I couldn't help but notice that you were thinking about bookshelf speakers in the book shelves to either side of the fireplace.
This would probably not work bookshelf refers more to the size of the speaker. A book shelf itself would probably be a bad place to put one. These bookshelf speakers require a flat wall behind them for a place for the rear port to sound off of for bass extension.
Also, at 9 feet high, you would want to point them downward to the listening position, it would be difficult to impossible to do these without using the bookshelf speakers.
I was just wondering, it this particular case if the SQ8's might be a good selection for the L/R?
