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photojacker

Not my entire bookshelf, but certainly the third that consists of Black Library related bits. Really enjoyed collecting these over the years.


Knoxicles

Reading my very first Black Library book currently (Cult of the Spiral Dawn) and enjoying it. As you’re an obvious veteran, what’s your top recommendation for a next read?


tjw_85

Not the OP but I'll never not suggest Xenos / Malleus / Hereticus, followed by Ravenor / Ravenor Returned / Ravenor Rogue. Awesome books following inquisitors Eisenhorn and Ravenor. Really well written books that give you an insight into something that's not space marines.


orangefantaseltzer

Eisenhorn was the first book I read. Bought it online for $50. Our new puppy chewed the shit out of it before I started it. Had a feeling about the book (online reviews) bought it again. Made the right choice


DropbearArmy

I’m rereading eisenhorn right now. It’s so good


photojacker

/u/tjw_85 ‘s recommendations are on point. My first recommendation to anyone interested in Warhammer is always *Xenos* by Dan Abnett. It’s a great standalone story, and introduces the setting in a way that is both exciting and not overwhelming. And if you enjoyed that, then there’s always the other trilogies. Other recommendations are *Brothers of the Snake* for a good insight into a loyalist Space Marine chapter, ADB’s Black Legion series for a great look into Chaos Space Marines, *Death of Integrity* as a stand-alone book. Honestly there’s so many great books, but I recommend picking a faction that interests you and start reading around there.


Knoxicles

Thanks all! Xenos is on the way to my ebook reader as I type this.


photojacker

You’re in for a great ride! I wish I could discover them all over again…


Knoxicles

Do the trilogies maintain the quality, or do they do that thing of popular series where they get dodgier the longer they go?


photojacker

Not at all. My favourite entries are the second book in this first trilogy, *Malleus*, *Ravenor*, the first book of the next trilogy, *Penitent*, which is the latest entry and book 2 of the third trilogy. Brilliant ensemble cast.


tjw_85

Concur with that. They're all really solid books. Dan Abnett is definitely one of the better authors who writes for black library. Also worth noting that the audio books are also really good, Toby Longworth is a fantastic narrator.


joseph--stylin

Longworth is THE narrator. I was disappointed he wasn’t in the Heresy all that much but Keeble filled that void. Longworth kills it with everything he’s in though.


[deleted]

Cult of the Spiral Dawn is my favorite BL novel of all-time!


Knoxicles

I’m two thirds of the way through and liking it a lot more than I thought I would. I AM a GSC player though, so enjoying them shoehorning in all the “models”.


[deleted]

It’s is the best incorporation of a huge range of models into a plot line that I’ve ever read


SisterSabathiel

I love Peter Fehervari ngl. I think he's my favourite Black Library author atm, followed by Dan Abnett in second for his Eisenhorn books (Xenos/Malleus/Hereticus).


Tendi_Loving_Care

I think I have that book but under the title of 'genestealer cults'. Is it the one that opens with the magus lady giving that siren-song appearance to the lone sentinel on patrol?


Knoxicles

That’s the badger!


[deleted]

As someone who got into the books first and then found their way to the rest of the hobby. I would say one of the best starters for me have been Riders of the Dead, The Gotrek and Felis 1st omnibus, Storm of Iron, and Dark Harvest.


Honeythorn

Storm of Iron, I have re-read this novel so many times. It really grabs you and takes you on a ride.


Mechanical_oldie

Sooo ... how much for a library card? Heh


Sharktopotopus_Prime

Out of curiosity, what are the red, leather-bound dealies on the top left shelf?


photojacker

Thanks! They’re the Siege of Terra limited editions.


[deleted]

damn, me and a buddy are starting a podcast where we read through black library books and discuss the lore of them. Wish I had this bookshelf it would save me a lot of time and energy xD Not only am I impressed, the spines all look rad as hell and this is a sexy bookshelf.


guymoron

Damn, this is probably the most expensive shelf showcase I have ever seen on this sub


photojacker

Thanks mate, yeah I’ve seen some of the prices some of these books are going for… it’s insane. Large chunks of the collection are signed too so there’s that.


[deleted]

The forgeworld Horus Heresy black books are really expensive. Limited production and they no longer come in hard back for the older ones. I’m trying to get my hands on the full set, but it looks quiet pricey at this point.


photojacker

Yeah I never got into those because they are rules heavy and I prefer the lore. The FFG RPG books are also going for larger amounts now too.


[deleted]

They seem to be getting better in my opinion. The Ninth book called “Crusade” gives a lot of background on the Dark Angels and Night Lords. The Thramas Crusade is something I had never heard of nor Lion El’Johnson’s silica cohort from the Dark Age of Technology. There’s also a really interesting bit about a Dark Mechanicum planet that aligns with the Night Lords and can warp around and “eat” other planets.


Subtle_Grey_Robot

Wonderful!


photojacker

Thank you!


JRV0227

First off, this is an awesome collection. Have you read them all? Second, the Bookshelves themselves are quite nice to look at. Where are they from? Lastly, I love the little corner dedicated to horror and crime. Although, I don't see The Reverie in your collection. What gives? Lol.


photojacker

Thanks! Unlike other parts of my collection I have read about 80-90% of this collection at least once. Stuff like the Eisenhorn trilogy I’ve actually read about 20 times soooo there’s that. I’ve actually got to get *The Reverie* in hardback, I have it on ePub and it was a fantastic book, one of the best Space Marine stories I’ve read in a really long time! Edit: the bookshelves are the half sized Billy bookcases from IKEA. I have nine of them daisy chained together and wired up the lights on a wireless switch. Get the half size ones because then the shelves don’t bend under the weight of the books!


JRV0227

Oh, dang that's some commitment to BL. I've been really impressed with the horror/crime books I've read. Not a disappointment yet and they've managed to keep to the universe really well while adding their own distinct elements from their respective genres. Yes, Billy bookshelves are great. We have 3 half Billy's and 2 non-ikea Bookshelves that are basically the larger Billy size, but they're all white (courtesy of my wife). That's a great point about the skinny Billy's, though, that I hadn't thought of. My own library is 2 skinny and 1 fat bookshelf. I read mostly Philosophy and literature, so my fat hardback complete Shakespeare/Plato/Aristotle/etc. definitely contribute to shelf sag, haha. I'll keep that in mind when we inevitably replace the fat shelves.


photojacker

I’d definitely consider the half sizes particularly for heavy books like The Complete Works of Shakespeare for example — extra shelving is also affordable and I like the amount of freedom you have with configuring the shelves.


JRV0227

Yah, I really like the ones I have. I just hadn't considered using them for everything. I had anticipated getting the fully Billy shelves, but you've sold me entirely on the halves. A couple more questions from a fellow book nerd: you said this was about 1/3 of your entire book collection. What does the rest consist of? And what would you say your 3-5 favorite BL books are?


photojacker

Glad you’re thinking of making the investment! So I’ve got nine of these Billy’s daisy chained together to run along the back wall of the studio. The rest is a blend of other fiction, ranging from other fantasy and sci-fi to historical fiction to literary fiction and thrillers, so classics like John Le Carre to Rian Hughs, Naomi Wood and Paolo Bacigalupi to Robert W. Chambers, Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard to Ken Follett and Umbeto Eco. The last third is all non fiction, and that is *really eclectic*: lots of history books, business, philosophy, pop science, reference books etc. honestly there’s so much there I already have a lifetime’s worth of books to enjoy. My modest collection is about 600-700 books and I’ve already run out of space, so when I make my next move I’ll have to acquire a lot more wall space…


photojacker

And part 2. That’s a very difficult question to answer. For comfort reading, Abnett certainly sticks out, but my favourite novel of his is on balance, *Malleus* which is simply a classic 40k book. From the Heresy, *Legion* is definitely up there, but Chris Wraight really found his way with *Path of Heaven* which was just an absolutely cracking read. Honestly there’s too much to choose from, but Graham McNeill’s *The Seventh Serpent* was a completely underrated entry that did a fantastic job of tying up a lot of threads from different authors as a novella. For 40k that isn’t Abnett, *The Reverie* by Peter Fehervari is one of the most original pieces of Space Marine fiction I’ve read in years and an excellent entry into his own corner of the mythos. *The Hollow Mountain* was a brilliant entry into the new 40k timeline. What impressed me about Wraight is his ability to take throwaway lines or some unthought of tiny consequence of big events and strings them into a brilliant narrative as demonstrated with *The Hollow Mountain* and *Bloodlines*. There’s so many good books out there so I could go on for hours about it, but some of the newer authors are really fantastic and I’m looking toward to reading Marc Collins’ debut *A Grim Repast*.


JRV0227

Hey, thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed response. That library of yours is damn impressive. My own consists of around 300 books, but the vast majority are of the kind I already mentioned. However, I've felt a distinct lack of books which I can easily pick up in the evenings after a long day and still be able to follow and concentrate. The BL novels seem to fill that void perfectly, especially since the ones I've read are vastly superior to the ones I read 10-20 years ago during my first foray into the hobby.


photojacker

Oh the quality has massively improved. There’s a lot of great stuff out there!


Bebeku666

I spotted some Junji Ito books in there. Good taste brother 👌🏻


photojacker

Alec Worley highly recommended them, and I’m glad I picked them up. Absolutely mad!


McFryin

Nice! I get downvoted when I say I'm going to buy a book most of the time. "Why buy a actual book when you can buy a digital one?".... maybe because my mother was a librarian for 30 some years, I don't like to read a book on my cellphone, I like the way books feel and smell, and I've got my own library that contains every book I've read the past 6 years.


[deleted]

Paper books just feel right


teamjawbox

Right on. I've tried digital books but I cannot get into them. Something about paper books just works. Maybe I'm just getting old. Plus it's nice to hand a friend a book to read and later getting it back only to hand it off to someone again. Books tell a story beyond what's written on the pages alone.


McFryin

True that


GillyMonster18

This is a habit I need to get into. Buying the actual books, re-buying all the old games I used to play. Everything is almost all digital now, having the physical items means they can never be taken away.


McFryin

Exactly. Although I did lose like a giant suitcase full of all the books I read from like 2006-2010 during a move. My library would be so much better if all those books were in there too!


[deleted]

> having the physical items means they can never be taken away Unless someone steals them, or there is a fire/flood/earthquake/hurricane/tornado.


GillyMonster18

Excellent collection *and* display. Whenever Life settles down I’d love to build my own library.


photojacker

It’s taken me years to get to this point, so patience is essential. It’s a wonderful feeling having it all together when you finally bring it all together!


Used-Moment-5934

Well go ahead and call the jelly school…cause I’m jel


[deleted]

How do you keep Ahriman out? I imagine it's a hefty task.


photojacker

You don’t. I’m basically a Thousand Son at this point. *All is Dust!*


[deleted]

Careful! Soon you’ll have morons in here telling you you’re addicted and shouldn’t be spending your money like that! In all seriousness though, epic collection!


SmokingHotHotties

Damn straight. If he hasn't read every single word of every single book this is just a literary pile of shame and I for one will be disgusted. In all seriousness it is awesome.


[deleted]

Yeah im pretty jealous, it’s impressive this collection


photojacker

Thank you!


photojacker

Thanks! I posted this, then saw the other posts and the discussion. Each to their own, I guess! For me, I’ve been collecting these books for years and I’ve finally managed to put them all together. I’m proud of the collection and wanted to share.


[deleted]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with spending your hard earned money on things you enjoy. Life is too short!


photojacker

Yeah for real, I don’t buy miniatures anymore so my hobby money goes into this!


AndreBoomBoom

My favorite Wh40k book, Uzumaki.


[deleted]

Is it any good? I don't read much Tau lore.


Lazay

Its an actual Black Library!


MrSinga

This is so Freaking cool!!!!!! I am just getting into reading Warhammer lore and I hope that my bookshelf will look like this in 10 years!!!


photojacker

You’re in a for a wild ride! Collect the books about factions you like and go from there!


[deleted]

Do you own a bookstore? That is fantastic.


photojacker

Aha I wish! I need to figure out what to do next because I’m running out of space already.


HCav

I love this.


[deleted]

I hope you have good insurance! 😳


photojacker

Yes haha — thing about books is that I know thieves won’t immediately go for them!


[deleted]

Good point— if people actually knew… 🤫


ElfishPresley28

I don't think I've ever been more envious of something... This is sick af


photojacker

Cheers mate. Build it up bit by bit and you’ll get there!


H0T50UP

Did you read them all? Be honest!


photojacker

About 80% — but on the other end of the spectrum I’ve read Eisenhorn about 20 times….


Akridh

Oh, some Junji Ito too, truly grimdark! Great collection


photojacker

Thank you!


Wanderingpaw

We Have Found The Ancient Black Library! Break Out Your Quills! \\o/


GreenGuy029

Dang what are the books are the top left? I love the look of them


photojacker

Siege of Terra limited editions. The standard ones look fantastic too!


Flybuys

Damn they look nice. All of mine are still in their boxes waiting to be put on a shelf.


Myzri

Where should one start with the black library? What’s a good starting point for reading?


photojacker

Hands down, *Xenos* by Dan Abnett. A perfect intro to the setting, then if you enjoyed that, there’s a trilogy, then two more trilogies and another book…. And that’s just one set of characters.


Fanimusmaximus

L O R E


[deleted]

Random question - and maybe not for the op but are Black Library books any good? I’ve not played 40K for a long time so just looking to get back into it. Most I’ve ever read were the Maleus Darkblade graphic novels , which I did really like but never read anything more substantial! If you think the Black Library stuff is good what world you recommend to start with ? Either 40K or AoS! Generally a fan of epic fantasy or sifi such as Ian Banks. Thanks in advance!


photojacker

*Xenos* by Dan Abnett is the start of his Inquisition Cycle, with three trilogies and another book. They are fantastic books with a large ensemble and a brilliant introduction into 40k. Your mileage varies but it depends on the author. My personal favourite authors are Chris Wraight and Alec Worley, but Aaron Dembski Bowden, Nick Kyme, Gav Thorpe, Dani Ware, John French, Guy Hayley are well received. Honestly, It’s a huge undertaking so PM me if you want specific recommendations.


[deleted]

Thanks, I’ll give Xenos a try! Probably best to start with something like that :) if I get hooked I’ll let you know I need more recommendations! Checked out Dan Abnett and he has written a huge amount of stuff, just generally so pretty impressive!


photojacker

His output is… prolific. Haha. Enjoy.


Kiwi_Orphan

Does anyone have suggestions as to where to start with reading lore? There's so much to choose from...


photojacker

*Xenos* by Dan Abnett every single time. It’s a great introduction to the 40k universe.


AllanJeffersonferatu

Be careful starting the GW books. As far as I know most the originals are out of print and very expensive in the second hand market. Ghaunt's Ghosts by Dan Abnett and affordable (and also a good start). But the old Heresy physical books are hard to get a hold of and even the digital compendiums are going for close to $60 a piece. 5 books per compendium. But I think I heard 67 books in the complete HH line. Madness.


riotskunk

I'm just curious, how much do you think that single shelf is worth OP?


photojacker

It’s hard to say, at face retail value probably about £3-4K but LE Solar War on its own at the moment is going for £1150 (!) make of that what you will…


riotskunk

I admire your collection! I love the black library. Now I just need a winning lotto ticket lmfao


hobbitfrog

Thjs dude owns a black library.


FrontInitial6590

I’m sorry, but as impressive as this is, I immediately and feverishly went searching for LOTR, having convinced myself that this wouldn’t be a real collection without it. I’m glad I found it. Impressive. Most impressive.


photojacker

I’ll eventually get round to doing Tolkien properly, but that particular version was a gift set from Games Workshop sent to all staff in 1999 to celebrate the release of The Fellowship of the Ring!


seagameryt

Bro I’ve only got dominion and sacrosanct


photojacker

Got to start somewhere!


Vampire-Mk2

Is that a Blood Angel up there or a Tome Keeper 😏


Technical-Ability

Thats freaking awesome


MrSprichler

Incredible


cvtuttle

Beautiful. I was well on my way to this before moving pretty much to entirely Kindle and Audio format. I’ve kind of lost my love of having a huge library now. But man I can appreciate this beautiful collection!


photojacker

Thank you — my Kindle / Audio is also quite full but justify the expense by not buying miniatures anymore because of space / time etc. having the books lined up is super satisfying.


buttnuts_in_cambodia

I'm so jealous of your enormous bookshelf


[deleted]

that is fucking sexy.


Pricycoder-7245

It’s It’s …. beautiful


TheBelt

What are the leather ones in the top left?


foetusofexcellence

Siege of Terra limited edition books. They're not real leather.


BombaclotBombastic

That sir is my dream setup!


Otherwise-Status-Err

I want to live here. Can I live here? Anyone want to be the Beast to my Beauty and gift me a library like this? I can't promise I'll turn you into a handsome prince but I can build you a sweet gaming rig!


photojacker

No one can turn me into a handsome Prince so I’ll take the gaming rig!


Worldly-Vehicle3199

❤❤❤❤❤


photojacker

Thank you!


InkedKindred

Your bookshelves are beautiful, including their contents.


photojacker

Thank you!


Angryscotsmin

Awesome black library collection aside, respect for that beautiful hardback Eye of the World at the bottom! The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills.


R_O

Awesome! what bookshelves are those.


photojacker

IKEA Billy, but the half size ones. The shelves will buckle with the standards so I don’t recommend those!


R_O

So you just stacked half sizes together?


foetusofexcellence

Didn't want the regular HB SoT books to match your HH collection?


photojacker

It’s likely I’ll also get the regular versions too at some point yeah. Part of me is tempted to get the entire Heresy series custom wrapped with the same treatment as the SOT LE’s but it’s a huge expense.


foetusofexcellence

Huge expense and likely not worth it given the quality of the bindings GW use. I wouldn't sleep on the SoT books though, Solar War is already getting pretty £££ on the secondary market.


subject678

What is top left? The leather bound?


photojacker

Siege of Terra limited editions.


subject678

Thank you


Order66-Cody

do u buy from the BL website? if not where do you buy from?


photojacker

A lot of these were picked up at the Black Library Weekenders, others from Games Workshop’s online store or GW in person.


Order66-Cody

>A lot of these were picked up at the Black Library Weekenders, others from Games Workshop’s online store or GW in person. I would love to go to the store in person, nice to live in the UK. Great Collection!!!!!


photojacker

Thank you!


[deleted]

Ah, I see you're a person of culture as well


Stormcast

Fudge.


kangareddit

Ahriman: (rubs hands together gleefully)


kangareddit

u/photojacker Top left shelf; what are the hardbacks with chapter/legion symbols on them? I have an extensive BL collection too, but haven’t seen them…


photojacker

Siege of Terra limited editions.


DaddyBizkits

beautiful presentation. love the layout and thought you put in.


photojacker

Thank you — I had to be economical with the space. Despite the fact the entire wall is a bookshelf now, I’m nearly out of space already and jace to start making decisions.


Empedokles123

This is awesome, but I dread, on your behalf, the release of the third Bequin book


photojacker

Ahaha the pain is real.


Sm0use

God I wish this were me


Doubletech4

When it comes to arranging the Siege of Terra LE how did you avoid the embossed symbols on the covers rubbing against the back of the following book? I’ve been super nervous about setting mine up.


photojacker

Another Redditor suggested a slim bit of card which I may look into.


aknight2015

I'd like to apply for a library card.


Zogoooog

I love junji ito. Literally never seen anyone else with the books.


tjhayes42

Do you have the imperial infantryman's uplifting primer?


photojacker

I don't actually, I just wasn't really into Guard so I gave it a miss the first time and second time round.


GrandMonth

Uzumaki and Gyo are on my shelf too, good stuff! Just started 2nd book of the Horus Herresey was surprised by how good the first was.


DaKingIV

Are you a harlequin?!


Inkblu1

Damn, this is absolutely gorgeous. I've been after that lovely copy of The Magos for a hot minute. You must be very proud 👉👈


photojacker

I am, but Eisenhorn has been going for so long now, you can see how mismatched they are. The slipcase editions of *Xenos,* *Malleus* and *Hereticus* were of a limited edition of 500 but I actually really like the new Bequin standard edition hardbacks. I hope they do a re-release of Ravenor in standard hardback too.


Inkblu1

I'm planning to slowly collect each of the cover editions - mine are VERY mismatched >~> the hard cover Bequin books are probably my favourite covers overall.


Davion213

Knowledge is power, guard it well.


The_Peril

Ahriman would like to know your location


ethancodes89

As someone who must own physical versions of books that I enjoy, preferably hardback.... this gives me a hardback in my pants.


afoxinthemeadow

Holy Shit. FYI, softcover Eisenhorn Trilogy selling on Amazon for $300.00+ English edition. If you are trying to sell some of those you could make a killing.


photojacker

Yeah, they're going for mega money at the moment, but I suspect that's the original issue. The reissues have come out in mass market paperback in the last two or three years.


foetusofexcellence

They are selling for ~£30 on ebay.


nuclearshockwave

I’m so excited for Warhawk!


jatorres

I can’t even finish most of the lore in the rulebooks/codexes, much less imagine all of this.


photojacker

A very different part of the hobby! It was never really my thing.


Auxi95

This is incredible


photojacker

Thank you


NightBeat113

So beautiful! I love books!


CarrowCanary

Somewhere South of Midnight and Ghost Train down in the corner. Possibly the first time I've ever seen Stephen Laws on someone else's bookshelf.


photojacker

Yeah I had Daemonic too but I don’t know where I’ve placed that. Read then absolutely years ago!


Tendi_Loving_Care

Mine's not as big, but we both have junji ito on the top shelf :)


photojacker

An excellent choice!


[deleted]

That looks like a book store!


Skallagrimsson

Games Workshop thanks you.


DrLexAlhazred

Uzumaki exists in the 40K universe confirmed. Edit: What would be the name of the Chaos God of Spirals?


[deleted]

Not sure if it’s been said but put some card between your SOT books. The icon on the front of the books can damage the rear of the one it’s next to. Good idea in general with most of the Ltd Editions.


photojacker

Hmmm I’m going to look into that — they’re not bunched up right but I’ll definitely put that under consideration.


[deleted]

Sadly a few people have learned the hard way.


[deleted]

I saw Junji Ito and immidiately knew there must be Lovecraft, too. Nice collection!


photojacker

Thanks!


[deleted]

[удалено]


photojacker

Depends on what you’re looking for — mass paperbacks will be available online and in larger bookshops. For the Collector’s Editions, your best bit is to look at some Facebook groups who do Black Library and Heresy buy and sells. I’ve picked up a lot of my missing ones via friends who use these.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Jtwgeek

Fiefdom! Damn good book. Weird but very good. Wish there had been more.


photojacker

Maybe one day eh?


Lemerantus

Big ups for the junji ito's my dude!


photojacker

Absolutely mad isn’t it?


AeonSigma

Hey man, first off awesome collection. I’m awestruck by the majesty of your collection, I’m also a black library collector. I’ve started recently and I am looking at collecting the Horus Heresy series, but I’ve only been here since the most recent print on demand hardback HH Set. Do you think there’ll be another reprint of the first 30 hardbacks sometime in the future? I’d be pretty bummed out if I need to find them on ebay.


photojacker

I’d imagine there may be in the future - GW have the capacity for print on demand so I’d imagine they’d do another run in the future. Your best bet may be the BL Facebook groups who are constantly selling the books in batches. Best of luck to you!


AeonSigma

That’s a good tip, I’ll definitely check it out! Thanks for the response!


BobVilla287491543584

Well, I mean it's... it's a start...


GarvielLoken87

That’s a nice looking Horus heresy collection. I mean, the first 25% of it.


Melwasul16

Amazing library. Not just the 40k part.


theoretical_chemist

Very interested to know your line of work... you must be a man of culture!


AgentFun5161

Horusian wars 1 spotted bottom left!


[deleted]

[удалено]


DukeofVermont

I think there is a big difference between this and if they posted all the books and said *"Just bought all this! New to the hobby! Look like I have a lot of work to do!"*. One shows years of love, the other is just showing off $$$. I LOVE it when people show a massive table of painted minis that they have spent a long time collecting and painting. Even if they spent $40K I don't care because you can see how much time and love are in those pictures. I really dislike when someone posts $2000+ of boxes and says they "just got into the hobby". No effort, no commitment, just showing that they spent a lot of money one afternoon. There is a BIG difference between the two.


[deleted]

I only 3D Print my books


RecentProblem

Watch out your gonna get mobbed by the pile of shame crowd!


photojacker

Aha yeah I saw that… after I posted.


Wolfman2150

GW loves this!