BlogHer - Expose Yourshelf: Bookshelf Voyeurism - Comments

I've thought about that

sassymonkey — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:41:52 -0500

I'd like to have a lot of the classics in hardcover because those are ones that I plan on keeping.

I like your idea of a classical library with an over-stuffed chair. I want one of those too. :)

This post addresses a problem

KatieBeez — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:07:38 -0500

I've just started addressing for myself personally. I tend to want to be rid of the paperback clutter of all but the my most loved books.

Here's my plan:

Utilize the library as much as possible and then buy hardcover versions of the books I really want to reread. Thus creating a personal canon - I'm pretty sure I will save $$ this way.

It also fits into my idea to start a classical library area of my place (even if it's just part of a room), that will eventually have an over-stuffed chair and a wall of all of my most favorite books.

I'm a rereader

sassymonkey — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:44:19 -0500

But since you not I understand why you are giving them away. And hey, if people like you didn't give them away I'd never be able to get books secondhand. :)

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

I'm holding off

sassymonkey — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:42:36 -0500

Until I can do a wall of books...or just get enough bookshelves that I can arrange by colour. ;) Which ever comes first.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

I used to save tons of

Zandria — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:36:42 -0500

I used to save tons of books, but once I realized that I VERY RARELY re-read ANY books, I decided to get rid of most of them. I just took another bag to Goodwill (that my little sister had been keeping for me in her attic) just this weekend!

That information probably makes you very sad. I'm sorry! :)

Personal blog: Keep Up With Me
BlogHer blog: Life - Singles

All bookshelves

Denise — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:16:00 -0500

All bookshelves should be organized by color. It was the best thing I ever forced my children to do for me - and the best thing I ever continued to do for myself.

I love my bookshelves. So much. I can't even begin to describe how much I love them.

I need more of them though. The whites and the blacks and the really old books need more room, also the Nancy Drews and the Bobbsey Twins.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings

Expose Yourshelf: Bookshelf Voyeurism

sassymonkey — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:38:27 -0500

I joked in my last post about decluttering how one night I decided to move my books around on a whim and ended up buying a six-pack of beer before I was through. Part of reason why I wanted to move my books around that night was because my books were not fitting into the shelves the way they were organized. It was a successful endeavour since at the end of the night I was left with half a shelf of empty space. Of course I think filled it up before the end of that month and I'm now stacking books on the floor. Again. I keep telling myself that some day I will have enough bookshelves but let's be honest, that will probably never happen. One thing that I take great pleasure in is looking at other people's bookshelves and stacking techniques to see if I can pick up any tips for maximize my storage.

This past weekend I was catching up on some of my reading when I came across a post by Danielle at A Work in Progress where she gave us voyeurs a book tour.

In a world where I was wealthier, this would be a bigger room, I'd have enough shelves for all my books and it would be much more aesthetically pleasing. However, beggars can't be choosers. I'd love to give the room a makeover, but in order for it to be more attractive, I think I would have to seriously weed out books to make space, and I just can't bring myself to do that.

I hear her! I hate getting rid of books. I can't tell you how many times I've given a book away only to wish I still had it a few years later. No, we shall not talk about how many times I've ended up rebuying books for that reason either.

Jeane at Dog Ear Diary was inspired to show pictures of her bookshelves after seeing Danielle's. Like many of us she has different locations for different books including the very popular bedside collection of books that are waiting to be read.

Of course, not all bookshelves are arranged for maximum storage. BlogHer's Denise organized all her books by colour. It's visually stunning and I'm jealous. Very, very jealous.

As I was searching around for pictures of bookshelves earlier I hit the bloggy jackpot - an entire blog dedicated to pictures of bookshelves. Expose Yourshelf has been around since last November and I'm loving it! Anyone can submit photos to the site but there are a few rules - such as not cleaning your bookshelves beforehand. The blog blurb about bookshelves, which appears on the site's main page, is fantastic. Here's just a snippet of it.

The bookshelf may seem permanent and timeless, but unless you are a stagnant human being, your library has mutated over the course of your lifetime. People change. So do their bookshelves.

Hmmm your bookshelf as a demonstration of your personal growth. I like it! And I think I shall use it the next time anybody questions whether or not I need more books.

Contributing Editor Sassymonkey blogs at Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.