Bookshelf Report: Books, Knick-Knacks, and a Cat
The Bookshelf Report is an ongoing series where a Bushwick reader shares a little bit about the books that occupy their shelves.
Today’s bookshelf comes from the loveable Lisa Marie Schattenkirk. By now you’ve probably seen her at one of our shows, she is a frequent attendee. Her photography skills are off the charts. You should hire her to take pictures of things – check out her portfolio when you get the chance.
How do you organize your books?
I don’t have a bookshelf at the moment, but when I do I organize them by size. I like my books to be mixed in with chachkies, knick-knacks, and my cat! She’s been known to get cozy on a shelf or two.
Be honest. What percentage of the books on this shelf have you actually read?
Probably 85%. People like to give me books as gifts and I usually don’t read those. I get all, “You can’t tell me what to do!” when it comes to books – unless I ask a friend for a suggestion!
What’s your favorite book on the shelf?
That’s a difficult thing to narrow down! Books and music are things I’m drawn to based on whatever is happening in my life at that moment. Sometimes I’ll walk into a bookstore without any idea of what I want and see where the energy takes me. The books I find that way rarely let me down!
It’s not my favorite book, but the most life changing was Siddhartha . It was assigned to me sophomore year in high school. Some of my classmates had their pastors write notes excusing them from reading it and they read The Bible instead. I didn’t understand why my friends went out of their way to not read this book, so I threw myself into it. The story is about opening yourself up to the world and realizing that life experiences are invaluable. I think every teenager should read it.
Most of the books I read are written by comedians. My favorite one of those is Mr. Funny Pants by Michael Showalter. Not only is Michael Showalter adorable, but he’s also awkward and weird! MY DREAM MAN! He tells stories that are embarrassing, relatable, and he loves cats too.
If you couldn’t tell from the pictures, my favorite author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He was a beautiful writer with a unique style and he created memorable characters. His stories are whimsical, complex, and clever.
What book do you plan on reading next?
My friend, Jason Lee, suggested that I read Tunneling to the Center of the Earth By Kevin Wilson. Jason reads a lot, is very intelligent, and he loves cats too! He’s a dynamo of an English teacher and I trust his opinions when it comes to books.
P.S. I’m one story in and, so far, it’s pretty wacky! Well played, Mr. Lee.
I see that you have a copy of Pac-Mania! by Haller Schwarz. What’s that all about?
Don’t you know? Pac-Mania! is the official Pac-Man joke book! My brother, Kevin, was really into video games as a kid and that was his book. I stole it from him when he stole one of my copies of BOP! magazine. That magazine had a poster of Keith Coogan in it and my brother thought/thinks Keith’s cute.
*photos by Lisa Schattenkirk
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