Kylie Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I thought we had a thread for this, but after extensive searching I couldn't find one. At any rate, we have a lot of new members who probably haven't had this question put to them yet. How do you arrange your books on your bookshelves? Is it by alphabetical order, or by genre, or some other unique method? I was just reading an article which mentioned one person who groups her books according to which authors she thinks would be friends in real life. Cute. Mine are currently arranged alphabetically, but I'm getting tired of that system and I'm looking for a new way of arranging them (the idea of not arranging them at all and just sticking them randomly anywhere also appeals to me ). I've considered arranging them by genre but I know I would get stuck having to decide whether to put a classic sci-fi book in the classic section or the sci-fi section, etc. So I'm handing the decision over to you. I look forward to seeing all of your interesting ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanC_84 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Alphabetical. I'm boring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Always by author, but then in a vague way...by genre, how much I liked it (favorites are grouped together), and in some instinctive way. But as long as my favorites are in their special places, and all the books by the same author are together, I don't much care. Oh. Well, I mean, they have to also be grouped by size. I mean, obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 (edited) I have way too many to organise them in a particular way, but we do have the majority of the travel books on a couple of shelves, and I try and keep series of books together where possible. I did recently manage to get all my TBR books onto a couple of shelves, so I don't have to go hunting for my next book, but that's really it. Too many books and not enough shelf space basically means that it's just a case of putting the books where there are gaps (of which there are currently none), with no organisation at all. However, because they rarely get moved, I do know where most books are, so if I want to re-read or refer to a particular book, I can usually put my hands on it straight away. Edited July 24, 2009 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Alphabetical (boringly!) and then by colour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I have too many books to arrange in a proper order. Lack of space and too many books kinda doesn't leave many options. I have one small bookcase overflowing with books. They are not arranged in any way. If I obtain more I look for a new spot on the shelf. I am very organized in real life, but somehow when it comes to books that is right out the window. I don't mind tho, it is not messy, strangely I know where everything is and it has that nice eclectic look to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 24, 2009 Author Share Posted July 24, 2009 The colour thing has appeal. Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to take all my books of the shelves and re-arrange them this weekend! I'm so sad I forgot to mention that after alphabetising my books by author, I've alphabetised them by name of book. Unless they're part of a series, in which case they are in chronological order. Although my Wodehouses aren't remotely in chronological order, even though there are several series involved. Hmm, I don't seem to be very consistent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Isn't it fun to arrange books tho? When my collection was small I would love to arrange them in all sorts of ways. I think its fun to arrange books anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosalind Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 At the moment I'm using a clothing closet to store them and that means I've got to put them 4 deep. Because of this I'm sorting at the moment on size and on when read because I don't feel like taking out 4 rows of books everytime I have an author in the beginning of the alphabet. They get there ordering every time a shelve is full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
page turner Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I'm a randomist when it comes to books and sorting. Some series are all together but mostly it's whatever order I've read them in is how they end up on the shelf. I have thought many times of pulling them all out and going for order by author but that would mean constantly shuffling them as I get more books - at least this way it all looks interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopyloo100 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 At the moment I'm using a clothing closet to store them and that means I've got to put them 4 deep. Because of this I'm sorting at the moment on size and on when read because I don't feel like taking out 4 rows of books everytime I have an author in the beginning of the alphabet. They get there ordering every time a shelve is full. I'm doing something like this aswell. I'm very lacking on places to put bookcases and so as I have a lot of storage in the bedroom I'm tending to use the cupboards with shelves and I do tend to sort through them and put the read books to the back and then I've been trying to sort them alphabetically by author after that. I just love handling the books as most are either new or like new - I'm not someone who appreciates a tattered copy that's been well read and loved; I just like for them to remain looking new! I suppose with them not being in the light they're also not prone to fading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Pretty much by size and genre. In classics genre I have arranged my books alphabetically by the author. Some genres are arranged by colour. I'd love to arrange my books by colour only but I don't think that would such space saving advantages as my current system. Kylie, I thought it's so adorable for someone to categorise their books accorgind to which authors the person thinks would be friends in real life. That demands imagination and other things I cannot even name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimera Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 At the moment I have the fench books on one side, english on the other. Then they are sorted more or less by author and size. Plus I have seperate shelves for TBR and non fiction. But I'll be changing that system when I get my new flat and put all my books together. I'm thinking of mixing the languages and sizes and sorting them by rough genres (classics, crime fiction, 'around the world'...) and by authors. I am sooo looking forward to that, it's pathetic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie2008 Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I only have one bookcase and lots of storage boxes. The bookcase is arranged with my favourite books sorted by author, so all the Jodi Picoult books are together, Sophie Kinsella, Stephenie Meyer etc. Then I have two storage boxes with books I haven't read, and one full of books that I have read or won't be reading (such as books given to me when I was younger that I can't bear to part with ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 On shelves, on the floor, in drawers....wherever there is room! I don't have them arranged in any particular order, just where they fit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowhere_girl Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I have fitted wardrobes so my books go in those - the part with shelves obviously. I go with genre & size. Although I tend to work from both left & right, so I have the two tallest on either end & slope down to meet in the middle. I try to operate on a 'one in one out' policy as well so I don't get over-run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 It used to be alphabetical. Then, when I moved house, it became completely and utterly random, apart from particular authors being grouped together. But, since I disposed of all of the fiction, it is now thematic. Science:History:Food:Travel Writing:Biog with Guide books and Cookery books kept in different places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anisia Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I currently have them arranged by language (the English shelves and the Romanian shelves) and then arranged by size. But I'm thinking of arranging them in alphabetical order, it's easier to find them that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuggleMagic Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 somebody groups them by authors they would be friends with? that is totally cute my bookcase is wide but only has three shelves shelf one - all of the books that I have read, loved and will NEVER give away or lend. aka.. my permanent collection shelf two - all of the books that I am yet to read shelf three - all hardback books. a mix or read and to be read. I also have four carrier bags full of books waiting to go to the charity shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 My bottom shelf is pretty much the books which are special to me, including my signed copies. It also houses a few large hardbacks. The upper shelf has the smaller books, and the middle one the larger ones. There's no real order though. Review books that need reading are either on my window ledge or by my bed. Books that I've read but want to keep are stored in a cupboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 All non fiction and large (coffee table style) books are on a separate shelf to fiction. Non fiction aren't arranged in any particular order other than size. Fiction is a bit random except for book series, so for instance, all my Brother Cadfael, Sherlock Holmes, Crowner John books are in chronological order, others are just where they fit best. I have a second bookcase here at work, mostly new books arrived by post, and the rest on on my bedside cabinet. I really need a bigger house:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 I have 6 shelves on my bookshelf ~ the first 2 shelves are TBR books, they're in a rough order of how much I want to read them, and then in sets of author or series if they're a part of one. The third shelf is just random books I've read and want to keep, they're just in order that I've read them really, although I have them grouped by book size. The 4th and 5th shelves are author sets and series that I've read and want to keep and the bottom is cookbooks, hardbacks and the hardback sized paperbacks, and they're in order of size and then if they've been read or not within that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitegold Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 How do i arrange my books? random chaos! haha. I have very little shelf space right now so I try to fit as much as possible on it. When I do get more shelves, I'll probably organize by author. It's nice to have the same authors grouped together..easier to find books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beccles Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Just as they are placed when I buy them. There is no particular order. I am not that wierd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 Aha, well. On top of the bookshelf: books to be swapped/sold/charity shopped. First shelf from the top: Poetry and classics, in chronological order. Also the temporary lodging for half of the library books I need to consult for my dissertation. Second shelf: Shakespeare books, subdivided as follows: editions of plays followed where relevant by off-shoots (i.e. Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead follows the Arden Hamlet, Arnold Wesker's Shylock follows the Oxford The Merchant of Venice), anthologies of creative responses to Shakespeare's work, literary criticism, novelisations, unclassifiable, general Elizabethan period stuff. Also houses part two of my dissertation books. Third shelf: After the complete works of Oscar Wilde and a humongous anthology of Romantic poetry (this being the only shelf high enough to accomodate them), writing stuff, subdivided as follows: literary theory, Writers & Artist's Yearbook, dictionaries (synonyms and rhyming for both English and Italian), poetry exercises, essays or memoirs re: poetry, fiction exercises, essays or memoirs re: fiction, plus all the notebooks which are not currently in my bag (at the time of writing they are: novel planning, poetry, illustrations, poetry exercises, and two blank). Shelf four: graphic novels, Neil Gaiman, Jasper Fforde, books on books (subdivided by fantasy, serious, literary), children's fiction, fantasy, horrific fantasy, horror. Shelf five: recipe books, [DVD collection], Terry Pratchett and random titles that would be misplaced anywhere else. Shelf six: Beatles books, subdivided as follows: band, John, Paul, George, Ringo, wives/sisters/manager. ...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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