Scott and I have officially lived in our house for two years. Most of me can't believe it--really two years? But the rest of me just feels a big blur when I think about our rental when we first moved to Dallas--or our house out in small town West Texas after we graduated from college.
But remember the following picture from when we were first getting unsettled?
Sadly I have STILL not organized my books. As in NOT AT ALL. I even asked you guys over a year ago how you tame your shelves and got some great suggestions. And I did start pulling some books off the shelf to donate to the library. But then ebooks started being everywhere. And book bloggers who said they would never abandon paper now prefer their cold plastic ereaders. And then I started to get paranoid that maybe one day publishers wouldn't publish as many paper books. And then rarely publish paper books and then...I decided that I needed to hoard my books "just in case." Even the ones I don't think I'll ever read. SOMEONE COME SHAKE SOME SENSE INTO ME!
But regardless of whether I give up any of my precious books or not, I DO need to organize. The shelves in the picture above actually look much neater than they do in real life. Almost every single shelf is double stacked and it's dangerous any time I try to find a book within the stacks. So, my goal for January will be to get these shelves in order. I'm thinking about getting bins and storing the books that I've already read or those I'm not likely to read anytime soon (SOMEONE COME SHAKE SOME SENSE INTO ME!!), but for the rest, I think I finally have an idea of how to sort.
I recently stumbled onto Melody's (of Fingers and Prose) post on organizing your TBR shelf in a guilt-free manner. Now, I've kind of organized shelves this way in the past but not as a whole--and I've never had all of my bookshelves in one room together either. So except for my "Read" shelf, which is double-stacked and running over into the other shelves, I'm going to organize my books into different categories--fiction and non-fiction and then different categories within those. I haven't quite worked that out yet, but say all the memoirs together, all the classics together, all the pulp fiction together, etc. Makes total sense, doesn't it? (nevermind that...um...bookstores seem to organize their shelves this way...)
Headdesk.
So you'll hold me to it?? I'm shooting for a follow-up post on January 29th. Bahahahaha!! (especially since one Saturday is out because I've officially signed up for a free-motion quilting class).
How do you go about organizing your bookish chaos?
On the Blog:
Looking Back to last week
**Gooooooodbye 2011! And Helllllllo 2012!! Or, things I'd like to do this year.
**Wordless Wednesday: New Tricks
**Mini Thoughts on four/five audiobooks I've recently listened to!!
**Holiday Recipe Exchange Round-up
On Chickpea Banana
**Wordless Wednesday: Eight Month Difference
Looking Forward to Next Week
So, my "blog calendar" (which is really just a sheet of paper with the month and days) is great for looking backward but not so great for planning ahead. I have ALL of these things running through my head but none of them seem good enough for a post of it's own. Bah. I do have a baby food post drafted, so I'll try to publish that this week. I finished Affinity last week (yay me!) so maybe a short post about that as well. Hmmmmm... ;)
What do you have going on??
I'm doing the big bookshelf panic now too. I have three tall shelves that are stuffed to the gills with already read books and then the rest are in a giant bonfire-y stack in another room. Sometimes I dream of lighting it. ;) But really, I couldn't do that and I have to figure out how and where to organize and just put away these books. I've gotten rid of almost everything I'm willing to so that's not an option. p.s. The stack on the floor has been growing for almost nine years so you shouldn't feel bad at all! :) But, I will definitely cross my fingers that you will be more successful than I am at getting stuff in some sort of order!
ReplyDeleteI really need to organise my shelves too - I recently overhauled my whole unread bookcase, but I haven't managed to sort out the books I've actually read yet. It's too intimidating! I'm looking forward to seeing how you conquer yours!
ReplyDeleteMeghan @ Medieval Bookworm
Looking at your photo, I think you should consider leaving some of your books in boxes. I'm starting to think you may be right about the need to hoard print media these days. Maybe don't think of your books as being in boxes--think of dividing them between your library and your archive. Archives keep things in boxes. ;=)
ReplyDeleteWe'll soon have a new built in bookshelf completed, so I'll be reorganizing myself very soon.
I agree with C.B. that some of those books should remain in boxes, but perhaps give them away to a library for a book sale -- or Book Mooch or sell some, if there are any worth anything. However, I'd definitely keep them boxed and moving out...if you've already read them or are likely not to get to them, get them to someone who will enjoy them. :) That said, I need to practice what I preach...as I have boxes of book in my office too. :P
ReplyDeleteMy shelves are a mess too, but they are organized in a fashion that no one but me could possibly understand. I really need to go through and weed out books I know I'll never read. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteMy goal for sorting into categories runs into the roadblock of shelf size limitations, so sometimes I can't shelf like books together, which kills me! :--) But I love organizing books - it's sort of like playing with stuffed animals back in the old days...
ReplyDeleteLOL--I am so the wrong person to help you with this one. We have a whole room devoted to being our library...and yet we still have at least one bookcase full of books in every other room of the house (aside from the laundry room and bathrooms). And yes, the kitchen is just cookbooks/household-y books. They're everywhere!!! And every time I shoot for organization, someone comes along and puts a kink in it--that's what comes from having five people with book obsessions in a house, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI have faith in you, Trish! I'm betting you're going to conquer those shelves by end of month, and you're going to be soooooo happy to finally have it done! Can't wait to see it! :D
I actually do not prefer my e-reader to real books. It is nice to have, but even with my Christmas gift cards I bought only 'real' books. I did a HUGE purge of books last year because we don't have a big place at the moment and my books are mostly in storage. I have a much more manageable collection of books now, but I still have way too many. I imagine when I have to move them the size might decrease again. It's just hard for me because I don't have easy access to my TBR pile so how can I know what I will read? So, I suppose I am no help!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with organizing your shelves Trish! I loved your reasoning behind keeping the books...I have a TON of books my self and am hard pressed to let any of them go at times :) And I am a new ereader owner but I could never not read actual books. I just prefer them over my reader. Hope you have a great week and are able to get your shelves organized!
ReplyDeleteI dont' think print books will ever disappear. Especially not in our lifetime. Get rid of the ones you don't need!! :D
ReplyDeleteI love how your goal is for January whereas my book-organizing goal is for the entire freaking year!!! I've finally decided to organize my books as follows: Realistic Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult Realistic, Young Adult SpecFic. I haven't quite decided on the Nonfiction shelves yet....
ReplyDeleteI had a horrible thing happen to me and thus a great many of my books got donated to the goodwill. I had a skunk spray into my house and had to get rid of my bookshelves, I was able to air out the books, but then I had no bookshelves to put them back on. I go for this since there are many people who can't afford to go buy a new book, or ereader and buy at goodwill. Like my niece. She just went wild in my goodwill (she was visiting from Europe) English books are very hard for her to come by and although she now has an e reader, she says a paper book is still her preference. YEA! But, I have since gotten more bookshelves, and more books, but I do try to keep it to a minimum, one in one out. I'm sure the book shelf police came by I'd be in deep trouble but... the other rule, keep 1st edition of hardcover, paperback go yellow, let someone else enjoy them before they do. If the book was a gift, keep it, if you liked it. Good luck. If all else fails move some book cases into the bathroom, it might inspire your husband, children to read.
ReplyDelete*Kristen M - LOL! Don't torch those books!!! But I know how you feel--it's hard to feel organized when you're absolutely overrun. Good for you for getting rid of some, though. I just...can't.
ReplyDelete*Meghan - Honestly I think I'll leave the "read" books alone for the most part. Need to focus on those that I haven't read and those I'm not likely to read. Bah! Wish it were easier. :)
*CB James - Well...the picture is old so all of my books are already unpacked. Been thinking about getting bins and storing some of them under the beds, though. Love the idea of archived books! ;)
*Unfinished - See note above to CB about books already being unpacked. Boo. I have considered giving many away to the libraries, though. Get too frustrated for getting nothing when I sell them to used stores. Ha!
*Bermuda - My old shelves were organized that way and even now I have an idea of where everything is but it isn't intuitive.
*Rhapsody - LOL!!! Love the analogy of organizing books to playing with stuffed animals.
*Debi - Well, you're blessed that you have five book obsessed people in your household! Seriously. But what will you do when you move?! Yikes--best wishes to YOU my dear friend. ;) But yes, will be so much nicer looking if I can actually get things organized.
*Kailana - But you're not getting rid of books, right? You're just putting them in storage? I know...it's a sickness. Why keep books that I know I'll probably never read? But agree with you on the ereader. Just something about an actual book...
ReplyDelete*Samantha - LOL! I knew that if anyone would understand my desire to hoard paper books it would be you guys. ;) You'll have to give us a blog update on how you like your ereader!
*Amanda - I don't think they'll ever disappear completely but Brick and Mortar stores are disappearing. Other than little shops that close down frequently we only have B&N and half the books are gone to devote space to Nook and games. I know...I'm being paranoid. ;)
*Trisha - Ha!!! Well, you have many other things to think about right now. ;) But yes, I'll probably break down my books into small categories like you did. But I'm going to take it one shelf at a time. Manageable baby steps!
*Irene - Oh my goodness! What a terrible thing about the skunk spraying into your house! I'm sure that much more was affected other than your poor books. I've been much much better about buying books lately but many of these came from library sales where I'd bring home boxes of books. Not sure what I was ever thinking! ;)
I'm off to read the guilt free TBR shelf post (that's an interesting concept, haven't felt guilt free since I started blogging, I think). I sort of organise my shelves like you said: nonfiction/fiction and then several categories. I used to have read/TBR separated, but at the moment I don't have that for most categories (space issues). I still live in the illusion that one day I'll find the perfect system. Heh.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! End of January is very ambitious!
When I had my bookshelves made last April, I thought long and hard about how to organize. Finally, I went with groups: commercial fiction, classics, mystery/sci-fi/fantasy, short story and poetry collections, my TBR, and special books (signed books, books I am sentimental about, etc.). It works really well for me. My TBR isn't organized in any sense because I simply grab what I want from it when I want it.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! I can't wait to see your shelves all finished. You can do it.
I'm in a similar position. We will have been in our house for two years in March, and one of our free rooms has a bookcase full of books. My wife has been working on me for the last three years to go through them, and the ones I won't read again, to donate them to our public library.
ReplyDeleteIn order to further her cause, she got me a Kindle this past summer. She has told me that since I have a Kindle, I need to have more e-books than physical books. I suppose I can understand since we have a baby on the way!
I do agree with others, if the books are in boxes and you don't plan on reading them again, the library may be a good place for them. Great post!
I pulled up your blog, took a look at the photo, and then started laughing my head off! Not laughing at you, but with you (or maybe even at myself) ... because I pretty much knew what your post would be about before reading any words.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I won't be able to shake any sense into you either since I'm operating under some of the same thoughts (oh no, what if all the publishers quit printing paper books????) and resulting conditions.
Oh Trish, you kindred spirit. You made my day :)
You need a Shelf of Doom. I'm telling you, there's nothing like an ominous name to motivate you to get reading so you can GET RID of some books. :-D
ReplyDeleteOh my, that's a lot of books! I guess I'm not the one to ask because I have one bookshelf with books neatly lined up and not double stacked. That's it for me, but I guess my kids book situation is a little more like yours! I'm looking forward to when my youngest starts reading and gets into the chapter books because I can get rid of hundreds of books. :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your project though. I have quite a few organizing projects going for the new year, so I can relate.
I have one set of shelves in one room of my house that is reserved for TBR's. Right now those are organized based on Challenges/Genres...I like it this way bc I don't have to look at those shelves if I don't want to...just shut the door and pretend like they are not in there...and I can easily look from one genre to another depending on my mood when I DO want to read from my TBR. I'm getting better about letting go of the books I'm not attached to.
ReplyDelete*Irisonbooks - I've really worked hard the past year or so to make book blogging guilt-free. Not sure why we impose guilt upon something we all love so much! And January might be overshooting it. ;) I'll just take it one shelf at a time. Ha!
ReplyDelete*Picky - I used to have a TBR shelf based on my challenge reads. Now that I'm not doing challenges I think I'll organize a lot like you but without the actual TBR. LOL--everything I own is TBR! ;)
*Jeremy - First, congrats on your baby on the way! Ours is eight months and such a joy! ;) Second, the books are all unpacked so no keeping them that way. Ha!! Funny that your wife is trying to get you to go through your books, though--it's the opposite here. Thanks for visiting!
*Terri B - Ha! Your comment absolutely made me smile. Even if you're calling me predictable. :P Kidding. But I'm SO glad I'm not alone in my publishing paranoia! I don't think it's that far off to be honest...at least to some degree. ;)
*Softdrink - Well....if I were actually reading things then I would need a shelf of doom. Right now I'm just trying not to develop a TBL stack. Those audible credits are too tempting!
*Kristi - My advice on the kid's books is to keep the ones you love. Maybe just box them up and put them out of sight for a while until your kids are older and start having kids of their own. I know--AGES away, but my mom is having to restock her house because I've taken most of my own baby books! ;)
*Peppermint PhD - Jealous of the ability to let go of books you're not attached to. I try, I really really try (and sometimes succeed) but that first baby step is tough. ;)
That's a good idea. I was thinking about donating them, but I think my kids would appreciate having them when they're older.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to feel like a book hoarder myself! I do have my books somewhat organized - but blog posts?! I am all over the place. I hope to develope some kind of routine in 2012 to help me stay focused.
ReplyDeleteI started with nine bookshelves of books (over 4,000 books!) and now I'm down to three shelves of keepers. I still have two more shelves of books that I'm slowly working on culling, but someday these will be gone, too.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I'm at that age when you start wanting to have less of Things (including, sadly, Books).
Good luck!
Here is my Sunday Salon. I hope you will stop by!
Have fun?
ReplyDeleteI just got back from Texas, btw. :)
Wow, that's a lot of books! Organizing them can be fun, but yeah it can be taxing too, lol. As of now, I need more shelves!! :P
ReplyDeleteJust donate all the ones you've read or most like will never read. It's painless and so liberating as well. You'll be glad u did. God luck Trish.
ReplyDeleteMy bookshelves have absolutely no organization whatsoever which is so unlike me in every other way! But if you promise to work on yours this month, I'll make that one of my goals this month, too! If we commit to 15 minutes a day, surely by the end of the month we'll have accomplished something, right?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the shelves once they're organized :D And I can't BELIEVE it's been two and a half years already since y'all moved in!! I remember y'all moving in :) It kinda makes me super happy we've been friends at least that long :)
ReplyDeleteReading this post actually makes me want to go on a book buying spree! AND come help organize your bookshelves since that's one of my favoritest things ever. :) (thanks for the shout out, btw)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm excited for you with your free-motion quilting class! The best advice I got in that department was to "make sure you are breathing" :D
*Kristi - I know it's a long ways away, but your kids might treasure those books!
ReplyDelete*Molly - I've started to keep a blog calendar--it doesn't help with the ideas but it does help when I can see what I've posted and what I want to post and try to organize that way.
*Deb - Wow--I can't imagine going from 9 bookshelves to 3. You need to pay me a visit and help me cull! ;)
*Care - So sad I missed you!! Chickpea and I would have loved to meet you. Next time you're in Dallas you let me know Missy!
*Melody - Ha! We can always use more shelves, huh? ;) I'm trying to talk Scott into giving up his shelf of textbooks so I can overtake it!
*Diane - I know...it's just taking that first step!!
*Lisa - Yes, deal--one shelf at a time. We can do it!! And we can keep each other honest. ;)
*Chris - I know--to think that this summer I'll have been blogging for five years. Unbelieveable!! And I'm glad we've been friends for that long, too.
*Melody - NO!! Not a book buying spree!!! And thanks for the inspiration--your post really made something click for me. Of course books should be organized intuitively!! Looking forward to the FMQ. Love the look of it but am too afraid to teach myself! :)
Can I roll in the stacks before you organize 'em? Is that weird? :)
ReplyDeleteOh my piles are so not organized. I'm afraid to organize it, to be honest. But I can help you! I think the subject format is a good starting pint and then you can always sub-organize from there, depsnding on what you have.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I am teaching a class starting next week, and another class starting at the end of February. I didn't think the Feb. class would run, so I accepted this earlier one. I have lots to prepare for :) I obviously secretly love it!
subscribe
ReplyDeleteI have a library. A whole library room. And I'm running out of room.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have book-giftcards to burn.
*help*
There are bookcases in the bedroom too. Now I am wondering if I should use the closet too, since it's huge and all.
Really sad.
Running over to Melody's site that you linked...
oh and forgot to mention the reading room.. which has an awesome wall that is begging for an awesome bookshelf that hangs.. but I fear it will pull the wall down.. but I dream of the day there can be books hanging in there, the pretty hardcover, vintage-bound style books.
ReplyDeleteNeed that hanging bookshelf, though. That won't pull the wall down when I put those pretty + heavy hardcovers there..
(*it's a disease, this book hoarding thing)
*Andi - LOL--come on over...
ReplyDelete*Jenny Girl - Yes, I've already started pulling my non-fiction because I have less of those and then I'll probably pull classics and then go from there. And I MUST send some of them to the library as donations!! So curious about the classes you're teaching, if you don't mind.
*Marie - I have a solution to your problem--give me your gift cards. ;) I haven't heard of hanging bookshelves but I'm really curiuos now! I do dream of having a beautiful library with beautiful books, but I don't see it happening. ;)
Not at all! The classes are medical coding classes. One mainly for diagnosis coding and the other is for physician office coding. It's two different coding systems, but both are used for hospital and physician office billing but with slightly different rules.
DeleteCoding is basically taking medical information and translating into numbers for statistical purposes, research, reimbursement, etc. It requires lots of reading which is one of the reasons I like it so much :)
As for books you don't want, you could always try Paperback swap, but if you're keen on removing the books form your house, library donations would be best.
Organize books? I do that all day at work. Why would I want to do that at home? ;) J/K. I really do have a fairly good system. Books read go in two bookcases in the dining room (love Pottery Barn!) and one in the living room. When they get full, I purge. TBR books? On shelves in the guest room & my office (oh, and 6 stacks next to the bookcase), my side of the bedroom (built-in shelves), the nightstands in our bedroom & guest room, a bookcase in the living room, and a few table tops. My husband gets the basement. And, honestly, for the most part, they're in alphabetical order (by author). The ARCs are in the 6 stacks on the floor. In order by year. Yes. I have 6 year's worth of ARCs. Unread. One of the hazards of working in a bookstore (and blogging).
ReplyDeleteI admit, I have a bit of a problem. But I'll never run out of reading material. Ever. :)