It’s finally here; The Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt!
Okay, I know it’s not “finally” for you, as I haven’t really told you about this, but I’ve been planning this post for ages.

The Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt is quite an old challenge, created by TheLibraryOfSarah, but I’ve never done it before, and thought maybe this post could work as a loose recommendation post, to remind you of books you’ve left forgotten at the back of your bookshelf, or maybe the covers will make you curious and eager to try something new? I also hope this post can work as a reminder to myself about what these books mean and why I keep them around, that they’re not just a static collection on a shelf, but items I cherish.

This post’s gonna be a long one, so go make yourself a cup of tea and hit that “Continue Reading” bar and lets have a good chat about some books!

So these are the books we’re looking for today;

• Find an author’s name or title with the letter Z in it
• Find a classic
• Find a book with a key on it
• Find something on your bookshelf that’s not a book
• Find the oldest book on your shelf
• Find a book with a girl on the cover
• Find a book with a boy on the cover
• Find a book that has an animal in it
• Find a book with a male protagonist
• Find a book with only words on it
• Find a book with illustrations in it
• Find a book with gold lettering
• Find a diary (true or false)
• Find a book written by someone with a common name (like Smith)
• Find a book that has a close up of something on it
• Find a book on your shelf that takes place in the earliest time period
• Find a hardcover book without a jacket
• Find a teal/turquoise colored book
• Find a book with stars on it
• Find a non YA book
• Find the longest book you own
• Find the shortest book you own
• Find a book with multiple PoVs
• Find a shiny book
• Find a book with flowers on it

So, let’s get started!

An author’s name or title with the letter Z in it:
Changing my mind by Zadie SmithHad to read essays from this for a uni module and I really like Smith’s voice and the points she makes!

A classic:
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I’ve never actually read The Picture of Dorian Gray, but I’ve got five different copies of it on my shelf. Not entirely sure why and I feel like this means that I really need to get on with reading it soon…

A book with a key on it:
The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell

Haven’t read this yet, but am excited to get into it! Also, please ignore that I’m so bad at removing the price stickers from my books… You’ll see a lot of stickers in these pictures!

Something on my bookshelf that’s not a book:
My graduate’s cap from finishing the last stage of school before higher education

Everyone’s got one of these caps, you’re “baptized” with a nickname that’s written on the hat, and you have to complete different challenges to earn “tokens” to tie to the hat. Weird traditions are weird…

The oldest book on my shelf:
The journey to the Christmas star by Sverre Brandt

The title page says it was printed in Oslo in 1925 and I got it from my grandmother who was given it for Christmas when she was a child. I love this copy a lot and bring it out every Christmas.

A book with a girl on the cover:
Secrets for the mad by Dodie Clark

Wonderful book of illustrations, essays, musings and poetry; just the kind of writing I love. Witty, clever, funny, and both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

A book with a boy on the cover:
Mio’s Kingdom by Astrid Lindgren

If you’ve read my blog for a bit, you’ve definitely heard me talk about this book before. It’s my all time favorite children’s book, one of the first ones I can remember being read aloud and one that made a huge impression on me as a child. I also basically based my entire BA Dissertation on this little book. It’s a good one.

A book that has an animal in it:
The honest truth by Dan Gemeinhart

I love the relationship between Mark and his dog Beau, and especially the scene where Mark very apologetically hides Beau in his duffel bag.

A book with a male protagonist:
Dirk Gently’s Hollistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

I love Dirk Gently with all my heart and if there is ever a way to squeeze him into my posts then I’ll do it. This is a very odd book, and I did have to read it twice to actually understand what I’d just read. Now I really enjoy it, though.

A book with only words on it:
If on a winter’s night a traveller by Italo Calvino


It’s kind of the same with this book like with the last one; I didn’t really like it or get it the first time I read it, but then I went back and loved it the second time around!

A book with illustrations in it:
Grandfather and the Moon by Stéphanie Lapointe

This is such a beautiful book, perfect for both kids and adults. It deals with themes such as bereavement, love, family and dreams in a soft and considerate way.

A book with gold lettering:
Fairytales from around the World by Andrew Lang

I’m always here for fairytales, and as you can see, this one’s even got gold sprayed pages!

A diary:
Anne Frank’s Diary by Anne Frank

I know this is a very obvious choice for a diary, but it’s also actually the only diary book I’ve got on my shelf right now! Also, the impact it had on me when I read it for the first time at 13 makes me really want to include it in this “walk through” my bookshelves.

A book written by someone with a common name (like Smith):
A million miles in a thousand years by Donald Miller

So, I’ve already used the only “Smith” in my bookshelf earlier in this post (Zadie Smith) but I did find four books written by different “Miller”s, so we’ll go with that instead!

A book that has a close up of something on it:
Don’t ever dry tears without gloves – The Illness by Jonas Gardell

I fell in love with the Don’t ever dry tears without gloves books last summer, they made my little queer heart both smile and cry and really think about how lucky I am to live where and when I am. Gardell writes so poignant about the gay environment in 1980’s Stockholm, before, during and after the AIDS epidemic.

The book on my shelf that takes place in the earliest time period:
1356 by Bernard Cornwell

This book is actually kind of a lie. It’s been living on my shelves, but it’s not mine, it’s my dad’s. I tried out historical fiction, but fiction set this far back just doesn’t fit me that well. It has got a great cover, though.

A hardcover book without a jacket:
Matilda by Roald Dahl

You can’t really make a list like this and not include any Roald Dahl. This is also in here because all my “adult” hardcovers’ve got dust jackets…

A teal/turquoise colored book:
Sofia Khan is not obliged by Ayisha Malik

This is such a good book and everyone should read it! Engaging plot, wonderful protagonist and an impressive number of well-rounded characters, all with their own voices, intentions and agendas.

A book with stars on it:
Alexander Hamilton, revolutionary by Martha Brockenbrough

Still not finished this, but it’s a non-fic book written like a story, and it works really well.

A non YA book:
The five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom

This has been my favourite book since 2012 and still is. This is one of those books that make you feel like a cave where the words are resonating off your walls. It stays with you and won’t really leave, and (in my case, at least) that’s exactly how you want it.

The longest book you own:
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

1673 pages. Yeah, I got a 100 pages into this.

The shortest book I own:
The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry


This was one of those unexpected gems that I just picked up in a book shop and ended up really enjoying! It’s only about 70 pages, but it took a while to read it as I kept having to stop and think about what I was reading. A very good time.

A book with multiple PoVs:
All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr

I really enjoyed how Doerr has written the world from Marie-Laure’s perspective, as she’s manoeuvring small French towns, seeing with her hands.

A shiny book:
Let it snow by John Green

Okay, so I’m not entirely sure what “shiny” means in this case, but the cover of this book is actually quite shiny in real life!

A book with flowers on it:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is the only Austen book I’ve managed to get through in my challenge of finishing all of them this year. Wish me luck for the rest of them! I did really like this one, though, and if you’re interested in Austen, I’ve got a post about the Austen house in Chawton here 🙂

Thanks for getting all the way to the end, you beautiful person! This was a lot of fun, and I think everyone who enjoy books should try this with their own bookshelf at some point.
I know it’s an old tag, so I’ll just say that if you’ve ever written a post like this, or if you’re planning to do so, please feel free to drop the link in the comments below. I love looking at people’s book collections! Or if you just want to talk books, I’m all here for that too.

As always, have a wonderful day!
-Andrea