I am busy reorganising my bookshelves today [again]. You know the moment when you stare at your shelves and instead of seeing lots of books that make you happy just by looking at them, all you see is piles of books stacked before other books, with notes, and press releases, and library books in between because your shelves are so stuffed you really just go for the nearest place to put any new books down? That happens to me within a few months of reorganising my bookshelves (I’m trying to make it sound more civilised than it is because really, I think it might be much quicker than that).
Anyway, reorganising shelves is not an easy task. Especially when you have to decide which books you’re okay with double stacking and which ones you aren’t okay with. On top of that, I like to have my “collections” together: Persephones with Persephones, Virago Modern Classics with Virago Modern Classics, New York Review Books Classics with New York Review Books Classics, my Astrid Lindgren collection on a separate shelf, my Jane Austen and Austen related books on a separate shelf, my Brontë books and related books together, my Bloomsbury Ex Libris books together, Peirene Press copies together, etcetera. So yes. It’s a big experiment. And I’ll probably end up not completely satisfied.
I also ended up “stealing” some shelf space in the living room where our photo albums used to be (but let’s be honest, who needs photo albums in the living room where everyone with a fancy to it can take a peek?) and I moved my boyfriend’s music encyclopedias and band biographies to another shelf so I can have all my books together. Of course, I’m not sure where to leave the photo albums or the books I’m putting on the “perhaps I should consider getting rid of these” – pile because there is NO ROOM!
Anyway, perhaps I’ll like the result enough to talk about some of the shelves in the upcoming week. It’s about time I show you the beauty of my colourful Astrid Lindgren collection. Or at least I think it is.
But before I end this post let me show you a few of the books that came in during the past weeks, because there are some beauties in there:
“The Wolves of Willoughby Chase” by Joan Aiken. And look, it’s a Vintage Classics Children’s book. I have been looking at their collection with greed for some time now.
First, my All-Hallows Swap book came in. Sakura was my giftee and she picked The Wolves of Willoughby Chase for me, which looks like the perfect book for me right now.
Alma Classics collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald novels, fltr: “Tender is the Night”, “The Beautiful and Damned”, “This Side of Paradise”, “The Great Gatsby”.
Next, I won the F. Scott Fitzgerald giveaway over at Lizzy’s Literary Life. I thought I had won one of the novels, but I won a set of four! And these Alma Classics look absolutely beautiful (which makes me think I need to start looking for more of them!).
“Waiting for Robert Capa” by Susana Fortes. This one refused to be pictured well. I guess it’s the black on black in bad lighting because of the autumn weather outside.
I was lucky enough to win another giveaway over at Gaskella’s blog. She was so kind as to send me Waiting for Robert Capa.
“Het Boek van Alle Dingen” by Guus Kuijer and “Enchanted Glass” by Diana Wynne Jones.
I also went on a bit of a spree myself. Well, no, nothing as serious as that. I did buy Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones. I kind of want to own all of her books. So lovely. And I bought a Dutch copy of The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer. Given my extreme fangirling over it during Dutch Lit Month I couldn’t not own my own copy, right?
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What does your Sunday look like? Are you reading any good books? Do you recognize my bookshelf organisation problems?
Aw, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is wonderful! I hope you love it. It’s the source of a belief I have never entirely been willing to shake that wolves actually do attack trains and you have to watch out because they’ll just attack your train willy-nilly.
These are beautiful books. I’ve taken to organizing my shelves by publisher lately, much like you describe. This probably means I’ll soon run out of shelf space, too.
Seems I gave my copy of Wolves away when I last thought ‘you can’t keep all the books forever’ so what a good excuse to think about getting a new copy. I’m sure you’ll love it, I read it approx a billionty times when I was younger. And the Fitzgeralds look gorgeous.
The Fitzgerald set is so pretty! Will have to look into Alma Classics, haven’t heard of them before. I organize by author’s name, but sometimes tempted to group like with like. I moved our photo albums in the basement where they’re safe from prying eyes haha.
So many wonderful new books! And I’ve been thinking about rearranging shelves too, if for no other reason than I’m bored with how they’ve been for so long. Honestly though, they’ve had the same books on them for years and even though I like other books better, I haven’t done a good job of rotating them out. I have some other ideas too about how to display some more books without buying new shelves (that I can’t afford). It’s a constant issue for a book lover, isn’t it?
After university I’ve moved back in with my father, so am still contending with living pretty much in one room with only one bookshelf! I think I can definitely sympathise a little. I love that Vintage copy of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase I read that back in school. Try to ask other people about it but most people have never heard of it. Glad to see it mentioned here.
I like the Fitzgerald books, reminds me of art deco in a way. I do recognise your bookshelf problems because I’m big on organising by collections too, and at the moment I just place collection after collection which means that any additions create the need for an overhaul. Organising only by author is a great idea, but it doesn’t look as nice.
I don’t sort mine a lot Amanda does she moves my books as the come in to make space and then lets me know when I need to get rid of some every once in a while ,all the best stu
Wolves is such a favourite of mine: I’m interested to see how you enjoyed it, meeting it for the first time as an adult reader. And, yes, I love reading about shelf re-orgs! All our photo albums are now in a little chest with a lid, which serves as an extra seat when we’ve more bums than usual to fit around a table. Delegated right OFF the shelves! Muuuuch better.
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