Despite my best efforts to rely on the library and donate, books are taking up prime real estate in my apartment. The lacquered steel Ptolomeo Rotating Bookcase, designed by Bruno Rainaldi, offers a space-efficient, modern, and frankly, pricy solution. The device, which might remind you of those old spinning racks that held the trashy paperbacks at your school library, is priced at a hefty $3,495. It was featured in The New York Times Style Magazine in Spring 2008.

But it does quite a job. The bookcase can hold a total of 295 books or 175 books and 340 cds. The shelves measure 5 x 10 inches with 4 x 5 inch shelf compartments. The storage is vertical, too. Each book-holding section is engineered to hold weight evenly, so you won’t break your foot trying to find your copy of The Catcher in the Rye.

I think I’ll be sticking to my bracketed bookshelves for now, but I’d love to see a more affordable furniture company hit the books and produce something like Rainaldi’s literary storage sculpture. Are you there Ikea? It’s me, Amanda.

The Ptolomeo Rotating Bookcase is available exclusively at The Conran Shop. You can visit the store online at www.conranusa.com or in-store at 407 East 59th Street at 1st Avenue.