Bookshelfie - On Organizing

 

If a book is well written, I always find it too short.

- Jane Austen

How do you organize your books? Do you keep authors together, topics, genre, or colour? Spines in or out? Because I am such an avid reader and book collector, and I live in a tiny home (under 500 sq feet), I am always challenged by space on the bookshelves. I wish I had a wall of books with taller shelves so they could all be standing properly, but that is in my dreams. My living space is a library, all in one. Do you have tips or tricks that you use with your shelves? 

I feel like bookshelves are always a work in progress, just like we are. Every so often I sort and donate books to the library that I know I will not read again, but I will always read more and more and discover good books that I will keep and read again, so they need a little sliver of space on the bookshelves. 

On my recent shelf organization, I decided to make a few book towers on the shelves to allow for more use of vertical space on the shelves, which to my delight, opened up a lot of space. I tend to cluster an author and their books together, so if I am looking for a book, I will not have (too much) difficulty because I know where that author is placed. We will see if that holds true as I give this organization a test.

This is my biggest bookshelf, and I have a couple other shelves in my home. For me, being surrounded by books is the greatest comfort a home has - each book has an author who has opened up their heart and mind, sharing a story, philosophy, journey, and wisdom.We are not alone, and books remind us of that. We can journey to magical places and think about things that we never would have thought of.

What have you been reading during this pandemic season? What has brought you great joy in your reading?