Celebrity bookshelves give us insight into who they really are.
It has become a kind of cult fascination for many of us during the pandemic to look at the bookshelves people have behind them on video calls and meetings. The New York Times has created the Celebrity Bookshelf Detective and gotten a closer look at what our favorite famous faces and minds are reading. And the Bookcase Credibility account on Twitter keeps a running and hilarious commentary about how the background bookcase relates to the credibility of that individual!
Take a look at some of our favorite bookcase backgrounds and what our favorite celebs are reading:
Celebrities are revealing their reading habits by staging appearances in front of their bookshelves during the pandemic. So what exactly are they reading? The celebrity bookshelf detective is back to find out. https://t.co/IzNpaYLfRD
— New York Times Books (@nytimesbooks) July 27, 2020
Alanis Morissette and daughter. Eight years away means Alanis packs in as much support as she can. Onyx handles the emotional side and the books the credibility. Funny that someone with so much credibility has so many books behind them. Should be a word for that, don't you think? pic.twitter.com/YbCluzu1bv
— Bookcase Credibility (@BCredibility) August 5, 2020
Paul Rudd seems well-rounded in his reading picks!
On Paul Rudd’s bookshelf
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 3, 2020
“Jude the Obscure”: The classic 1895 novel of a young, working-class man who yearns to become a scholar but is thwarted by society and lovehttps://t.co/Y5Yri48Jml pic.twitter.com/oZYHS66RKL
For some, the books are simply props.
Bill Gates. Well might human knowledge fade into the background. Bill recognises our petty notions of credibility and puts a bookcase behind him, but do not confuse this with need. It is for our benefit, like an alien assuming human form to save our comically undeveloped brains. pic.twitter.com/P8yHBzmib0
— Bookcase Credibility (@BCredibility) July 29, 2020
We love @Oprah Forgive her for @DrPhil worry about those bookshelves. The room is 8/10. https://t.co/dzw5zdkKtq pic.twitter.com/mpIhkWzM5T
— Room Rater (@ratemyskyperoom) April 19, 2020
Yo-Yo Ma reminds us celebrities are human too.
Hadn’t seen Yo Yo Ma’s shelf previously. One title that was immediately identifiable is Peter Conrad’s A SONG OF LOVE AND DEATH: The Meaning of Opera (1987) @GraywolfPress @YoYo_Ma @PeterConrad https://t.co/a16vJMQYl0 pic.twitter.com/kPQ2v9fUok
— Lockdown Book Detective (@BookLockdown) July 27, 2020
Addendum to Jane Goodall’s bookshelf. Two rather conventional mass market paperbacks make an appearance: Winston Groom’s FORREST GUMP (movie tie-in edition) and John G. Jones’ AMITYVILLE HORROR 3. (A William Golding paperback remains unidentified.) @JaneGoodallInst 1/3 pic.twitter.com/qzS9sO7N8B
— Lockdown Book Detective (@BookLockdown) May 22, 2020
Addendum to Jane Goodall’s bookshelf. Two rather conventional mass market paperbacks make an appearance: Winston Groom’s FORREST GUMP (movie tie-in edition) and John G. Jones’ AMITYVILLE HORROR 3. (A William Golding paperback remains unidentified.) @JaneGoodallInst 1/3 pic.twitter.com/qzS9sO7N8B
— Lockdown Book Detective (@BookLockdown) May 22, 2020
.@nytimesbooks have gone deep into celebrity bookshelves and only one of them (one!) has a kid's book on display. It's Amy Poehler, with Peeves (UK cover by @jamieillustrate ) pic.twitter.com/5Jk16ymBoK
— Jack Noel (@jackdraws) April 30, 2020
LOL!
bryan lee o'malley: bookshelves! plants! art! personality! love it
— Jon Erik's Haunted Greenhouse (@HonestlyJon) July 25, 2020funny bookshelvecleebrity bookcase
mae whitman: outside! more plants! natural lighting! should be the go-to celebrity strategy
aubrey plaza: a slightly terrifying basement! virgin mary candle! index card wall! great narrative
chris evans: screw you pic.twitter.com/Mc3LkZE7qc
On Andy Cohen’s bookshelf
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 3, 2020
—“A Little Life”: A tale of New York City unhappiness and quarter-life crises
—“Freedom”: A tale of Midwestern unhappiness and midlife criseshttps://t.co/Y5Yri48Jml pic.twitter.com/rWbXW4ryFC
Captain America does not need bookshelves to prove himself.
Nice orange pot. Plant or succulent? Good depth. Work on lighting. 8/10 @ChrisEvans pic.twitter.com/EFb7cOwKQr
— Room Rater (@ratemyskyperoom) May 30, 2020
There is really no end to the joy that all the amazing, questionable, and just plain puzzling bookshelf setups that have been shared over the last few months have brought to the masses. What is the best bookshelf you have seen so far? What famous faces would you like to see share their bookshelves? Sound off in the comments.