Are those pictures of heaven? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/9 "2009-09-04T19:05:07Z")
Heck, my library room is more impressive than that. It has corridors. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/10 "2009-09-04T19:09:10Z")
Love it, especially the way the bottom shelves are angled. Any idea what kind of creature [this head](http://blog.shelfari.com/.a/6a00d8341e478253ef0120a4e31ae8970b-pi)belongs to? At first I thought jackelope, but it actually looks more like a tauntaun. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/11 "2009-09-04T19:31:29Z")
At one point, he employed a librarian. Don’t know if he still does. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/12 "2009-09-04T19:57:40Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Love it, especially the way the bottom shelves are angled. I don’t think the bottom shelf is angled, I think those books are leaning sideways a little bit and it creates an optical illusion. I don’t see any vertical separators at all on that long wall of shelves. They’re just tightly packed, except for the very bottom row. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/13 "2009-09-04T20:03:54Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > At one point, he employed a librarian. Don’t know if he still does. Hmm. I wonder if he’s hiring. I could even dress like [Lucien](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/333483687_70db8d7975.jpg?v=0).😃 ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/14 "2009-09-05T00:35:06Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Any idea what kind of creature [this head](http://blog.shelfari.com/.a/6a00d8341e478253ef0120a4e31ae8970b-pi)belongs to? At first I thought jackelope, but it actually looks more like a tauntaun. Tauntalope, then. What? If they can put one together, then it can be a word. – Now I know exactly where I want to hole up when some sort of fictional apocalypse goes down. Step 1. Jump in car and head for Minnesota… ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/15 "2009-09-05T00:55:44Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Hmm. I wonder if he’s hiring. I could even dress like [Lucien](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/333483687_70db8d7975.jpg?v=0).😃 I’d like to put in a request for _Psmith and Jeeves_, please. ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/16 "2009-09-05T02:32:41Z")
From his blog: [QUOTE=Neil Gaiman] And, for the curious, this is what some of the downstairs library, and Hermione the Library Cat looks like. (I wish the **upstairs library** with all the good reference stuff was in it too.) [/QUOTE] Excuse me, I think I have to leave before the jealousy in here gets too thick to breathe. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/17 "2009-09-05T14:44:13Z")
> [@wunderkammer](#): > > Tauntalope, then. > > What? If they can put one together, then it can be a word. > > – > > Now I know exactly where I want to hole up when some sort of fictional apocalypse goes down. > Step 1. Jump in car and head for Minnesota… Wisconsin. Near Menomonie as I recall. Not too far from the Twin Cities, but if you aim for Minnesota, you’ll be off. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/18 "2009-09-05T16:00:45Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Wisconsin. Near Menomonie as I recall. Not too far from the Twin Cities, but if you aim for Minnesota, you’ll be off. Yeah, his dust jacket bios usually say he lives “Near Minneapolis”, but I used to live in Wisconsin and judging from what he’s said on his blog about how long it takes him to drive where then he must be somewhere in western Wisconsin. I’d have guessed west of Eau Claire, so Menomonie sounds like about the right area. ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/19 "2009-09-05T18:07:07Z")
Nice. My plan was just to head for Minneapolis and watch for zombie honeybees, but, being in eastern Wisconsin myself, I’d probably pass through there first. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882/20 "2009-09-05T21:18:30Z")
If I still had all the books and manga I ever owned, I could probably have matched that. But he’d have won me with the top floor. At my peak, I had about 12 bookshelves worth. Then I gave 80% of my manga to a work buddy, and another 80% of my regular books went to the library. I wish I had it all back. ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-gaimans-bookshelves/508882.md?page=2)