I think I know the bookshelves you mean; I bought one a few years ago to fit a specific area in my office and I have several others (three shelves) and a couple of taller four-shelf baker's racks (that wouldn't stack).

I don't think you could pay me enough to try tripe, and there are a number of other sweetmeats and gland foods that are not on my menu. (Means there's more for people who like them.) I remember oxtail from years ago, it was good in soup or stew, but I've never cooked with that bony meat myself.

Recently I made the executive decision to stop buying whole chickens because it's difficult to cook them evenly even when spatchcocked. Back in the day when whole chickens were all you could buy (without a premium price) it was a matter of taking it home and cutting it up, but that hasn't been necessary for decades. I go with the parts, and for comfort food pieces can bake or stew or whatever just as well as the entire bird. Now having the entire bird means some kind of operation to cook it intact.