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Who lives in a house like this? On a couple of my bookshelves

(42 Posts)
biglouis Fri 12-Aug-22 17:15:08

I have about 2000 books and they are all neatly arranged into sections. But then I used to work as a librarian and later as an academic.

GrandmasueUK Fri 12-Aug-22 17:14:50

I didn’t mention my long shelf in the kitchen with the cookery books. A shelf in my ‘art studio/shed’ for art books, 5 bookcases upstairs, one of which has my collection of children’s books, 3 Billy bookcases in my OH’s office and several boxes in the loft. I have given away a couple of hundred books this year to family, friends and local charity shops. I must get rid of some more!

Blossoming Fri 12-Aug-22 17:08:26

Kind of sorted by genre. This house is full of books.

eazybee Fri 12-Aug-22 16:58:15

Ooh no; my books are sorted according to type generally, depending on the size of the shelves.

Largest bookcase has poetry followed by history and art; second largest a mixture of fiction, favourites and the classics, some children's books and general larger illustrated books. The narrow bookcase has plays, dictionaries and grammar books; maps and travel books, and six bibles (?); the alcove shelves have study texts and textbooks plus 'how to paint...' guides and the shelves in my bedroom have a collection of comfort reads and books to be finished , mainly novels. The spare room has more classics, novels, local history and reference, and the cookery books are in the kitchen. Would love a library room, (and more shelves).

My particular dislike is colour co-ordinated books, as seen recently seen in charity shops to celebrate Gay Pride.confused

Cabbie21 Fri 12-Aug-22 16:55:04

In the kitchen we have recipe books and other practical subjects.
In the sitting room there are three small oak bookcases with mainly non- fiction, though a set of Dickens. Although some are grouped, mostly it is a question of size and fitting them on the shelves.
In another room I have a wall cupboard of choir music, and a whole bookcase of paperbacks, mainly Penguins.
In my little study I have a few other other non- fiction books.
DH has his own study full of specialist books. He got rid of about 1500 before we moved here, but has still got about 1000.
He has also got two canterburies of books relating to one of his hobbies.
I still have three boxes of books in the loft from my university / teaching days.
Surrounded by books, but I rarely read any! I spend too much time online.

GrandmasueUK Fri 12-Aug-22 16:47:52

Elizabeth27

I would say it is the shelf of an interesting person that has better things to do in life than put their books in alphabetical order.

Aw Thank you Elizabeth. ?

Zonne Fri 12-Aug-22 16:42:33

Mine are by fiction/non-fiction, then by genre. Non-fiction, the genre is alphabetical, and then the subject is ditto, and if necessary, then date of publication.

Fiction is by genre, then alphabetical by author, then in order of publication.

It makes shelving new books a painful process, but I think it’s worth it.

PinkCosmos Fri 12-Aug-22 16:42:27

I have a few Ikea Billy bookcases.

The bigger gardening and cookery books go on the bottom shelf.

I rarely buy hardback books so most of my books are paperback which come in one or two standard sizes.

I have my paperback books two deep on the other shelves but all vertical. I tend to have them in order of author.

I also have a bedding box full of books TBR as I have run of of bookcases and I can't bear to get rid of books.

Strangely, I rarely read a book more than once so I need to give my head a wobble and work out why I need to keep them all. It's hard to let go grin

I have recently found a free App called my reading list. You can scan all of your books in and note when you have finished a book or your progress if you are reading it.

I have scanned all my TBR books into it. I just add in any new books as I go along. It is much easier scrolling down the list on the App that going through the box full of books.

MiniMoon Fri 12-Aug-22 16:42:27

I try not to keep too many books. Once I've read them, if members of my immediate family and close friends don't want them, I donate them to our local charity bookshop. I usually come home with a couple I haven't read.
My kindle library is quite extensive.

Kate1949 Fri 12-Aug-22 16:41:26

The cookery books are not by Bill Bryson obviously!

Elizabeth27 Fri 12-Aug-22 16:36:54

I would say it is the shelf of an interesting person that has better things to do in life than put their books in alphabetical order.

Oldwoman70 Fri 12-Aug-22 16:34:10

My fiction books are grouped by author, and in the order they were written (OCD - moi?). Classics together (alphabetical by author), reference and history books on one shelf, health and travel guides on another.

AGAA4 Fri 12-Aug-22 16:29:22

I have too many books. The bookcase in the living room is kept tidy but elsewhere not as much.

Kate1949 Fri 12-Aug-22 16:28:06

Ours are mixed. We have a lot of cookery books, a fair few by Bill Bryson, books on Venice and Ireland, football books, biographies and autobiographies. All sorts really. All squeezed in together.

lovebeigecardigans1955 Fri 12-Aug-22 16:24:43

Some of my books (fiction) are tidily in alphabetical order but the rest is a right hodge-podge. Garden books have a shelf to themselves, as does sewing but the rest is pick and mix.

I'd love to have my own library room - I can see it now - dedicated entirely to books with a wing back chair. My little fantasy.

GrandmasueUK Fri 12-Aug-22 16:21:12

Forgot to add the pic!

GrandmasueUK Fri 12-Aug-22 16:19:29

I was looking at one of my bookcases today and wondered what other people would make of the mix of books on show. Bear in mind that this is just two of the four shelves in the living room bookcase. There are also quite a few books in the tbr pile on a table in here. Does anyone else have a mix, or are books placed in sections on bookcases?