The Bookshelf Report is an ongoing series where we ask the same 5 questions and share 5 pictures of a bookshelf belonging to a Bushwick reader. Today’s bookshelf comes from Seattle photographer Morgen Schuler. For the past 5 years Morgen has been using her camera and creative eye to put her own artistic spin on Seattle’s music and arts community.

What’s your favorite book on the shelf?

Ender’s Game is my all-time favorite book and always on my shelf. I’m a big sci-fi nerd and I gobble it up like Thanksgiving Dinner. Ender’s Game was one of the first sci-fi books I ever fell in love with and every time there’s a drive at a bookstore where you buy a book for young readers, I get them Ender’s Game (it’s too bad the author, Orson Scott Card, is a huge jerk… crazy to think someone so horrible could write something so heartfelt).

How do you organize your books?

Unfortunately… I don’t. I mean, I have sci-fi/fantasy up top, then encyclopedias and non-fiction in the middle and the lame-o coding books I need for work at the bottom. There’s a whole separate bookshelf for comic books though.

Be honest. What percentage of the books on this shelf have you actually read?

I would say about 85%. Most of the ones that have gone un-read are coding books… but who reads those anyway?

What book do you plan on reading next?

I am in the middle of an incredible book, The Human Division, that is the last in a series by John Scalzi. I can honestly say I love this series more than any other (Ender’s Game series is meh after the first couple books… but that first one, WOW).

Wild Card: I don’t see any photography books. Aren’t you a photographer? What gives?

Yes, I’m a photographer, but there’s something to be said about learning by doing. I’ve been at this music photography (and beyond) thing for about four years now (wow, has it been that long?) and in the beginning it wasn’t supposed to be a serious thing. When I realized I knew little to nothing about it, I asked around… tried to find a few mentors and attempted to learn from books (there’s a few in there.. just sort of hidden). It didn’t work. So, I just asked questions as things came up, kept making mistakes until I understood where I was going wrong and then bought really expensive equipment (though that’s not necessary to be a great photographer, it just helps out a bit). I still have trouble calling myself a professional but I’ve put in the time, love, sweat and tears and finally feel like I get it; but there’s always tons more to learn… just not in books (at least not for me).

Thanks, Morgen! Love the polaroids!

If any of you Bushwickers out there want to be featured on the Bookshelf Report just drop us a line.

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