First, I used “Other” for flair because this encompasses multiple genres. Basically, I would like to put together a book collection in my living room specifically for guests. So l would like to collect books that could be read in a day or two and books that a person need not read fully to enjoy. This would include:
Graphic Novels (I used to own the Sandman graphic novels and am considering re-buying them)
Short Story/Poetry Compilations (Right now I only have Mythos by Stephen Fry and a Lord Byron compilation)
Non-fiction compilations, eg short biographies or essays about interesting places or events (a great example is Cultural Amnesia by Clive James, which is a diverse collection of essays on prominent influential people in western culture)
Anything dark and/or provocative that would pique someone’s curiosity or interest to thumb through (I have a copy of Anton Lavey’s Satanic Bible and Carl Jung’s Red Book, for example, and was considering Clarice Lispector’s Agua Viva)
Anything notable for its art/illustrations
Aphorisms/Quotations/Philosophical Short Entries (I have a copy of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Epictetus’ Enchiridion for example)
I was considering George R.R. Martin’s illustrated World of Ice and Fire and Dunk and Egg graphic novels.
I know this is extremely broad, but that is basically the idea; to have a collection where anyone, regardless of age or background, can find something they enjoy without needing to devote tons of time to it. Thanks 🙏
by MarzAdam
1 Comment
This is such a cool idea for a guest collection! For graphic novels definitely grab Watchmen and maybe some Saga volumes – they’re accessible but still have that darker edge you’re going for
For the curiosity/provocative stuff I’d throw in some Nietzsche (Beyond Good and Evil maybe) and definitely check out The Book of Disquiet by Pessoa – it’s perfectly designed for random browsing and has that melancholy vibe that makes people want to keep flipping pages