Kimbofo suggested we take a photograph of the books we have yet to read. As I went from shelf to shelf, posing my camera for an elegant picture, I recognized a problem.
The problem is not the amount of books to be read.
The problem is how badly my shelves are arranged.
Alphabetized? By author or genre? No.
All unread in one shelf or case? No.
Stacked neatly according to size? No.
When I've solved these minor details, I might post a more comprehensive photo gallery of my TBR library. Until then, a close up of one of the built-ins next to our fireplace will have to suffice.
(It's a good thing she didn't ask to see my lipstick drawer. Sadly, until tonight, I thought myself a fairly organized person.)
My problem is I have piles stacked all over the house! I'm afraid if I gather them all in one place it would drive me mad....
ReplyDeleteI had mine neatly arranged at one time, if that counts for anything.
ReplyDeleteI have books stacked all around the house and they are not in any order. Everytime I get a new book I just start a new pile. Its getting rather bad, and I should start sorting them out at some point. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteI love your Murakami row! I have mine kinda sorted into read and TBR and I have my classics and crimes kind of together but lately I've just been putting them in where they fit.
ReplyDeleteI posted a picture of it recently on my blog actually for the Weekly Geeks meme.
I'm taking a break from sorting the armoire in the dining room, conveniently repurposed as a bookshelf. It's filled with all kinds of arbitrary things, from manuals on origami, to boxes of notecards, to cookbooks and two editions of Post Secret hardcovers. This is going to be a bigger project than I'd anticipated, going from room to room, shelf to shelf.
ReplyDeleteGavin, I have books in every room too. Do you think you'll ever put all the unread ones in one specific place? Or, is it better to let them lie until you're ready?
Berumda Onion, I bet with all your review copies and Mailbox Mondays you'd have a hard time keeping up with every book that comes into your house on a weekly basis!
Nadia, piles on piles on piles. At least you're not alone.
Fiona, first of all, I really like your owl icon which seems to have replaced Tweety. Secondly, I'll have to come visit your blog to see the post you put up relating to this theme.
Haha, and I was wondering why there are Murakamis on the picture when I know you've read most (or all?) of them! You're such a dear!
ReplyDelete^^~~輕輕鬆鬆的逛部落格，多謝有您的分享哦~~~ .................................................................
ReplyDeleteBetter than my husband, he has his all cramed into boxes under the bed. He doesnt like looking at them apprently.
ReplyDeleteI don't even have a proper shelf! I just stack them up against the wall from the floor to the ceiling!
ReplyDeleteIf that makes you feel better!
Yep, we were separated at birth! I'll take a photo (or two or three) of my TBR stacks later this afternoon. I am usually a very organized (obsessively so) person, but over the past few years I've grown more and more relaxed about my housework and organizational skills. I have TBR piles in my "office" and at least 10 shelves in various bookcases throughout the house. At least the books on the shelves are in some order, but the stacks on the floor are mostly "newly" acquired ARCs. And I use that term (newly) very loosely!
ReplyDeleteI see we have a few of the same books on our shelves. I still have an unread ARC of The Falls in mine! And The History of Love.
Sigh.
Don't feel bad, I'm not very organized when it comes to books either. I'm lucky I remember to separate the review copies from the others so I don't lose them in the shuffle. My shelf in the living room is neat, but the books aren't in any kind of order. Upstairs, it's a disaster. I had them separated with books I've read on certain shelves and books I haven't read on other shelves, but my husband (don't ask me how) got them all mixed up. UGH!
ReplyDeleteLOL that looks a bit like my mount TBR! I used to have a neat pile, but that can no longer hold all my books that need to be read. I've got several stacks lying around -- no overview whatsoever. Complicating things is that Mr Gnoe is a reader as well... so there's his MtTBR, my MtTBR, and our MtTBR :\ What to do?
ReplyDeleteAnd then we've got books we want to read a.s.a.p. next to books that aren't in a hurry. MY, I get tired only thinking about needing to organize it all!
Good luck :)
My collection is still small so I have no problem on arranging them. On the other hand, I too thought myself organized till I arranged my art materials and papers. Even with the boxes, it's still far from organized.
ReplyDeleteA little portion of my TBR mountain has been photographed in my last post. So, we all have our impossible mountain to climb, that unites us all, doesn't it? We're one big mountaineering club and glad to be one of its many members.
ReplyDeleteAh, but at least your Murakami's appear to be all together! Mine stay together too - read or unread :o)
ReplyDeleteHa! Since moving I have a similar problem at my house. My bookshelves are a wreck and I can't find anything. I've seen people organize their books by color and I've thought about doing that but then I wonder if I'd really be lost when looking for my favorite book?
ReplyDeleteVery envious of your built-ins! Hubby says my stand alone shelves must go when we have a baby (all four 6 footers!!) but I'm not sure we could afford to build anything permanent (to fit soooo many books).
I have the same problem as you. My books are stacked neatly on the shelves but there is no rhyme or reason to the order. I really need to do something about that!
ReplyDeleteI envy how neat all your TBR shelves look! I would take a picture of mine but they're scattered every which way and there's so many it's tiresome to go collect them all and pile them up.
ReplyDeleteIt's great seeing your shelves though. I love it. You should take more pics of your library. And you should really get onto The Woman in White soon! :-) It's great.
Mae, actually, this is how bad the organization (?!) is: I've read about half the books pictured! I loved A Woman In White, have read it twice in fact.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about scattered all over the house; this reminds me that I should implement some plan, if I ever get the energy to sort it all out. On the other hand, I can find what I need. Apparently the system makes sense to me, if no one else. ;)
Ah! I know what you mean about the organised chaos. All my books are scattered about but I know exactly where each one is and which shelf. And yet, my memory is horrible when it comes to remembering other things like clothes or keys. Must be the books. :-)
ReplyDelete