Anyone ever built a built in bookcase

[PaulStat]

I have an alcove where I wish to store books etc, so instead of going for shelving I'd like to build a sturdier built in book case for heavy text books/cook books.

Is it hard to do? There's skirting all around the room, so my thoughts were to build a base that comes up to the very top of the skirting, the bottom shelf of the book case would then sit on top of the base. So for the case itself there would be two sides, the bottom shelf two middle shelves and a top for placing decorative items such as picture frames etc. on. I wasn't planning on having a back and when I move everything into place I was going to screw the sides into the wall to keep it in place.

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to wood work, what would I use to fix the middle shelves into the sides, ummm anything else I might be missing?

 

[PaulStat]

I've had both, I prefer purpose built bookcase

 

[PaulStat]

I've been looking a bit further in to the floating shelves option. My main concern about shelving was having strong enough support to hold heavy books, and I don't like shelving brackets!

With the floating shelves option, I've found tips from carpenters which seems to suggest using 15mm*15mm battens on the three sides of the alcove and then using 45mm thick pine with 15mm grooves cut in and the shelves should just slot on to the battens and provide enough support.

I can't find a timber yard near me that supplies 45mm thick PAR timber, closest I've found is 33mm PAR timber. Will this be thick enough not to bend in the middle?

 

[PaulStat]

It's 960mm