My Vampire-Themed Book Collection

Welcome to my bookshelf! Here I have a selection of vampire books that I bought mostly on sale, at deadstock events, or at book fairs for a low price (imported books are expensive). I love vampires and collecting bestiaries. I'm interested in how folklore and myths delevop and how cultures continue to tell their stories. Vampires are a specific fascination to me because a) they're hot and b) I love the themes of vampirism and being a creature of the night. I'm putting this in the shrine category because I treat it as such. I'm always looking to expand this collection but It's rare to find the right book at the right discounted price orz


Vampireology
This is a pop-up book! Part of the Ology series that you might know from their well-known "Dragonology" book, this vampire-themed book explains a new version of vampire categorization with a little plot to go along as you read it. I think dividing vampires into 3 "camps" is unnecessary and the narrative is very eurocentric. I wrote a review about it on my medium page! The image is not to scale but this is the biggest book I have, although it has very few pages, it makes up for it by having a lot of tactile eperiences like flip-ups, physical objects between the pages, and many pull-outs
A Miscellany of Magical Beasts by Simon Holland
This is your standard coffee table book, in my opinion. The lore is scarce and you're instead greeted by wonderful full-spread artworks made by various artists. It's quite thin, hence the lack of lore and the focus on art, but still a great display piece nonetheless
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (The Official Illustrated Movie Companion)
I used to have a massive Mortal Instruments phase in middle school leading up to highschool. I didn't read the prequels but I did get out of my way to buy any companion pieces for the movie. I found out about the movie from Nathan Sykes' tie-in single for the movie and from there I read the TMI books and was obsessed. I'm putting this here in the vampire category because technically there are vampires in the story, they just tend to not be the major focus. I like their vampire lore and you'll know more by reading the codex review somewhere below
The Vampire Book by Sally Regan
This is my favorite book on vampires that I own, hands down. It has a LOT of information on the origins of vampire stories, its influences past and present, and even bloodsuckers from other parts of the world! I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy. The graphic design style is a mishmash and it very dated but I promise the information is more thorough than any other pop-culture vampire book you'll find in bookstores.
Gothic Dreams: Vampires by Russ Thorne
This is probably the my least favorite out of the bunch, solely because it feels like a buzzfeed listicle instead of an actual book. Sure, there's some great art, but the essense of a vampire isn't explained. Instead you have plot summaries of vampire shows and movies that could have been a pop article.
The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare and Joshua Lewis
This codex was my personality for a good 4 years. The chokehold it had on me was unbelievable. I love Cassandra Jean's art and the unique rune designs. I drew the runes everywhere I could when I was 14 and learning how to draw. I love this format of a boy scout's guide scribbled over by main characters that have a bone to pick with the institution. Chainani's "The Never Ever Handbook" also follows this trope and I love it for that. More companion pieces should be written by unreliable institutions and revised by the main characters in the story.
Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story by Anne Rice and Ashley Marie Witter
When I saw this on sale on the Big Bad Wolf storepage I knew I HAD to have it. It's drawn so beautifully and intricately, plus, can I be honest with you for a sec? I haven't actually read the novels. I watched the movie, haven't watched the tv series, and I just bought this graphic novel because damnit it's so pretty. It was cheap AND it comes in a hardcover. Insanely good value for under 5 dollars.
A Field Guide to Fantastical Beasts by Olento Salaperainen
If you're not into vampires but want a well-rounded bestiary, get this book. It cites its sources well, has a bibliography, has accompanying artwork, and does not skimp out on the lore and stories. It's a comfortable size to hold and also a great coffee table book, which I could say goes for most of the books here.
Trinkets
Here you can see the trinkets that adorn my bookshelf. We have a Venom funko bobblehead, a birthday present from my dear linguistics friends, Roman, the skull from a 2019 Halloween party, two Leon Kennedy standees, and a calico critter from a blind box that I put inside a calico critter house I got from a gachapon.