What's on your bookshelf?

I was recently inspired by our journey of symbolism and tragic love in my Gr.10 English Class. John Green's Looking for Alaska is one of our 'Book Club' novel selections and a quote from the book actually inspired this post.

In the novel, Alaska Young describes her room: "When I look at my room I see a girl who loves books..." The quote immediately turned my thinking to one of my favourite pieces of furniture in my house: my bookshelf.

I don't love the bookshelf itself (a great Costco purchase BTW) but rather the story that the bookshelf tells. Nestled among our favourite novels, puzzles, games and children's books are photoboxes, albums and yearbooks with nostalgic memories of days gone by. Images of my loving family - my wife and I on our wedding day, my son and daughters in their infancy - overlook our main living area as we go about our daily lives. 

Standing boldly upright is the handmade oak bible box built by my father (1 of 6 actually, which he made for each of his children one Christmas). An old-time radio adorned with a brass Superman logo sits at the top; it's one of a few remaining Superman collectibles from years of scavenging for anything related to my favourite comic book hero. Scattered throughout the shelves are artifacts from Thailand, California, the Dominican and our wedding day, among other notable collectibles from our shared or independent adventures.

In our house, our bookshelf serves many functions - mainly to house books of course - but for me it serves as a great symbol. Dig a little deeper and you might notice some order amidst the chaos of the shelf - each section represents the collective wisdom of a life spent wondering and wandering. 

I'm curious now - what's on your bookshelf?