Mybookshelf
Otis Frizzell
When Sarah and I bought our house we were already married but with no kids. We managed to score a pretty tidy 1930s bungalow in Western Springs for a really good price because, as it turned out, the sellers were desperate and we were the only bidders.
There were three bedrooms — well, two bedrooms and an office — and as Sarah worked at an agency in town and we didn’t have any kids, I got the office. Not quite 40 and my own home office. It was a miracle.
As I started to fill the office up with all my crap, I quickly realised I was going to need more shelf space. I ( sort of) collect toys and figures, as well as bits of stuff I should have thrown out years ago.
And books. Reference books. Made of paper! I come from that generation before Google. When I used to need a visual reference, I would look through books. Amazing, huh?
I have comic books, hot rod books, super hero books and comics, typography books, tiki books … Lots of books, and that isn’t even touching on my Jack Reacher collection. Haha. In fact you can see two copies of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novel, Make Me in the photo. I bought one at the airport on my way to the UKlast year. About two- thirds of the way through it turns into another book. The font changes and the page numbers change. The characters change … it turns into a strange medical/ detective novel. Literally a different book altogether. And then 30 pages later, it returns to the Jack reacher story, 30 pages on from where if left off. I rang the publisher in the UKand they just said, “Yeah. That happen sometimes.” They couriered me another copy, so now I have two. I guess I thought the bung one might be a collector’s item or something. I can’t bring myself to throw it away. Good story, huh?
But the thing I really like about the bookshelf in my office is that is full of other stuff as well. It houses a collection of things I just like to have around. Old records, my Optimus Prime helmet. I mean who in their right mind wouldn’t want that looking down on them when they’re trying to figure out what a gorilla in a wetsuit might look like.
The three award “bullets” behind me in the photo are not mine. Sarah used to work in advertising and she won those with her creative partner about eight years ago. I just think they look kind of cool.